CUP BLOG: LUNA ROSSA WELCOMES UNIVERSITY OF CAGLIARI STUDENTS
It is often said that the America’s Cup is ‘a technology race with a regatta at the end’ and as the runway for the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup in Naples gets ever shorter, that technology race is in full flow. Design teams have been working away to adapt their existing AC75s to the new Technical Regulations whilst always seeking to push the boundaries of innovation, engineering, mechatronic controls and systems engineering.
All of these skills require the brightest of minds, and in Cagliari yesterday at their outstanding Molo Ichnusa base, down on the waterfront in the port, Luna Rossa invited students from the University of Cagliari to come and see and be inspired by the opportunities that are present in the world of the America’s Cup.
The initiative, promoted by the Magnificent Rector Prof. Francesco Mola, was attended by more than 100 second-year students enrolled in master’s degree programmes from the following faculties: Engineering (Mechanical, Civil, Electrical and Electronic), Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science and Data Science, Business Analytics and Innovation.
The students had the remarkable opportunity to visit the base and meet with the team’s engineers, designers and technicians, to get up close with the work they conduct as they strive for victory at the Louis Vuitton 38thAmerica’s Cup in 2027.
During the visit, several Luna Rossa team members from across the different faculties within the team, shared their experiences and provided an overview of the working methodology and the technical and scientific approach required to face a complex and multidisciplinary challenge such as the America’s Cup. The day concluded with a highly attended Q&A session.
Horacio Carabelli, the Chief Designer of Luna Rossa reflected on the day saying: “We were very pleased to host female and male students from the University of Cagliari at our base. The America’s Cup is a complex challenge that has always been played on the dual track of sport and technology and requires constant synergy between humans and machines. The enthusiasm and curiosity with which the students took part in the meeting was especially appreciated and confirms the many points of contact between our world and the academic one, suggesting possible future interactions also at a professional level.”
The university students described the experience as highly interesting, as it allowed them to understand how academic studies find concrete applications in a fascinating context such as professional sailing. For Luna Rossa, the initiative proved particularly valuable, offering the opportunity to meet and connect with specialised profiles that, in the future, could represent new resources for the team.
The Race for Naples in 2027 is well underway, but so are the races for the 39th and 40th editions of the America’s Cup where new talented engineers and designers will come to the fore.
Magnus Wheatley