RECON LOG: LUNA ROSSA TWO-BOAT IN STUNNING CONDITIONS ON THE BAY OF ANGELS

For this cycle, teams will self-report on their AC40 two-boat programmes, with media team members bringing fans close to the action on the water and shoreside with videos and interviews, whilst the teams’ technical experts will recap the day with accurate summaries of conditions and areas covered during the session. Once the AC75s begin training, independent recon teams will be assigned to the training.

Luna Rossa opted for a two-boat training day on Friday 13^th February with Marco Gradoni and Ruggero 'Ruggi' Tita taking on Josh Junior and Margherita Porro in the two AC40s. Gradoni was joined by his fellow winning co-helm in the 2024 Youth America’s Cup, Gianluigi Ugolini on trim alongside the highly experienced AC75 trimmer Vittorio Bissarro.

Meanwhile on the second boat, the winning Women’s America’s Cup trimmer Maria Giubilei rekindled her relationship with helm Margherita Porro, alongside the AC75 flight controller Umberto Molineris.

Overall, the Italians were on the water for some six and half hours after dock-out at 10am from their outstanding facility on the Molo Ichnusa in downtown Cagliari, nestled in the port.

The focus initially was on straight line speed testing followed by a series of five starts before the team went into full race practice over four starts and windward/leeward courses completed. 

Conditions on the Bay of Angels were varied with the Mistral in the morning giving way to sea-breeze as the afternoon wore on, kicking up half metre waves.

‘Ruggi’ Tita described the day and made particular mention of the tacking practice conducted early on – a key area of development and improvement in both the AC40 and the AC75, before alluding to the intensity of the pre-start training, something that coach Josh Junior has always been hot on both at his former team, Emirates Team New Zealand and now with Luna Rossa.

Dock in was at 4.30pm.

Magnus Wheatley