The Luna Rossa AC37 Prototype was launched Thursday at the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli base in Cagliari.
Miuccia Prada, godmother of the launch, smashed the traditional bottle on the bow of the boat, christening her Luna Rossa.
This ‘LEQ12’ test boat was conceived, designed and built at the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli base in compliance with the rules of the 37th America’s Cup Protocol.
The sailing sessions with the boat will be essential for the crew, but even more so for the research and development program that will lead to the design of the new AC75 with which the team will compete in the 37th America’s Cup in 2024 in Barcelona, Spain.
Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia syndicate are also producing their own ‘LEQ12’ test boat, codename T6.
T6 is set to launch at the new INEOS Britannia training base in Palma, Mallorca this Autumn.
The Italian test boat has a wing mast with sails, similar to those used for the AC75, featuring North Sails technology.
The bowsprit will be smaller and no longer used for the Code 0, but as a support for the technical equipmenton board.
At the launch Luna Rossa was fitted with different foils on each side . . anhedral foil on one side and a flat foil on the other.
Manufactured with carbon composites, the building process required nearly 10 months and over 30.000 work hours of over 25 people and 40 members of the design team.
For the construction of the hull and composite components, 5.000 square meters of carbon fiber were used in the different materials that make up the structural core.
For those wondering what ‘LEQ12’ means . . . It means any yacht used for development or training that is Less than or EQual to 12m LOA, as defined in Rule 11.92 of the AC37 Technical Regulations
Patrizio Bertelli, President of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team . . .
“I am sure that this prototype will be of great help to develop the new AC75 with which we will race in this new edition of the America’s Cup.”
“In a few days we will receive the first feedback from the crew at sea and, because of the innovative nature of this project, Iknow it will exceed our expectation.”
