Please select your home edition
Edition
Palm Beach Motor Yachts

America's Cup: Bertelli labels AC75 'Too difficult, too extreme'

by Fabio Pozo/Richard Gladwell 23 Jun 2019 08:46 UTC 23 June 2019
Luna Rossa sail their three man prototype - Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Challenge for the 36th America' Cup © Luna Rossa

Patrizio Bertelli, team principal of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has hit out at the AC75 class chosen for the 36th America's Cup labelling the foiling 75ft monohull as "too difficult, too extreme".

Mr Bertelli claims that the extreme sailing technology involved in the AC75 is enough to be an entry barrier for new teams/late challengers. A point which has not been mentioned by the teams themselves in several interviews with Sail-World over the past few months.

"The electronic part is especially complicated. We have been working on it for two years ... ", Mr Bertelli explains.

His opinion is that there will only be four teams on the start line in Auckland for the 2021 America's Cup.

La Stampa's Fabio Pozzo, reported Mr Bertelli's coments after a team presentation in Palermo on June 21, 2019.

Pozzo, La Stampa's America's Cup correspondent, has been the source of many insights from Mr Bertelli, including the leak that the class for the 36th America's Cup would be in a foiling monohull.

Pozzo says "it was Patrizio Bertelli himself who wanted the return of the monohull after the era of catamarans used in the America's Cup in San Francisco and Bermuda."

"Yes, but I had suggested to the Kiwis to choose a less extreme boat than this one. A sort of modern VOR60 (the boat of the former Volvo Ocean Race) on which to develop two rudders with foils. Instead, they [ETNZ/RNZYS] wanted a hyper-technological solution, they insisted ... ".

Pozzo sums up saying: "The New Zealanders have gone too far, they wanted to raise the bar too much, focusing on a completely new boat, but also very extreme, which requires great research and tuning to understand it and make it run. And to do this, we need knowledge, men, time."

Helmsman Francesco Bruni echoes Mr Bertelli's comments.

"The AC75 is a harder boat than the catamarans. The latter rose on the water, resting on four points, didn't they? The two rudders and the two foils."

(In fact, the rules permitted the AC50 to sail on four foils only during tacks and gybes. In normal straight line sailing mode, they used only three foils.)

"These rest only on three, the two rudders and the arm-foil, with the other arm weighing one ton and protruding from the hull for five meters. Do you understand? It's a question of balance. You have to come up with a new way to navigate, and it's not easy. We saw it after a year on the simulator and with the first outings at sea with the prototype," Bruni added.

Despite the comments on the perceived degree of difficulty associated with sailing the AC75, Bruni describes the first sail Luna Rossa had on their recently launched prototype 3-crew foiling monohull as "a pleasure, one of the most beautiful sailing days of my life".

"It's a question of speed and balance, you have to find the magic ", Bruni noted.

A six-time challenger for the America's Cup, Luna Rossa did not compete in the 2017 America's Cup, and for the 2013 America's Cup, they sailed an AC72 using a base design package purchased from Emirates Team New Zealand, with whom they also had a training arrangement. Both teams had foiling AC72's - a class which was not originally designed to foil, and used very crude technology compared to the subsequent AC50.

The last time Luna Ross mounted a full, unpartnered America's Cup Challenge was in 2007 in Valencia. Since that time various sizes of monohull have been promoted up to the AC90 proposed by Alinghi when they successfully defended in 2007.

New York Yacht Club is also believed to have favoured a smaller non-foiling monohull.

Alinghi's selection of Challenger was overturned in the New York Supreme Court, resulting in a Deed of Gift match being sailed using craft up to the maximum Load Waterline Length of 90ft, specified in the Deed of Gift a 19th-century document which governs the conduct of the America's Cup.

Golden Gate Yacht Club raced a 120ft overall wingsailed trimaran in a Match they won 2-0 from a soft sailed catamaran entered by Alinghi. For the 2013 America's Cup, Golden Gate signed a Protocol calling for wingsailed 72ft catamarans, for which Emirates Team New Zealand responded with a foiling design concept.

From that point, there was no turning back as the foiling boats rapidly attracted the attention of the mainstream sports media, who for years had likened the America's Cup Matches as like watching paint dry.

The Protocol for the 35th America's Cup called for a full foiling 62ft catamaran, later reduced to a 50ft version by a majority vote only of the teams. As a result of that decision, Luna Rossa who were the most advanced of the teams, withdrew from that event.

Several of the Luna Rossa team then joined Emirates Team New Zealand and played a key role in the Kiwi team. That package of people and technology also included the loan of a foiling AC45 test boat, ahead of the Kiwis launch of the prototype AC45, stretched to resemble an AC50.

Last week the Italian team unveiled their prototype foiling monohull, shorter than the maximum 38ft permitted under the Protocol for the 36th America's Cup.

At the presentation in Palermo on June 21, Mr Bertelli also announced that the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team would launch their first AC75 on August 25, 2019.

For the full interview in La Stampa click here

Related Articles

Maritimo propeller development
"High speed screw development definitely is a scientific approach to what is a black art" "High speed screw development definitely is a scientific approach to what is a black art," said Willaton in opening. "Propellers can be a tricky thing, and so we take the hull resistance figures from our in-house Naval Architect here at Maritimo." Posted on 9 May
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode One
Episode One - Wes Moxey, CEO of Riviera Motor Yachts - is now up and running Episode One - Wes Moxey, CEO of Riviera Motor Yachts - is now up and running Posted on 8 May
SAY it with intent! SAY it in carbon…
You know, you might also have to SAY it in epoxy. You know, you might also have to SAY it in epoxy. Get all that, and you are certainly someone who needs to know about SAY Carbon Yachts. It's all about efficiency, acceleration, pace, and the amount of horsepower required to get there. Posted on 8 May
IGFA's 2025 "World Record Game Fishes" book
The iconic 82nd edition celebrates angling achievement, conservation, and record-breaking catches IGFA, the global authority on world records, is proud to announce the release of the 2025 IGFA "World Record Game Fishes" book, the world's most trusted and comprehensive resource on recreational angling records and international fishing standards. Posted on 8 May
Learn powerboating skills in Old Saybrook
From the basics to 2 new hands-on courses added for experienced boaters Recreational boaters are beginning to return to the waters of Long Island Sound. Are they prepared? Posted on 8 May
Bulwarks and Bulldust – new Vodcast Show launches
Join us as we pan for the gold dust, whilst sifting out the bulldust. Bulwarks and Bulldust looks at the serious subjects from inside the world of boating, but we don't take ourselves too seriously. The show covers off everything from Off The Beach to Superyachts, Powerboats to Ocean Racing, and the marine industry itself Posted on 6 May
ASA supports season changes for Chesapeake Bay
The new plan aims to reduce regulatory complexity, improve angler access during cooler months Maryland has submitted a proposal to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission to simplify and update the Chesapeake Bay recreational striped bass fishing seasons. Posted on 6 May
Huynh catches way more than walleye with FFS
Regarded by his peers as one of the best walleye wranglers in America Given the fact Vexus® Ambassador Tom Huynh is the 2024 National Walleye tour champion and is regarded by his peers as one of the best walleye wranglers in America, he's totally comfortable with his masculinity. Posted on 3 May
Bayliss Boatworks new construction updates
Big news from Big Deal! Big news from Big Deal! Late last month, she successfully completed her first sea trial—a major milestone as she moves closer to delivery. Posted on 2 May
Introducing the all-new Stingray Boats 259DC
Built on the exclusive, revolutionary high-performing Z-Plane hull We unveiled our all-new 259DC dual console model to the media and public during the 2025 Miami Int'l Boat Show in mid-February. It's the sister model to the 253CC center console in our line-up. Posted on 2 May
Palm Beach Motor YachtsMaritimo 2023 S600 FOOTER