Italy at the America's Cup
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File:Luna-rossa-prada-pirelli-vela.jpg's AC75 training in Cagliari in 2019.]]
Since the 1980s, Italy has been a serious challenge contender for the America's Cup. Italian teams have won the Challenger Selection Series three times: the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1992 with Il Moro di Venezia, in 2000 with Luna Rossa and the Prada Cup in 2021, again with Luna Rossa.{{Cite web|last=LSD|date=2021-02-21|title=Prada Cup Final Day 4: Luna Rossa Crowned and Moves onto the America’s Cup|url=https://www.livesaildie.com/prada-cup-final-day-4-luna-rossa-crowned-and-moves-onto-the-americas-cup/|access-date=2021-02-22|website=Live Sail Die|language=en-NZ}}
Italy thus took on the official role of challenger and gained the right to challenge the defender in America's Cup. However, it was defeated on all three occasions.{{cite web|url=https://www.americascup.com/it/storia|title=La storia della America's Cup|publisher=giornaledellavela.com|language=it|access-date=17 September 2019}}
Italy in the Challenger Selection Series
Italy first participated in the 1983 Louis Vuitton Cup with the yacht Azzurra. Since then, at least one Italian syndicate has entered every edition of the challenger selection series (known as Louis Vuitton Cup from 1983 to 2013 and in 2024, Prada Cup in 2021), except for the 1995 Louis Vuitton Cup. While Luna Rossa Challenge had originally entered the 2017 Louis Vuitton Cup, it withdrew in protest when the class of boats for the competition was changed without unanimous consent of all participants.
In three occasions, multiple Italian teams entered in the same year: two in the 1987 Louis Vuitton Cup, two in the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup and three in the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup.
Three Italian yachts ever won the challenger selection series, earning the right to challenge for the America's Cup: Il Moro di Venezia in 1992, Luna Rossa in 2000 and Luna Rossa again in 2021.
| class="wikitable" | |||||||
| Year | Venue | Yachting club | Boat | Skipper | Result | Winner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center|1983
| {{flagicon|USA}} Newport | {{yachtclub|Yacht Club Costa Smeralda}} | align=center bgcolor=cc9966|3rd | {{flagicon|AUS}} Australia II | align=center| | |||||||
| align=center rowspan=2|1987
| rowspan=2|{{flagicon|AUS}} Fremantle | {{yachtclub|Yacht Club Costa Smeralda}} | Azzurra III | align=center|11th | rowspan=2|{{flagicon|USA}} Stars and Stripes 87 | align=center rowspan=2| | |||||||
| {{yachtclub|Yacht Club Italiano}}
| Flavio Scala and Aldo Migliaccio | align=center|7th | |||||||
| align=center|1992
|{{flagicon|USA}} San Diego |{{yachtclub|Compagnia della Vela}} |Il Moro di Venezia V | align=center bgcolor=gold|Winner | | | |||||||
| align=center|1995
|{{flagicon|USA}} San Diego | colspan="6" align=center style="font-size:80%"| No Italian team entered the 1995 Louis Vuitton Cup | |||||||
| align=center|2000
| {{flagicon|NZL}} Auckland | {{yachtclub|Yacht Club Punta Ala}} | Luna Rossa | {{nowrap|Francesco de Angelis}} | align=center bgcolor=gold|Winner | | align=center| | |||||||
| align=center rowspan=2|2003
| rowspan=2| {{flagicon|NZL}} Auckland | {{yachtclub|Yacht Club Punta Ala}} | Luna Rossa | align=center|Semifinalist | rowspan=2|{{flagicon|SUI|civil}} Alinghi | align=center rowspan=2| | |||||||
| {{yachtclub|Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia}}
| Mascalzone Latino | Paolo Cian | align=center|9th | |||||||
| align=center rowspan=3|2007
| rowspan=3|{{flagicon|ESP}} Valencia | {{yachtclub|Yacht Club Italiano}} | Luna Rossa | align=center bgcolor=silver|Finalist | rowspan=3|{{nowrap|{{flagicon|NZL}} Team New Zealand}} | align=center rowspan=3| | |||||||
| {{yachtclub|Reale Yacht Club Canottieri Savoia}}
| Mascalzone Latino | align=center|6th | |||||||
| {{yachtclub|Circolo Vela Gargnano}}
| +39 Challenge | align=center|9th | |||||||
| align=center|2013
| {{nowrap|{{flagicon|USA}} San Francisco}} | {{yachtclub|Circolo della Vela Sicilia}} | Luna Rossa | align=center bgcolor=silver|Finalist | {{flagicon|NZL}} Team New Zealand | align=center| | |||||||
| align=center|2017
|{{flagicon|BER}} Bermuda | colspan="6" align=center style="font-size:80%"| Luna Rossa entered the 2017 Louis Vuitton Challenger's Trophy but then withdrew in protest. | |||||||
| align=center|2021
|{{flagicon|NZL}} Auckland |{{yachtclub|Circolo della Vela Sicilia}} | {{nowrap|Max Sirena}} | align=center bgcolor=gold|Winner | | align=center| | |||||||
| align=center|2024
|{{flagicon|ESP}} Barcelona |{{yachtclub|Circolo della Vela Sicilia}} | {{nowrap|Max Sirena}} | align=center bgcolor=silver|Finalist | {{AC_Flags|GBR}} INEOS Britannia | align=center| |
Italy in the America's Cup match
Three Italian yachts earned the right to challenge for the America's Cup: Il Moro di Venezia in 1992, the first team from a non-English speaking nation to do so, Luna Rossa in 2000 and Luna Rossa again in 2021. In all three occasions, the Italian teams lost to the defending champion.
| class="wikitable" | ||||||||
| Year | Venue | Challenging club | Challenger | Skipper | Score | Defender | Defending Club | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=center|1992
| {{flagicon|USA}} San Diego | {{yachtclub|Compagnia della Vela}} | Il Moro di Venezia V | {{nowrap|Paul Cayard}} | align=center|1-4 | {{yachtclub|San Diego Yacht Club}} | | ||||||||
| align=center|2000
| {{flagicon|NZL}} Auckland | {{yachtclub|Yacht Club Punta Ala}} | Luna Rossa | {{nowrap|Francesco de Angelis}} | align=center|0-5 | Team New Zealand | {{yachtclub|Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron}} | | ||||||||
| align=center|2021
| {{flagicon|NZL}} Auckland | {{yachtclub|Circolo della Vela Sicilia}} | Luna Rossa | {{nowrap|Max Sirena}} | align=center|3-7 | Te Rehutai | {{yachtclub|Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron}} | |
See also
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.lunarossachallenge.com/it/home Luna Rossa Challenge] web site
{{National sports teams of Italy}}
{{America'sCup}}