Luna Rossa to cooperate with Emirates Team New Zealand

New agreement between Italian and Kiwi America's Cup challengers

The Circolo della Vela Sicilia of Palermo and the team Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 announce that their Notice of Challenge for the 34th America’s Cup, which will be held at San Francisco in September 2013, has been accepted by the Golden Gate Yacht Club.

Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 and Emirates Team New Zealand have signed a cooperation agreement until 31st December 2012 which includes full access to all ETNZ design and performance data for this period.

The hulls for the Luna Rossa AC72’ will be built in Italy and all other elements will be built in New Zealand in close cooperation with Emirates Team New Zealand.

Luna Rossa’s 2012 programme includes the opening of a base in Auckland (New Zealand) for the joint training, the participation in all events of the America’s Cup World Series with the AC 45 catamarans and the launch of the AC 72 catamaran for the America’s Cup.

From March 2013 the team Luna Rossa will continue its preparation and technical development of the AC72 in San Francisco and will participate in all events scheduled for the 34th America’s Cup.

Patrizio Bertelli, Team Principal of Luna Rossa Challenge 2013, commented: “I am certain that the co-operation of Luna Rossa with Emirates Team New Zealand will produce excellent results, giving to both teams a faster and more effective development both in the technical and in the sporting fields. The choice of the Circolo della Vela Sicilia as challenging yacht club is also significant: I think it is important, in a moment like this, to underline the unity of our country also in the field of culture and sports”.

Matteo de Nora, Team Principal of Emirates Team New Zealand, said: “I am very happy with this co-operation: since 2000, when they won the Louis Vuitton Cup, Luna Rossa is certainly the most loved and respected foreign sailing team in New Zealand. This partnership will increase the technical value of the teams. We look forward to close co-operation on land and intense rivalry on the water.”

Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, said: “The cooperation with Luna Rossa is another step towards the long-term objective of establishing our team as a provider of technology and services that highlight New Zealand’s marine industry expertise. We look forward to sharing our design office resources and cooperating with two such well-respected names in top-level sailing.”