Luna Rossa is the name of a beautiful song written in 1950, but is also the name of a group of sailing vessels deployed successfully by the Italian trade union “Luna Rossa challenge” created by Patrizio Bertelli. The first Luna Rossa was put into water in 1999, and since then many different boats with the same name have followed, in different sailing classes, taking part successfully in the Louis Vuitton Cup/Prada Cup and in the America’s Cup as an excellence made in Italy.

The idea of Patrizio Bertelli to launch a challenge in America’s Cup came up in 1997, and became reality with the creation of a team that included designer Doug Peterson, Torben Grael’s sailing champion and the skipper Francesco de Angelis. The challenge to the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, holder of the America’s Cup was launched on April 21 of that same year.