America’s Cup: Patrizio Bertelli outlines where Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s America’s Cup challenge went wrong

Patrizio Bertelli at the Prada Cup Launch in 2018. Photo / Prada Cup, Studio Borlenghi

As Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli assessed the finer points of their failed America’s Cup challenge, one critical aspect of their performance stood out to chairman Patrizio Bertelli.

The Italians, who progressed through to the Cup match in Auckland in 2021, came into the regatta in Barcelona tipped by many as the favourites to challenge Team New Zealand again given their performance and speed in the build-up.

However, Bertelli believed it wasn’t the speed of their boat that was the issue in the 7-4 loss to Ineos Britannia in the Louis Vuitton Cup final.

“The factual truth is that the boat that makes fewer mistakes goes forward,” Bertelli said.

“There will be time to analyse what happened, but the issue certainly wasn’t a slow boat. Ours was very fast, in fact, I believe it’s the fastest boat I’ve ever had in all of my challenges.

“This is what the America’s Cup is like; the competition level is high. We hit a rough two weeks and made mistakes. We’re not in the final because we made more errors than others.”

It won’t be the last time the team are on the America’s Cup stage, with Bertelli, the chairman and former co-chief executive of Prada who established the team in 1997, confirming that the Italian syndicate would be back for the 38th edition of the Cup, and they would immediately turn their attention to developing the next generation of sailors.

Already, the Italians have been represented by some of the sailors coming through their ranks, with Marco Gardoni and Ruggero Tita at the helm of their AC40 during the second preliminary regatta in Jeddah.

Gardoni was part of Luna Rossa’s Youth America’s Cup winning team aboard the AC40 in Barcelona, and with the young talent with them over there, the team will be back on their AC75 this week getting a head start on the next campaign with current starboard helmsman Jimmy Spithill confirming the Barcelona regatta was his last.

“We must acknowledge the fact that sailing has changed, and it’s useless to compare it to the past because they are two entirely different worlds. In this respect, I don’t think there’s any going back,” Bertelli said.

“In terms of continuity, on Wednesday morning the AC75 will be out on the water with the youth crew, supported by the team that has raced so far, giving them a chance to get on board and, at the same time, reinforcing the stability and ongoing nature of the project we started years ago.

Dealt stronger conditions than most expected to face at this time of the year in Barcelona, the Italians conceded two races because of damage to their AC75 – though one of those instances was the result of a heavy nosedive after rounding a mark badly.

Luna Rossa did well to level the series three times, but ultimately were outsailed by the British in boats that appeared to be very even in the conditions.

Upon being eliminated from the regatta, Luna Rossa port helmsman Francesco Bruni had similar feelings to those later expressed by Bertelli.

“I think we had all the cards to be in the America’s Cup final and to have a chance in the America’s Cup final, but we didn’t deliver a good finals so Ineos deserve the win and hats off to them.”

Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.