Alfa Romeo is an official supplier to the Luna Rossa Challenge, as it gears up for the 32nd America's Cup in Valencia in 2007.

The 32nd edition of the America's Cup features several stages: the run-up events which started in 2004, and are continuing during 2005 and 2006, which will be followed by the final event in 2007. The fleet race is followed by the Louis Vuitton Cup (Challenger Selection Series), and, lastly, the America's Cup Final Match.

For the first time, the America's Cup is to take place in Europe, which means 300 million European spectators will be able to watch the event at convenient times of the day, while the event is only a two-hour flight from major spectator bases. Furthermore, since the wind limits have been extended and the races are briefer, and since more matches can be played out in a day, the 32nd America's Cup has gained a more suitable format for television and the Internet.

LUNA ROSSA - THE ITALIAN CHALLENGE

This Luna Rossa team is a continuation of a former Italian project that first entered the America's Cup arena in the1999 Louis Vuitton Cup. That first effort was very successful, and on the 6th of February, 2000, the swift, sleek and stylish Luna Rossa boat, skippered by Francesco de Angelis, crossed the finish line ahead of AmericaOne in the ninth and final race, to win the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger selection series and the right to race Team New Zealand for the America's Cup.

But in the America's Cup Match, the Italian team was overpowered by the strong Kiwi defence. and swept aside by Team New Zealand. The 2002 - 2003 campaign was not as successful compared with the first effort. Early in the Louis Vuitton Cup the team felt its boats were too slow, and made major modifications. But it was in vain, and Luna Rossa was eliminated in the Semi Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Luna Rossa skipper Francesco de Angelis proved his America's Cup mettle in the first campaign in the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup Final. Trailing AmericaOne 4-3, de Angelis won the final two races of that thrilling nine-race series to claim the Louis Vuitton Cup. His determination, skill, and modest demeanour made him an instant hero in New Zealand, and at home in Italy. He is a five time world champion across three different boat classes.

This time de Angelis is supported by the highly rated James Spithill, a young, aggressive shark on the start line. Spithill has already led two America's Cup teams on the water, and is strong addition to the team. Although Luna Rossa didn't make its challenge official until August, 2004, it was the first team to set up a base in Valencia, and trained there for over three months in the spring and early summer of 2004. Luna Rossa didn't compete in Act 1, but made a strong second place debut in Louis Vuitton Act 2 and finished in fourth position in Act 3 in Valencia. Luna Rossa was fourth in the season championship.

THE AMERICA'S CUP - YACHTING'S GREATEST PRIZE

The America's Cup is the most antique athletic trophy and the most important world sailing event. The first edition dates back to 1851, when "America", the schooner of a pool of New Yorkers inspired by Commodore John Cox Stevens, crossed the Atlantic to challenge the English yachts under the pennant of the New York Yacht Club.
 

On August 22nd, "America" participated in a regatta around the Isle of Wight, organized as part of the First Universal Exposition, winning over 14 English vessels. "Your Majesty, there is no second," was the historic response of the head arbiter to Queen Victoria, present that day at the site of the regatta.

The "100 Guineas Cup", as the contested trophy was referred to, followed the winners to the United States, where it was promptly rebaptized as "America's Cup", and where it remained, on its pedestal in the New York Yacht Club, resisting repeated attempts by numerous challengers for over a century. In September of 1983, after 132 years, the Cup left the United States for Perth, Australia, ending the longest winning period in the history of sports.

From Stevens' victory until today, 26 skippers have won the America's Cup. The fascination of this challenge has attracted high profile personalities over the years. Between 1899 and 1930 Sir Thomas Lipton made five consecutive attempts to bring the Cup to Ireland and, in the following decades, other famous names such as Sopwith, Vanderbilt, Bich and Turner, to name a few, contributed to building the myth. On March 2nd 2003, for the first time, the Cup returns to Europe in the hands of Ernesto Bertarelli.

A DAY ON BOARD LUNA ROSSA

They work six days a week, often seven. Their office is a 25-meter sailing yacht or a small container overlooking the sea. An America's Cup team is structured like a small company, divided into departments that work independently but are part of a shared program. There is only one objective - for training, to achieve optimal performance ratings in all areas and specializations, so that the team can compete with extremely determined, well-trained opponents. The team members who take up this challenge must be totally dedicated to the cause. They work alongside the top experts in this sector and have little time for themselves. Their activities are centered on the onboard teamwork. The team lives and works where the yachts used for training are deployed. R&D sessions are time consuming. The team work is centered on the operation base. As the term indicates, coordination is conducted here. At the operation base we find the yachts, offices, the sail facility, and all other ancillary structures and equipment for use in various sectors. The team's workday varies according to role and department, but generally everyone follows the crew's schedule (except for morning wakeup and the workout sessions at the gym).