Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s youth and women’s teams are official
The names of the youth and women’s teams, taking part respectively in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup (September 17 – 26) and the Puig Women’s America’s Cup (October 5 – 13), have been announced today from the Cagliari headquarters of the Italian challenger for the 37th America’s Cup.
For the women’s crew (to be defined, as for the youth team, on a daily basis on each race day), the names of the chosen sailors are: Giulia Conti (helmswoman), Margherita Porro (helmswoman), Maria Vittoria Marchesini (helmswoman), Giovanna Micol (trimmer), Maria Giubilei (trimmer), Giulia Fava (trimmer) and Alice Linussi (trimmer).
The youth team, still subject to change or additions, includes: Guido Gallinaro (helmsman), Gianluigi Ugolini (helmsman), Federico Colaninno (trimmer), Stefano Dezulian (trimmer) and Rocco Falcone(helmsman/trimmer). Marco Gradoni (helmsman), already part of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailing team, has also been nominated as part of the Under 25 crew.
The final selection is the result of months of training and testing at the team base, with specific practice sessions on shore and on the water. «I am very happy with the choices made, but it was not easy» explains Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. «The long list was already excellent, we had a choice of athletes with exceptional backgrounds who in their careers have already achieved important results at world level, some with Olympic qualifications.
In the end, we focused on individuals best suited to excel on the AC40, the foiling monotype with which they will compete. For this decision we didn’t only evaluate the technical-sporting qualities, but also passion, character and ability to work as a team to achieve a common goal. Now that we have nominated the crews we will focus on training and on the regatta format so that our sailors can approach the events in Barcelona as well-prepared as possible. To all the others I wish the best of luck for their upcoming sporting endeavors, I am sure that our paths will cross again».
«The youth group was shaped over the past year, through several phases of observation» said Jacopo Plazzi, Youth & Women’s program coordinator. «First, sailing with the 69F, then assisting the team in the summer preparation in Barcelona with the AC40, and finally integrating the group in our sailing team during the last period of two-boat racing. We started with the group we had already seen working together on and off the water, and added high-profile athletes from the Olympic classes. In this youth group we also had some of the women selected in the Women’s America’s Cup program, who we decided to pair with experienced female sailors to pursue a project that combines the opportunity to compete at the highest level this summer with a long-term vision.
We are happy to present a strong team that will be able to prove its qualities in the waters of Barcelona. The Italian women’s and youth sailing scene is outstanding, and this has put us in front of choices that were not easy, for which the discussion with the Italian Sailing Federation was essential. We are entering an incredibly exciting period coming up, with Olympics, America’s Cup and Youth and Women’s America’s Cup and we are determined to prove ourselves».
Simone Salvà, coach of the Youth & Women’s, program, commented: «For the women’s team we observed several female athletes, all of whom were brilliant, and in the end we put together an eclectic group with very different experiences, ages and personal skills. There are some older sailors with extensive experience in international regattas and Olympics, and some very young sailors who have grown up on flying boats. This synergy is perfect to create the right mix of experience and technique that we need on board. They are all working really well together, and it is good to see that despite the differences in age, or the fact that some did not know each other, a good feeling was created immediately and the result is a close and motivated group»
