Luna Rossa

Luna Rossa Challenge
Career
Yacht club	Yacht Club Italiano (1999–2007) Circolo della Vela Sicilia (2011–)
Established	1999
Nation	Italy
Team principal(s)	Patrizio Bertelli
Skipper	Francesco de Angelis
Notable sailors	Torben Grael
Notable victories	2000 Louis Vuitton Cup 2011 Extreme Sailing Series
Yachts
Sail no.	Boat name
ITA–86	ITA 86
ITA–94	ITA 94

Luna Rossa Challenge (Italian: literally, Red Moon Challenge), originally named Prada Challenge, is an Italian sailboat racing syndicate first created to compete for the 2000 America's Cup and competing in every America's Cup races since then. The team has won the Louis Vuitton Cup once, in 2000, and therefore was the Challenger for the final America's Cup race against the defending champion team. Since then, it has lost the challenger race series. It is sponsored by Prada, and from 2005 also by Telecom Italia.

In 2000, the team won the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup, eventually prevailing 5–4 against AmericaOne (the latter skippered by Paul Cayard) in a tightly contested final, qualified as a challenger in the 2000 America's Cup. The team lost to the defending Team New Zealand 5–0 in Auckland, New Zealand.

In 2003 Luna Rossa competed in the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup to be the Challenger in the 2003 America's Cup but were eliminated by OneWorld in the semi-finals.

In 2007 Luna Rossa Challenge competed in the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup to be the Challenger in the 2007 America's Cup and qualified for the finals of the challenger series, after a surprise 5–1 victory over BMW Oracle Racing. On 6 June 2007 Luna Rossa Challenge was beaten in the finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup by Emirates Team New Zealand after conceding 5 defeats and recording zero wins. It was the first time that the Louis Vuitton Cup had been won 5–0.

In 2009–2010, when the America Cup was in transition, the International America's Cup Class yachts competed in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series and in 2010 they joined the Louis Vuitton Trophy, competing in the La Maddalena event.

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