The Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland Skippers at the Press Conference. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Azzurra.
by Jill Campbell
All is set in the stunning venue of Auckland, deemed by many as a true sailing paradise, for the start of the Louis Vuitton Trophy, scheduled to run from March 9th to March 21th, 2010. The all-Italian sailing team Azzurra from the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, skippered by Francesco Bruni with Tommaso Chieffi calling tactics, today completed its second training session aboard NZL 84 and NZL 92, the 2007-generation America’s Cup boats provided by the organizers, that will face 50-plus matches in the Auckland event.
Team Azzurra, which became a national sporting legend during the Louis Vuitton Cup of 1983 as first Italian America’s Cup challenger, was re-launched in October of 2009 and made its debut on the international circuit at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur last November. Here Francesco Bruni and his crew were able to reach the top of the podium, defeating the favorite Emirates Team New Zealand by 2-0. Both teams are now part of the eight-syndicate entry for Auckland, which also include:
ALEPH Sailing Team (France), skippered by Bertrand Pacé.
All4One (France/Germany), skippered by Jochen Schümann.
Artemis (Sweden), skippered by Paul Cayard.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team (Italy), skippered by Gavin Brady.
Synergy Russian Sailing Team (Russia), skippered by Karol Jablonski.
TEAMORIGIN (Great Britain), skippered by Ben Ainslie.
Riccardo Bonadeo, President of team Azzurra and Commodore of the YCCS, looks forward to some intense racing on the renowned waters of the Hauraki Gulf that in the past staged so many hard fought America’s Cup matches: “We are thrilled and honored to be racing on this world-class race course against a series of world-class rivals. Azzurra is a young and determined team which was founded on the same values that drove the first ever Italian America’s Cup challenger Azzurra in 1983: a great passion for sailing and a desire to constantly improve and grow. The YCCS has great faith in this group of talented Italian sailors and is looking forward to some great competition here in Auckland.”
Francesco Bruni during the opening press conference of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Azzurra.
Team Azzurra skipper and helmsman Francesco Bruni is also eager to start racing and views this event as a great opportunity for his young team to learn and grow: “Coming here to New Zealand at the antipodes of Italy as an all-Italian team feels almost unreal and the atmosphere is different from Nice. The only other team here that has a strong national identity as ours is probably Emirates Team New Zealand, with whom we fought an intense duel in France. This time we know that it will be much more difficult to reach the finals, since the line-up is really impressive, ETNZ will race in its home waters and the conditions on the Hauraki Gulf can be very challenging. We have a long way ahead of us, this is just the beginning for team Azzurra, we need to be humble and take things step by step. I am confident that this will be a great event for all the parties involved and we are honored to represent the YCCS in this prestigious event on this famous racing arena. ”
Tactician Tommaso Chieffi agrees with Bruni’s opinion and sees the strong national identity of team Azzurra as an advantage: “We always planned to have an Italian boat where the main language was Italian. Having the same core group all the time working together toward a common objective, driven by the same philosophy, will be a key factor in the long run. A tangible proof of this is the success of Emirates Team New Zealand.”
Monday night Francesco Bruni attended the opening press conference held at the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and all the teams were welcomed at the event’s opening ceremony and welcome cocktail. Racing starts Tuesday 9th March 2010. Azzurra will face TEAMORIGIN.
Teams will take turns racing the two boats in four matches a day to complete a round robin seeding series before a ladder elimination culminating in the finals on Sunday, 21st March. The weather forecast for tomorrow calls for light variable sea breezes of 8-10 knots, partly to mostly sunny skies and highs near 26oC.
The Louis Vuitton Trophy is part of the Auckland Festival of Sail organized by Emirates Team New Zealand and the event will overlap with the Auckland International Boat Show. The two Cup boats will dock in the heart of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Village, providing the opportunity for spectators to view boat preparation and meet the teams each day.
Azzurra crew
Francesco Bruni – Skipper/Helmsman
Tommaso Chieffi – Tactician
Tom Burnham – Strategist
Bruno Zirilli – Navigator
Daniele De Luca – Mainsail trimmer
Stefano Rizzi – Jib Trimmer
Pierluigi De Felice – Spi trimmer
Gabriele Bruni – Runner trimmer
Piero Romeo – Runner grinder
Nicola Pilastro – Mainsail grinder
Massimo Galli – Left grinder
Francesco Scalici – Right grinder
Cristian Griggio – Pitman
Luca Albarelli – Mast
Pietro Mantovani – Mid Bow
Matteo Auguadro – Bowman
Michele Cannoni – Pit Assist
Gabrio Zandonà – Coach
Ben Durham – Reserve
Michele Gnutti – Reserve
Giuseppe Leonardi – Reserve
Azzurra
Louis Vuitton Trophy
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