The way the sun was blazing down on us that fine morning, no one would have believed that just one week ago, daily thunderstorms raged the Catalan coastline, forcing untimely race cancellations during the round robin stage of the 37^th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup. We had come just in time to catch the semi-finals which saw the remaining four teams vie for a chance to compete in the finals. With a gorgeous Panerai on my wrist — nothing fancy, just an old Radiomir Black Seal PAM183 — it’s obvious we were here to cheer on the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team distinguished by their silver-and-red livery and indomitable spirit of competition.

Perched on the waterfront of Port de Barcelona Port Vell, the Luna Rossa team base was a hive of activity, a combination of excitement and anticipation filled the air. All around the race village, especially the fan zones, spectators thronged every available open space hoping to catch a lucky glimpse of any member of the sailing team. You see families with small children, young couples on a date, groups of sailing enthusiasts, groups of friends just out for a good time, and a few costume-donning mascots just for laughs.

But just a few feet away from the hospitality suite, the atmosphere was rather less relaxed and convivial.

The Spirit of Competition

Under a giant canopy and shrouded in absolute secrecy, the Luna Rossa hangar is off limits to prying eyes of the public — and for good reason. This is where you would find all of the team’s build materials for their boat. Spare parts, sprawling canvasses for the sails, machinery, computers, race documents, everything. It is also where the boat is kept at the end of each day. You see, the America’s Cup is as much a battle of wits as it is a test of strength and fortitude.

Indeed, there are some of the strangest, most arcane rules in the sporting universe, on account of it being the oldest international competition in the history of sports, dating back to 1851. Here is where winner truly takes all, as the champion not only gets to bring home the trophy, but also gets to set the rules for the next edition. Operations Manager and Mechatronics Coordinator of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, Gilberto Nobili, tells us more.

“It is essential to highlight how the America’s Cup is quite different from any other sport. Two and half years before the start of the competition, you receive a protocol, and you learn when the first race will start. This year, it was given as 29th August. From there, you try to get the maximum out of your budget, your people and your time,” he explains. And that is only the beginning.

Challengers for the America’s Cup are required to abide by something known as the class rule, which dictates that the competing boat has to follow strict weight and size limits, followed by a litany of specifications about materials, technology and scope of build. Race officials will inspect every part of the boat and only certified vessels are permitted to compete, which since 2021, have been the magnificent state-of-the-art yachts known as the AC75.

The Magnificent AC75

Replacing the AC50 and AC72 catamarans of earlier editions, the AC75 is fundamentally the most technically competent boat in the history of the America’s Cup, and it is a thing of beauty. Designing the perfect AC75, would be akin to designing the perfect Formula One car. A synergistic marriage where high-performance materials meet next-level aerodynamics.

But that is far easier said than done. “The problem is you will like to have a strong, robust and versatile boat possible but you also need to stay as light as possible,” notes Nobili, adding, “There are certain parts of the boat that need to be one size. For example, the hull of the boat needs to be strong but because it is the biggest part of the boat, it also needs to be constructed with the latest edge technology to be able to produce the lightest components possible.”

So to arrive at the optimal design, the Luna Rossa team studied every angle, every curve of the AC75 to arrive at the most aerodynamic lines, crafting the hull out of an aluminum honeycomb core which is then sealed with carbon fiber skins adhered with epoxy resins. Check out this YouTube video explaining the Luna Rossa team’s new boat for 2024.

Strength and lightness are also needed for the two side foils, made using rigid plates of monolithic carbon and wrapped in an additional containment layer of carbon. Likewise, the mast is made of carbon in a fixed design according to race rules, but for this component the team is allowed a little room for customization, tweaking it to achieve maximum performance on the water.

Man and Machine

All of the AC75’s components work together to propel the crew forward, making turns and jibes as they maneuver the boat around the course, but the foils are really what make it so exhilarating to watch. Once the boat catches enough wind to move at least six knots (around 12 kilometers per hour) the trimmer makes the call to raise one of the two foils out of the water, so that the entire hull is lifted by the wind and literally flies above the water.

Needless to say, this is nothing like classical yacht sailing such as what you’d experience on board the Panerai-owned vintage Bermudan ketch, Eilean. She’s a beauty, there is no doubt about that, but you’re going to need more than good looks to blow the competition out of the water.

Going by pure performance, the AC75 is completely unmatched in terms of speed versus the AC50 and AC72 catamarans. But get this: everything on board the AC75 is 100% supplied by human energy, thereby putting the power in manpower.

Says Nobili, “We do not have motors to move the sails, so the system that we have inside the boat, the mechatronics, needs to be super-efficient. And to be super-efficient, we put in very detailed research on materials and technology.” As of 2017, the America’s Cup rules stipulate that instead of grinders who power the boat by working manual winches using their arms, boats are allowed four cyclors who power the boat by cycling — exactly like a stationary bicycle.

This reportedly provides a 40% increase in power delivered to the hydraulic system. So the cyclors have one job, and one job only, and that is to cycle like crazy throughout the entire duration of the race which is usually around 25 to 30 minutes depending the course. Undoubtedly, that makes it the most physically demanding aspect of the America’s Cup.

“With four cyclors, you need to move the components of a boat that weighs 7.5 tonnes and is flying at 100km/h. So, there is a lot of research and technology involved in that. The hydraulic side is also edging technology, imagine that we are using 600 bars while the normal standards for industries such as automotive and aviation is 350 bars. There are a lot of components that we are using way over specifications, and they are one-off pieces: you build one and there is no replacement, no off the shelf spare parts,” explains Nobili.

He elaborates, “What you do in between editions is to work on a backward plan that takes you to that magic date: 29th August. You plan how much time you have to build the boat, how much time you want to devote on races on the water and to design. You work on a big plan with so many smaller and essential details: you design something, you try to simulate what will happen, you build it, you get in the boat, you gather all sailors’ feedback and go back to design. Over and over, until you’re able to achieve your desired performance.”

In other words, AC75s at the America’s Cup look the way they look because it would have been the most optimal design to achieve the best results. Everything is completely intentional, carefully studied, and thoroughly researched, engineered and tested to amplify the crew’s peak performance. At the same time, they are just so gosh darn beautiful.

Nobili agrees, “This boat is beautiful because of its high performance as it allows you to do match races. Match race is the spirit of the America’s Cup, it is one against one. We had fast boats in the past, like when were in San Francisco with the catamarans, they were very fast boats, but not very good in maneuvers. The beauty of the AC75 is the speed that it can reach and how agile it is during the maneuver to do the proper match races. The beauty for me is also the line of the hull which is very elegant.”

Materials Maketh Performance

This confluence of state-of-the-art technology, human ingenuity and aesthetic finesse exhibited by the Luna Rossa team is perfectly synchronized with the Panerai watchmaking ethos, where timepieces especially the Luna Rossa special editions are engineered for robustness, waterproofness, wearability and user-friendliness while embodying the essence of Italian style and luxury.

Take the 2024 Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech for instance, with its distinctively matte, deep blue case. This watch looks the way it looks thanks to the use of Ti-Ceramitech, essentially a titanium alloy that had undergone a ceramization process through electrolytic plasma oxidation.

Yielding significantly enhanced hardness and achieving a final case that is 44% lighter than its equivalent in steel, yet boasting a fracture toughness 10 times that of traditional ceramic, Yes, Ti-Ceramitech offers all the benefits and none of the drawbacks of high-tech ceramic and as the icing on the cake it appears in a unique ocean blue hue not easily found among ceramic timepieces.

Whether paired with a blue sun-brushed dial (PAM1466) or a white grained matte dial (PAM1543), the Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa Ti-Ceramitech leaves a big impression no matter where it goes.

Then there is the Submersible Tourbillon GMT Luna Rossa Experience Edition (PAM1405) which takes the term over-engineering to the next level. Being an openworked GMT tourbillon is one thing, being an openworked GMT tourbillon that can dive down to 300 meters is quite another.

Just like the Ti-Ceramitech Submersible, this timepiece is undoubtedly large but its lightweight Carbotech case coupled with a titanium bezel makes it an absolute breeze on the wrist. That is to say nothing yet of the one-of-a-kind experience specially curated for all 20 owners of this exceptional timepiece.

But of course Panerai would not omit classic stainless steel in this sterling line-up, and we’ll find that in the Submersible Luna Rossa (PAM1565) as well as the Submersible QuarantaQuattro Luna Rossa (PAM1681), two of the more accessible daily wear references among the Luna Rossa special editions.

Apart from size differences — 42mm versus 44mm — they may be distinguished by color, either blue or silver sun-brushed dials. Yet no matter which reference catches your eye, one thing is certain that all of them share a love for sailing and for the sea. It’s mare nostrum, as the Paneristis will proudly declare. And just as Panerai delves deep into horology, Luna Rossa is committed to the long haul.

“I think part of our job is to leave a heritage,” says Nobili. “It is to make the people coming from outside understand the values of the America’s Cup and what is behind it, and understand also the sportsmanship of it. For those of us who’ve done more than one America’s Cup, we’re so tied with the sport that it is absolutely a part of our lives and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”