America’s Cup: Second Italian team announces entry

Renato Azzara will head the Adelasia di Torres Challenge for the 36th America’s Cup © Adelasia di Torres Challenge

Renato Azzara will head the Adelasia di Torres Challenge for the 36th America’s Cup © Adelasia di Torres Challenge

With three weeks left to run until the close of entries for the 36th America’s Cup, a Sardinian team has announced that its entry has been accepted by the Defender, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron.

The team has been rumoured for some time, but would not confirm its entry when queried by Sail-World after media reports three weeks ago.

At the time we were told that the sponsor search was still continuing and that if an announcement was to be made it would be at the end of June, which is the standard line from both Challengers and the Defender.

The team is running under the name of the Adelasia di Torres Foundation, which has launched the Challenge to the America’s Cup, in the name of Sardinia.

Information about the Foundation and the Challenge are available on the website adelasiaditorres.com

At the time we were told by The Challenge in the name of Sardinia has the endorsement of the Government of the Region and the alliance with prestigious Italian brands of yachts design and building.

“Negotiations with international brands are underway, for the configuration of the Sponsors group”, was the closing comment.

Duccio Colombi (ITA) will head the sailing program for Adelasia di Torres © Google

The team has issued an official statement:

The beautiful island of Sardinia has issued a challenge, which has been accepted, to win the 36th Americas Cup that is to be held in New Zealand during 2021 and to bring the 37th Americas Cup to Sardinia to be raced in the scenic setting of the Costa Smeralda.

Over recent years the AC has become an incredibly expensive event to participate in and has taken place in quite remote areas of the world, not easily accessible to the Superyacht fleet. The goal of the Sardinia Challenge is to win, bring the Cup to Sardinia, reduce the cost and then host an incredible Superyacht regatta in an area that has been a summer retreat for the Superyacht fleet for many years.

The Americas Cup races would be the pinnacle of the event. Can you just imagine the AC being held around the Costa Smeralda at the height of the cruising season in 2025, it would be a fantastic event and easily accessible for the whole Superyacht industry to participate in and enjoy. Teams could be entered from Palma, Malta, Monaco etc. A new light would shine on the AC.

Heading up the challenge we have Renato Azzara, the founder of Sardinia Yacht Services. He is very well respected in Sardinia and a yacht racing enthusiast with many victories under his belt, he has the full backing of the Sardinia Government and his knowledge of Superyachts is second to none.

The Government of Sardinia has given the Challenge the use of the almost unused G8 summit facilities on the island of Maddalena as a training base until mid-2020, the headquarters will be in Olbia. The whole effort will be transferred to Auckland in New Zealand during 2020.

The Challenge has been named after Adelasia a mysterious Queen of Sardinia who went through the medieval world glorifying Sardinia, defending it with her love as she lived a life of sacrifice and loneliness in her Castle of Goceano. Adelasia died around 1262, and her tomb was discovered centuries later.

You cannot race without a boat! The Adelasia di Torres Foundation and NAVIGO, NAVIGO is the marine association of the Tuscany Nautical Cluster, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to build the boats required for the 36th America’s Cup. Tuscany hosts the biggest service centre in Europe for nautical companies and is a district that produces over 30% of the world’s pleasure craft over 30m.

The AC 75 race boat will be built in Sardinia and be coordinated by NAVIGO. Pietro Angelini, director of NAVIGO says: “The work we will carry out will allow us to identify the best professionals and innovators in our area in order to enhance their technological and artisan skills to guarantee not only participation in the America’s Cup but also the winning of this magnificent trophy.”

This story is from Sail World.