America's Cup: Italian challenger Luna Rossa hire Vasco Vascotto as tactician

Italian challenger Luna Rossa have hired Vasco Vascotto in major America's Cup move. Photo / Getty

America's Cup challenger Luna Rossa have signed 25-time world champion Vasco Vascotto as their tactician.

The 48-year-old has 15 European and 25 Italian titles to his name, while his world title haul is believed to be a record.

Vascotto has been involved in previous America's Cups, sailing with Italian challenger Mascalzone Latino, winning 10 of their 20 round-robin races to finish sixth among the 11 challengers in 2007.

Vascotto's signing came after Luna Rossa confirmed a $109m sponsorship from Prada in their bid to finally win the Aulg Mug in 2021.

The 36th America's Cup, which will be sailed in Auckland, will switch to monohulls playing into the hands of the afterguard specialist.

However, Vascotto has had little regard for foiling who said "foiling did not belong to his culture".

"I don't even like to fly in an airplane. I love to sail with my ass near the sea," he told DRSails last year.

Vasco Vascotto is believed to hold the record for his world title haul. Photo / Getty

Though that may all change, as Team New Zealand's decision to return to monohulls comes with their bold design to lift the 75-foot boats out of the water.

An admirer of the sailing skills of Team New Zealand's Ray Davies and Terry Hutchinson, Vascotto said he now preferred to work as a tactician, rather than behind the wheel.

"Being tactician allows you to be aware and try to keep more key-factors under control: the wind, the fleet, the manoeuvres and everything ... a helmsman should only think about boat speed," he said.

Vascotto comes on board as Luna Rossa set to contest the 2018 TP52 Super Series, were they will also trial 40 young Italian sailors.

Britain's Ben Ainslie Racing and the New York Yacht Club will also use the TP52 Super Series to hone their skills for the America's Cup.