Luca Kirwan won’t soon forget the moment his America’s Cup run ended.
The former New Zealand representative rower took a massive step outside of his comfort zone in 2024, joining Italian syndicate Luna Rossa as a cyclor for the 37th America’s Cup.
Before earning his place in the team, Kirwan had never been in a sailboat, but he proved his worth on the pedals in the power unit to feature on board in the Italians’ unsuccessful bid to claim the Auld Mug.
Luna Rossa were eliminated from the regatta in the final of the Challenger Series, with their 7-4 loss to Ineos Britannia bringing the curtain down on their campaign.
“I think I’m going to remember that day for a very long time. It was such a strange feeling,” Kirwan told the Herald.
“Like, you put so much into this beautiful boat, the Silver Bullet. As cyclors, we’d be sweating in it – blood, sweat and tears – and then afterwards, we’d be all cleaning the boat and drying it in the shed.
“That last roll-in where the boat was going in, there were a lot of people in tears and there wasn’t much to be said. Everyone knew how disappointed we were and everyone knew that we had a really fast boat and a really good crew. It just comes down to small margins when it gets to that level.
“It definitely took a while to get over it. Especially for me who, I’m not a sailor, that really took a toll on me, so I can only imagine people that have been trying to go at this cup for years.”
While he was born in New Zealand, Kirwan grew up in Italy as his father, former All Blacks wing Sir John, spent time coaching the national rugby team. His mother, Fiorella, is Italian and he holds an Italian passport. That meant he met the nationality requirements to join the team despite having been living in Auckland during the previous cycle.
Elimination in Barcelona not only ended their campaign, but also the on-water career of helmsman Jimmy Spithill who announced his retirement after the challenger series concluded.
Spithill made his mark on the America’s Cup with a number of teams, most notably hoisting the Auld Mug twice at the helm of Oracle Team USA, and was recently inducted into the America’s Cup hall of fame.
Spithill was at the helm of the last two Luna Rossa campaigns, and Kirwan said the Australian brought a certain confidence to the group on and off the water.
“I have so much respect for him. We always had a great relationship. I think, you know, between Kiwi and Aussie, we really got along.
“Even going into that last race, last day against Ineos, where we got out, he just had this confidence when he walks around that you just know that he’s in your team and he’ll just do everything and he’s been there many times, you know, so we never doubted when he was in the boat.
“He always gave us so much confidence. I remember in that meeting before the race, he was like, we’ll just win the first one and then we’ll win the second and we’re still in the game. We’ve got another day to fight.
“That really gave us confidence. Obviously, we didn’t end up going all the way through, but, you know, there was never a time where we doubted him and Cecco [co-helm Francesco Bruni]. It’s just a really cool team to be a part of. We had such different mix of people and backgrounds. It was quite special.”
Luna Rossa will try again to claim the America’s Cup for the first time when the regatta visits Naples in 2027, however, for Kirwan, it’s a case of one and done for his cup career.
It was a decision that was taken out of his hands, with cyclors to be replaced by battery power in the next edition. While it was a disappointing turn of events, it was one Kirwan was prepared for as rumours started to circulate before the Cup match in Barcelona had even finished.
“We started unpacking the base and rumours started circling about it, which was a little bit interesting. But obviously rumours always start from somewhere, so we sort of knew that it could have been a possibility.
“We got told also by Max [Sirena, Luna Rossa team director] and the team that they couldn’t confirm us for the following year just yet because there were these rumours going around.
“I always knew that could have happened. But obviously when the news came out, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed and gutted because it was just an amazing experience and something that I wanted to do for another two or three campaigns, however long it could have been for. But that’s just the way that the sport’s going and it’s evolving. [I] just had to accept it and get on with the rest of life.”
For the 26-year-old, that has meant launching into a new project back home in New Zealand, teaming up with fellow ex-rower Angus McFarlane to bring a taste of Italy to Kiwis with their new canned aperitivo, Spritzzetto.
“Growing up in Treviso, spritz is part of our daily life almost. For us, it’s so easy to have a spritz; you always have a bottle of prosecco and aperitif and sparkling water lying around, but I understood that for Kiwis maybe that wasn’t the case.
“I just wanted to make something that was really authentic and ready-made and people could just crack a can open, pour it over some ice and a slice of orange and you had a perfect aperitivo.
“[Italy is] always going to be a big part for me and my family.”
Moving into another chapter of his life doesn’t mean he’ll lose his newfound interest in the America’s Cup world, though.
Kirwan was hoping to find his way to Naples for the event in 2027 to cheer on his former team as they look to dethrone Emirates Team New Zealand on home waters.
“It’s going to be chaos, I reckon. You know, there’s Italian fans and then there’s fans from Naples, and that’s just going to be very interesting,” he said.
“They’re just some of the best fans in the world. I mean, you see it in other sports as well, they’re just so committed ... they’re vocal, they’re loud and they love you, so I think Italy will really feel the nation behind them, which will be cool.
“There’s also going to be a lot of pressure. If they don’t perform, then Italy will let them know as well. I think it’s exciting and Naples is an amazing city, so I think it’s going to be really cool. I know they’ll put on a show for that.”
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.