Syndicates get jump on America's Cup rivals

Luna Rossa and Quantum Racing are planning to get a jump on their America's Cup rivals.

Both syndicates are wasting no time getting up to speed for the return to monohull racing, planning to compete in the TP52 Super Series in Europe.

Luna Rossa, the Italian syndicate which is the Challenger of Record for the Cup, and Quantum Racing, the New York Yacht Club's entry, have already advanced plans for their build-up to the 2021 event in Auckland.

The TP52 is one of the most high-performance and challenging racing classes. Luna Rossa will start their Cup buildup in the waters of Cagliari, Sardinia, and then plan to compete in the 2018 TP52 Super Series along with Quantum Racing.

Luna Rossa's sailing programme will be developed in two phases: preliminary training – from February to May 2018 – on a provisional TP52, while a new yacht is being built at the Persico boatyard in Bergamo, Italy, says their website.

''During this period about 30 of the best young Italian sailors will be involved in training to develop a new generation of top level racing sailors and expand the Luna Rossa sailing team.''

Bella Mente Quantum Racing, which has been a regular competitor in the TP52 series, marks the NYYC's return to the America's Cup after an absence of 15 years.

Quantum Racing, Azzurra and Ran Racing's owners started the TP52 circuit which replaced the TP52 MedCup which finished in 2011 when the principal sponsor withdrew.

Recently they announced they had signed an exclusive agreement with Botin Partners Naval Architecture to design the yacht they will sail in the Cup competition. Botin has been involved in the design of five of the syndicate's TP52s.

Marcelino Botin, the founder and president of Botin Partners, has extensive experience in the America's Cup having been the principle designer for Emirates Team New Zealand from 2004 to 2011, including the 32nd America's Cup when Team New Zealand won the Louis Vuitton Cup and narrowly missed defeating Alinghi in the America's Cup match.

Team New Zealand announced this month that the Cup would return to monohulls after two editions of catamarans. It is intended the new yachts would be 75 foot foiling boats which are expected to provide challenging and spectacular racing in the Hauraki Gulf.

Entries for the Cup open on January 1 and close on June 30.