An exciting new Italian story associated with the sea, with excellence and with technical innovation is taking place thanks to the partnership between Panerai and Luna Rossa, the Challenger of Record team which a few months ago was the first to challenge the defender New Zealand for the right to compete in the 36th edition of the America’s Cup.
The agreement, signed by Panerai’s CEO Jean-Marc Pontroué and Patrizio Bertelli, President of Luna Rossa and CEO of the Prada Group – title sponsor of Luna Rossa together with Pirelli – provides that Panerai will be the Official Sponsor of Luna Rossa. Panerai will create a series of watches directly inspired by the technologies and materials used in the America’s Cup, which is the oldest sports competition in the modern world, but also one of the more advanced in terms of research and innovation.
The new Panerai Luna Rossa watches, perfect instruments for life at sea, will be worn by the members of the Luna Rossa Sailing Team headed by Massimiliano “Max” Sirena – who has already won the America’s Cup twice – and by many sailing enthusiasts who are eagerly awaiting the America’s Cup World Series, the preliminary races which will precede the final in New Zealand in 2021. The first stage of the ACWS will take place in 2019 in Cagliari, Sardinia, where the Luna Rossa team has its headquarters. The new monohull on which the members of this team will be competing is the AC75 and this will be the first opportunity to see this yacht in competition.
In the words of Jean Marc Pontroué, CEO of Panerai, “Technical innovation, Italian excellence, love of the sea and boldness. The partnership between Panerai and Luna Rossa expresses all the values with which our brand is so strongly linked, the same values which we want to convey to our enthusiastic clients as they are stirred by the emotions which Luna Rossa will arouse”.
Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa spoke as follows: “As an Italian sailor and a watch enthusiast, I am delighted and proud of this partnership signed by our team with a brand which has such impressive credentials in the field of sailing. A strategic link, resulting from a significant sharing of values and a remarkable passion in common.”
