The street fighter: Why Luna Rossa couldn’t resist some Aussie attitude
Jimmy Spithill’s experience and fighting qualities made him irresistible to Italian challenger Luna Rossa, who hope the Australian’s ultra-competitiveness can spark a breakthrough win at the America’s Cup in Auckland.
Luna Rossa have always dedicated themselves to a nationalistic approach, with their team since entering the Cup in 2000.
Spithill has been an exception to that, helming the Italian challenge in Valencia in 2007, before he was wooed away by Larry Ellison’s Oracle syndicate, where he won the Auld Mug in 2010 and 2013.
Spithill masterminded Oracle’s incredible comeback against Team New Zealand in 2013, but when the Kiwis won the rematch at Bermuda 2017, Ellison stepped away and Spithill became a free agent.
Luna Rossa swooped, with skipper Max Sirena explaining the benefits the 41-year-old brings to a syndicate that has contested three challenger finals, and one America’s Cup match without winning the Auld Mug.
‘‘We’ve known Jimmy for a long time and we are really good friends,’’ Sirena told the Sunday Star-Times.
‘‘We were looking for a guy with experience and a fighter because it could be a long fight from now on.’’
Spithill’s attitude and influence extends beyond the boat. He makes off- the- water training sessions a competition in themselves.
‘‘It was important to have a challenger-type guy — someone to push the other guys,’’ Sirena said.
‘‘ Don’t forget, Jimmy is not just a talent investment, but also an athlete. He’s one of the best athletes you can find in the sailing world. He’s pushing really hard in the trainings with the team. He’s a reference for the other guys, especially the young guys. He’s a big asset.’’
Sirena was alongside Spithill in Oracle’s successful Deed of Gift challenge against Alinghi in 2010, acting as the wing-mast manager on the massive trimaran that Spithill successfully helmed.
Spithill has gone on to be one of the best sailors in the new era of foiling, an area Luna Rossa lost ground with by pulling out of Bermuda 2017 in protest at the neverending changes Oracle were making in the lead-up to the event.
Sirena is a passionate Italian who was part of Luna Rossa’s first challenge at Auckland 2000, where they won the Louis Vuitton Cup, but got well beaten by TNZ in the final.
He backs the Italian roots of the syndicate that saw them search for fresh, young local talent to go with some old hands for this challenge.
They received more than 1000 CVs when they sent out an expression of interest, whittling that down to 400, and then putting 300 sailors through testing.
Sirena believes the result is a well-balanced crew, though he has no doubts about the pressures involved as Luna Rossa get set to launch their new boat in Auckland on Tuesday.
‘‘The level is going to be super high. The fleet is small but I don’t think you have had the top four teams so well prepared with good people, good designs, good sailors.
‘‘It will be tough — I think the team that wins the Prada Cup [challenger series] is going to be a really strong team for the defender.
‘‘ But I still believe the defender is ahead of everyone at the moment.’’ Luna Rossa had a close association with TNZ during the 2013 Cup and Sirena took that a step further when he joined the TNZ management for the successful Bermuda campaign.
‘‘Historically, Team New Zealand are one of the strongest teams. They are well organised, full of talented people,’’ Sirena said.
‘‘I try to understand why there are so many talented guys coming from New Zealand because it’s such a small country, but every time they are able to find supergood people. But the main thing with Team New Zealand is that they are only focused on one goal, which is winning races.
‘‘They are really good at not being distracted by what happens on the outside.
‘‘I think the main thing that I learned from them is to be tight as a group, never give up and to fight. They always put themselves in a position to be able to fight.’’ That’s why Spithill, with his street- fighting instincts, couldn’t be ignored.
‘‘It was important to have a challengertype guy — someone to push the other guys.’’ Luna Rossa skipper Max Sirena