While the safety Review Committee does its work, teams continue with their preparations for racing, scheduled to begin July 5. Luna Rossa has done load testing on their AC72 at their temporary base in Alameda.
In the photo above, we see that they have modified the stern, changed the size and location of the scuppers (drain holes) and lowered the grinding pedestals. I noted in an earlier article that Emirates Team New Zealand also lowered the grinding pedestals in their boat. Luna Rossa also has a new look – the lower half of the hull is now black. Assuming their dramatic silver finish is some kind of glue on foil, this could be a weight saving move. We saw the fairing on the rear crossbeam in photos from Auckland, but now they have integrated the pod for LiveLine electronics and the guest racer.
In the photo above, we see an S-shaped foil in the starboard hull and a slightly curved foil on the port side.
The “before” photo
Luna Rossa foiling in Auckland, before the modifications. On this day they had a straight board in the starboard hull. You can see the original location of the scuppers, the old stern shape and the rear crossbeam before the fairing was added. That all silver finish was very stylish, too!