Luna Rossa's ITA 94, the second boat built for the 32nd America’s Cup, was launched today from the Team base.

As in the past editions Miuccia Prada was the godmother of the event. At 11.30 a.m. she smashed a bottle of Gran Cuvée Brut 2002, a Franciacorta from the Bellavista wine cellars, on the bow of the new boat.

At Mrs. Prada’s side were her husband Patrizio Bertelli President of Gruppo Prada and Head of the Luna Rossa syndicate and Carlo Croce, President of the Yacht Club Italiano. Don Antonio, chaplain of Santa Maria de la Mar had previously blessed the new boat.

In full dressing and covered by a protective tarpaulin, ITA 94 was lowered into the water half an hour later.

"New techniques, materials, and the experience accumulated on the water in the past three years have come together in ITA 94", Francesco de Angelis commented. "We were on time and precise with regards to the dates we had programmed and that is a good result in itself".

"We had to build a first boat to get to the same point the Defender was at. Then we developed a second one which is a full new package: new hull, new appendages, new materials and new sails. Even just looking at the calendar as of tomorrow it’s the beginning of a New moon".

At 3 p.m. today Luna Rossa ITA 94 left the dock for the fist session of testing at sea.