When Boats Fly

Prada Cup 2021 winner Luna Rossa opens the doors of its home base to Panerai collectors and the press.

- Ashok Soman

When racing across the open water at speeds closing in on 50 knots (just under 100km/h), you feel the crest of every wave as your vessel tries to cut through them. The sea responds to such aggressive moves by literally trying to shake you off. By you, we mean to say anyone aboard the offending speedboat; if you are not strapped into a seat or holding on for dear life, you will be lifted off your feet and dumped overboard. Holding on is exactly what I am doing as the Luna Rossa speedboat we are aboard attempts to demonstrate the speeds that the Luna Rossa foiling monohull achieves.

Of course, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team shares that experiencing fear-inducing speeds on a powered vessel cannot compare with what it feels like to sail aboard a foiling monohull. For one thing, even at the speeds we manage here off the coast of Cagliari, Italy, we would still be trailing behind the AC75 racing yacht that Luna Rossa will be fielding in the 37th America's Cup 2024. Yes, speedboats can be outpaced by five-tonne sailing yachts, and for some context that is like saying a mechanical watch could be more precise than a quartz watch. This, of course, is a segue because we are here at the Luna Rossa Base in Sardinia at the invitation of Panerai — the Swiss-made Italian watch brand is an official Luna Rossa sponsor.