Two out of two. It’s still too early to draw any conclusions, because the real race won’t begin until 22 May 2027 and, above all, it will be contested on AC75s. But if the Preliminary Regattas were intended to test the crew, their coordination and racing skills, one initial fact is hard to ignore: since Peter Burling switched sides, Luna Rossa hasn’t missed a beat.
First Cagliari, in May. Then Naples, in September. Two victories in the first two official outings of the 38th America’s Cup and, above all, two successes that share a common thread: Emirates Team New Zealand were beaten in the decisive clash. The team with which Burling wrote a chapter of the Cup’s recent history is now the one the New Zealander must try to defeat.
From this perspective, Naples added something extra. Because Luna Rossa did not merely win. On the final day, they dictated the pace: two victories in the fleet races, followed by the match race against the Defenders, which they controlled without giving their opponents a genuine chance to mount a comeback. Peter Burling and Marco Gradoni, alongside Maria Giubilei and Gianluigi Ugolini, took the lead and never relinquished it, crossing the finish line 17 seconds ahead.
A show of strength, but above all of control. Exactly what one would expect from a man who has already won the America’s Cup three times and who now finds himself in what is probably the most fascinating situation of his career: trying to snatch the Cup from the team that made his name.
“When I was with Team New Zealand, to be honest, I didn’t think I’d be taking part in the next America’s Cup,” Burling says in this exclusive interview with Top Yacht Design. “I didn’t know if I’d join another team and, more generally, what my future in the Cup would be. In the end, we couldn’t reach an agreement: there were some important issues on which our positions didn’t align.”
Then came Luna Rossa. A choice which, listening to him, seems to have deeper roots than a simple change of team. “One of the things that attracted me most was this team’s history in the America’s Cup. It’s a project with a long history and a truly long-term vision.”
And there’s a thread that leads back to Bermuda 2017, when relations between Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand were extremely close. “I already knew several people very well who are now part of the team. In Bermuda, in a sense, we were almost a single team: many of the key figures who are here today with Luna Rossa were part of Team New Zealand back then.”
Knowing them from the outside, however, did not mean truly knowing Luna Rossa. “When you observe a team as an opponent, you inevitably form an impression. Some aspects that seem particularly strong from the outside may be less so than you imagined, whilst others that might have appeared weaker turn out to be extremely solid.”
He then adds what is perhaps most important: “The thing that struck me most of all is the enthusiasm with which the whole team is tackling this challenge: competing on home soil with the aim of winning the America’s Cup for the first time. And the pace at which the team is improving is truly remarkable. It’s exactly what we need.”
Naples provided an early demonstration of this. The key moment of the final came as early as the pre-start. Luna Rossa entered the starting line at full speed, seized the initiative and from that moment on, Burling and Gradoni shut the New Zealanders out completely. By the final upwind leg, the lead had exceeded 200 metres; by the final downwind leg, it had risen to around 350 metres. Emirates Team New Zealand tried to pull away tactically, but Luna Rossa countered every move.
The most significant acknowledgement came from the other side. Nathan Outteridge, skipper of the Defenders, acknowledged the effectiveness of the manoeuvre with which Burling and Luna Rossa managed the pre-start, forcing the New Zealanders into a difficult position and leaving them very little time to react before the start. At that point, Outteridge explained, ‘time ran out very quickly’. Emirates Team New Zealand thus found itself forced to tack too late, whilst Luna Rossa was able to take control of the start. “Pete and the lads at Luna Rossa did a good job,” admitted Outteridge.
And it is interesting that it is precisely time that is one of the themes on which Burling insists most. Not just the time measured on a stopwatch. Time as the raw material of an America’s Cup campaign.
“These campaigns are built entirely around time. The decisions we make today have a direct impact on our chances of winning the next America’s Cup.” And once the race gets underway, everything speeds up: “The boats have become incredibly faster and practically everything is dictated by time: the minutes remaining until the start, the way you build up to the start, the time you can devote to different set-ups. You have to make the most of every minute available.”
Time, however, also means precision. And it is in this context that the conversation naturally turns to Omega, a brand with which Burling has been associated for many years. A relationship that the New Zealand champion describes through a shared ethos that goes beyond the simple measurement of time: the constant pursuit of detail capable of pushing the boundaries further.
“Omega is almost like family to me now. Our relationship has lasted a long time and we share many passions and, above all, a similar way of looking at things. Omega takes a long-term view, and what fascinates me is its ability to keep improving something that is already at an extremely high level, almost close to perfection. To keep evolving, developing and striving to do even better is something extraordinary.”
A philosophy that seems almost to mirror that of an America’s Cup campaign, where it is often the invisible details that make all the difference. “You can see it in the attention paid to every detail, from the craftsmanship to the design processes, right through to all those elements that come together to create a watch capable of being both beautiful and extremely precise.”
It is precisely in this drive for continuous improvement that Burling recognises the strongest connection with his own approach to sport. “It’s an approach I identify with deeply. Throughout my career, I’ve always sought new ways to improve and take a step forward. Even when you’re already performing at a very high level, you mustn’t be afraid to try to go further or take on a new challenge.”
A concept that inevitably brings us back to racing. Because at 40 or 50 knots, time is compressed and even a fraction of a second takes on a whole new significance. Yet the old adage that whoever starts in front has half the race in the bag has not gone away.
“Starting at the front certainly makes everything much easier. But the start is a phase in which a great many variables come into play. Statistically, you can’t expect to win every start. The important thing is to be able to turn a good start into a race win and, when you get off to a bad start, to stay close enough to your opponent to create opportunities to overtake them.”
Naples seems to be the practical embodiment of those words.
But the ‘Peter factor’ isn’t just about Burling. It’s also about what’s happening around him. Starting with his relationship with Marco Gradoni: two generations who, on the AC40s, seem to have come together without any pre-established hierarchies. Burling says as much openly when he talks about the work done by the younger members of the team: “During pre-season, we felt as though we were the ones learning from our second crew.”
It is one of the most interesting aspects of the new Luna Rossa. Experience no longer necessarily flows from the top down. “Thanks to the Women’s America’s Cup, the Youth America’s Cup and the numerous training sessions, they knew that configuration very well. We were able to learn a lot from them about the finer points of using the autopilot and raise our standard very quickly.”
In Cagliari she was racing against them, but in Naples, Gradoni was by her side. And at the end of the final, she summed up the day as follows: “We had a perfect start, a perfect race and we won.” Words that carry even more weight because they were spoken after beating Emirates Team New Zealand themselves.
The picture, of course, must be viewed with caution. The races in Cagliari and Naples were contested on AC40 one-designs. From 22 May 2027, the AC75s will take centre stage, bringing with them the fruits of the work currently taking place away from the public eye: design, foils, systems, software, development and the thousands of decisions that distinguish a fast boat from one capable of winning the Cup.
Burling knows this better than anyone. And that is perhaps why he avoids making bold claims. Even when asked how it feels to find himself up against the team with which he won everything. “It’s certainly a new situation to find myself competing against a team I was part of for so long. But, honestly, it’s been less strange than I imagined.”
The real novelty, if anything, will be having an entire country on his side. Burling knows what that means. In 2021, he was the one defending the Cup in the waters off Auckland against Luna Rossa. In 2027, the roles will be reversed and Naples will be the venue.
Pressure? He calls it something else. “I believe it’s precisely to experience moments like these that we compete at the highest level. You want the chance to prove yourself on the biggest occasions, when it really matters. The personal challenge of managing to do so under pressure is something I find incredibly stimulating.”
And the crowd can become part of the performance: “There’s the energy that comes from the people. It doesn’t just involve those on board, but it spreads to the whole team and can push every member of the team to raise their game even further. I really enjoy competing when there’s a big crowd supporting the team.”
Naples has already given him a taste of it. The crowd, the boats at sea, Luna Rossa celebrated after victory. But Burling is already looking beyond that.
“I’ve been fortunate to achieve a great deal in my career, but in some respects I feel I’m still relatively at the start of my journey.” An almost paradoxical statement for someone who has already racked up three America’s Cups, an Olympic gold and a silver, and a career at the very top of international sailing.
Yet the to-do list isn’t finished. “I’d love to win the SailGP championship. I’ve reached the final three times and on a couple of occasions we came incredibly close.” And then there’s the call of the open sea: “There’s also another world that continues to fascinate me greatly: offshore sailing. In the future, I’d like to get back into that, perhaps a record attempt or another major ocean race.’ First, however, there’s a Cup to chase. And one sentence brings everything full circle: ‘Right now, the challenge with Luna Rossa is incredibly exciting: trying to help win Italy’s first America’s Cup would be something truly special.’
Two out of two, then. Cagliari and Naples. In both cases, Emirates Team New Zealand were the opposition. But the Cup isn’t won in the Preliminary Regattas. It’s won when there’s no longer any room for error.
Peter Burling knows this all too well. Perhaps better than anyone.
And that is precisely why the ‘Peter factor’ is beginning to count for something.
Matteo Zaccagnino
