Luna Rossa believe they have the jump on their America's Cup rivals by taking the initiative to build their own prototype AC75 boat.
While the likes of American Magic, Alinghi and Ineos await the arrival of their cookiecutter one-design boats purchased from Team NZ for testing and practice, Luna Rossa have chosen to construct their own from scratch.
The boat has been launched at Sardinia, where it will be used as part of the team's research and development for the 2024 Barcelona regatta in.
The main motivation is the extra time the do-it-yourself route will allow Luna Rossa to test and make modifications. While other teams can make modifications to the boats received from Team NZ, they must be returned to their original state, before the preceding youth and women's America's Cup - which start early September 2024 - with the main event to start in November.
Last month, Team New Zealand launched a new AC40 for testing, which they'll use for the development of the AC75 boat they will ultimately take to the water in two years time.
"They picked the old boat and it is a strategic choice," operations manager Gillo Nobili told Newshub. "They'll have their own reasons.
"Team NZ have a big advantage, because they designed the AC40, so they know in advance what they can develop and what they can modify.
"We didn't have that luxury, so we needed to build our own one to have the freedom to improve what we want."
Constructed over a period of almost 10 months by 25 builders and a 40-strong design team, the boat is powered by battery rather than cyclors and will work hand-in-hand with the simulator they have back at their base.
It's expected to reach speeds of up to 90kph, similar to those seen on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf, during last year's America's Cup .
After losing 7-3 to the hosts in that finals series, Nobilli says they're desperate to earn a chance for revenge against the Kiwis at Barcelona.
"When you lose, you're always looking at where you need to improve, but you can't forget where you were good," he told Newshub. "What we're trying to do this time is improve on where we were good, and learn from our mistakes and try to be better."
The prototype offers helmsman Jimmy Spithill a long-awaited opportunity to get back on the ocean, after months of simulator work.
"I feel like I've become a bit of a pro-gamer," Spithill joked. "My eyes are getting sore from looking at the screen.
"You really do look forward to getting out on the water."
The Australian believes choosing to construct their own boat is a "key moment in the campaign" and will pay significant dividends.
"It's not at the big scale, but certainly in terms of getting out there and being efficient, it's the perfect tool for us," he added. "If the simulator is correct, which it normally is, it will be very, very quick.
"This boat will be a real weapon. I think it's a good size, because when you get on the big boat, it's too big of a step.
"You don't feel like you're going from a dinghy to a big boat, so I think this boat will serve the team very well."
Any edge they can get past a stacked challenging field will be critical, Spithill adds.
"The exciting part this time is the competitiveness of the challengers," he said. "Some very, very solid teams... everyone's got the funding, the resource, the talent, the technology
"I think this will be one of the hardest ones to date."
