Another AC boat flies south

The new Prada boat follows on the heels of Wight Magic

Luna Rossa ITA 80, completed a few days at the building yard in Grosseto, arrived today by truck at the Galileo Galilei airport in Pisa where it has been loaded, together with its appendages and mast, on a cargo plane for the air lift to New Zealand.

ITA 80 is the second of the two new ACC class yachts built by Prada Challenge for the next America's Cup Challenge that will kick off on October first in Auckland, New Zealand, with the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The special air transport is made possible by a particular cargo plane, an Antonov 124-100 owned by a specialized British company, Air Foyle Heavy Lift. This giant aircraft can carry 140 tons of cargo and has a cargo hold measuring over 35 meters, capable of accommodating the boat and all its parts including the 32 and a half meter mast built in carbon fiber in one piece. The flight takes about 36 hours and there will be a technical stop-over in Jakarta, Indonesia. Customs clearance is assured by Agenzia Pierucci from Livorno.

Once unloaded in Auckland, ITA 80 will be reassembled and tuned for the last phase of her training in New Zealand waters before the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup, on October first.