NEWS
The legendary Louis Vuitton Cup, won by Raul Gardini in 1992, is exhibited in Ravenna for the first time

The picture portraying Raul Gardini with the Louis Vuitton Cup, conquered in the waters around San Diego in 1992, is a symbol of passion, competition, sacrifice, and victory. Thanks to the collaboration between the Raul Gardini Foundation, Mercato Coperto and Circolo Velico Ravennate, the Cup itself was brought to Ravenna and was on display from the 26th of April to the 1st of May 2022.

The victory by Moro di Venezia at the Louis Vuitton Cup was an historic event, where for the first time a boat from a Mediterranean country acquired the right to compete in the America’s Cup. Raul Gardini designed the boat so that it would become the protagonist of the most prestigious sailing trophy in the world, bringing the values of Ravenna and the Adriatic Sea to San Diego, California, in 1992, and racing to victory in the last regatta of the challengers’ selection by beating New Zealand on the 30th of April, exactly 30 years ago.

The Louis Vuitton Cup is one of the most coveted trophies in the sailing world and was first awarded in 1983 to reward the winner of the selection regattas among the challengers of the America’s Cup defender. The selection regattas had already been taking place since 1970, with the aim of selecting the participants from a growing number of challengers, but it was only from 1983 that a trophy was up for grabs. In 1992, this prestigious cup was won by the Moro di Venezia.

The events scheduled for the exhibition of the Cup were the following:

On Tuesday, 26th of April at 3 pm, at the Mercato Coperto, a press conference was held to present the exhibition of the Louis Vuitton Cup and the weekend program, with the Mayor of Ravenna, Michele de Pascale, also in attendance.
Moreover, a talk show entitled ‘Il Moro and the technological developments in the America’s Cup” took place on Saturday, 30th of April, at 5.30 pm at the Mercato Coperto. The event was hosted by Antonio Vettese and saw the participation of Roberto Biscontini, Mario Caponnetto, Giovanni Ceccarelli, German Mani Frers, Fabrizio Marabini, and of several guests connected remotely, among which Grant Dalton, German Frers, Max Sirena, Fernando Sena and Paul Cayard.
The talk show was followed by a dinner-event with the team which lead the historical endeavor of winning the Cup, a success that changed the world of Italian sailing forever.

Sunday, 1st of May: the “Festivela” offshore regatta was held again in Marina di Ravenna. Its first edition had taken place in 1996 and had been organized by Europa Yacht Club and Circolo Velico Ravennate. The regatta went on to become a recurring event for a few years, focusing on offshore boats, then all efforts were transferred to the Optimist’s young helmsmen.
Thanks to the commitment and the will of the Raul Gardini Foundation, a “Raul Gardini Trophy” has now been created for these young sailors. This year the competition will take place on the 16th and 17th of July, in the form of a Team Race.