Francesco Bruni has been appointed skipper of Tudor Team Alinghi with immediate effect, in a surprise move that has energised the Swiss syndicate ahead of the next America’s Cup cycle. Team Principal Ernesto Bertarelli expressed his gratitude to Luna Rossa for agreeing to the transfer, saying Bruni brings exceptional talent at the helm along with an energy and enthusiasm that will lift everyone around him.
Known affectionately as ‘Checco,’ Bruni is one of Italy’s most accomplished and versatile professional sailors. His career spans more than three decades at the highest levels of Olympic sailing, international match racing, and the America’s Cup. He has long been interlinked with the Luna Rossa family, making this move all the more significant.
Born in Palermo, Sicily, on 11th April 1973, Checco honed his sailing skills on the waters around Mondello before emerging as one of the outstanding Italian sailors of his generation. His trophy cabinet includes seven world championship titles, five European titles, and no fewer than 15 Italian national championships across numerous classes, from the Laser and Star to the 49er, as well as offshore and grand prix racing.
Bruni represented Italy at three Olympic Games, competing in three different classes: the Laser at Atlanta 1996, the 49er at Sydney 2000 alongside his brother Gabriele, and the Star at Athens 2004, where he finished seventh. His versatility extended to high-performance foiling, finishing runner-up to Tudor Team Alinghi helmsman Paul Goodison at the 2018 Moth World Championship. In 2011, he reached number one in the ISAF World Match Racing rankings.
His America’s Cup career is deeply intertwined with Luna Rossa, having competed in the Italian syndicate’s campaigns in 2003 in Auckland, 2007 in Valencia, 2013 in San Francisco (in which the team pulled out), 2021 in Auckland, and 2024 in Barcelona. He also sailed with Sweden’s Artemis Racing during the 2017 Cup cycle.
Checco enjoyed one of his greatest successes in Auckland in 2021, sharing the helm of what was then called Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli with Jimmy Spithill. Together, they won the Prada Cup Challenger Selection Series before facing Emirates Team New Zealand in the 36th America’s Cup Match, which they lost 7-3 having been tied at 3-3 early in the contest. He returned to co-helm duties in Barcelona in 2024, with the team reaching the Louis Vuitton Cup final before being eliminated by the British team, now known as GB1. He subsequently moved into a coaching role with Luna Rossa.
One of the most popular sailors in the America’s Cup community, Checco is a standout communicator as well as a proven racing specialist. In the announcement, he said he was truly excited to join Tudor Team Alinghi, calling it one of the iconic names of the America’s Cup. He expressed eagerness to return to the helm and contribute to the team’s performance, thanking Luna Rossa for allowing him to make the move. He added that many of his new teammates are people he knows well and greatly respects, and he is keen to start working with them.
Clear Air Magazine wishes Checco well and looks forward to seeing him at the helm of Tudor Team Alinghi’s BoatOne in Naples when it arrives from its refit in Genoa in the coming weeks.
