[Source: Luna Rossa] This morning the Luna Rossa AC72 sailed for the first time in San Francisco in the bay where the Louis Vuitton Cup and America’s Cup regattas will take place starting July 7th.

With an early morning roll out, Luna Rossa sailed in light winds (3 knots) that increased up to 12 and allowed the crew to carry out an extensive number of maneuvers.

The training session lasted about three hours.

Luna Rossa Challenge 2013 skipper Max Sirena declared: “The weather today was ideal for our first trial out on the water; from a technical standpoint it allowed us to test safety measures, loads and maneuvers. However the really significant aspect was psychological: it was important for the crew to resume sailing on the AC72 and to get back into its normal training mode to prepare for the upcoming races. In the next few days we will continue with our training and development program as scheduled.”

Luna Rossa sails its AC72 for the first time. San Francisco, 18 May 2013. Photo copyright Carlo Borlenghi / Luna Rossa

Luna Rossa sails its AC72 for the first time. San Francisco, 18 May 2013. Photo copyright Carlo Borlenghi / Luna Rossa

Luna Rossa sails its AC72 for the first time. San Francisco, 18 May 2013. Photo copyright Carlo Borlenghi / Luna Rossa

Luna Rossa sails its AC72 for the first time. San Francisco, 18 May 2013. Photo copyright Carlo Borlenghi / Luna Rossa

Luna Rossa sails its AC72 for the first time. San Francisco, 18 May 2013. Photo copyright Carlo Borlenghi / Luna Rossa