Luna Rossa: cyclors aboard the AC75 for the 37th America's Cup

During an America's Cup race they will develop up to an average of about 2,000 watts, enough to light up a 50 square meter room. They are Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s cyclors, the “power bank” of the AC75. The cyclors’ role is crucial, because the tuning of the aero part of the boat relies on their leg power. Unlike the boats of the past, where grinders turned the handles with the strength of their arms, today's foiling monohulls have four cyclors who, by means of pedals, power-up the hydraulic systems that allow the trimmers to adjust sails and mast.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's Power Team includes athletes with different backgrounds and from several sports: from the world of rowing are Romano Battisti (silver medalist in London 2012), Emanuele Liuzzi (Bronze at the World Championships in Sarasota), Bruno Rosetti (Bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics), Nicholas Brezzi (seven world championships and multiple medals), Cesare Gabbia (several medals between world and European championships), and Luca Kirwan (participation in the 2019 U23 World Championships). Paolo Simion comes from professional cycling (three times Giro d'Italia and winning the last stage of the Tour of Croatia), while Enrico Voltolini, in addition to being boat captain of the AC40, has participated in two Olympic campaigns in Finn and Star and won several international regattas. Finally, Mattia Camboni is a former windsurfing champion (several gold and silver medals and a fifth place at the Tokyo Games).

The physical effort of an America's Cup cyclor is massive, although concentrated in a relatively brief time (the average duration of a regatta is about 20/25 minutes) and for this reason the athletes undergo specific training that not only maximizes physical power, but focus greatly on mobility to prevent injuries (cyclors potentially face two races a day in uncomfortable and unnatural positions, which put significant strain on the joints).

Supported by Pharmanutra (the team's Human Performance Partner), and assisted by physiotherapist Stefano De Pirro, the cyclors also follow a careful diet, specifically designed to boost muscle mass and rebalance kcal loss since, in each regatta, they burn an average of 600 kcal.

Although the cyclors are Luna Rossa's "engine", and their primary job is to physically generate power, they have a 360-degree view of the functioning of the AC75, because to have a perfect fit with the rest of the crew it is essential that they have knowledge of the boat, the race, timing and maneuvers. For this reason - during the training phase - cyclors follow an interdisciplinary daily routine that non only includes specific workouts dedicated to muscle power, but they also participate in activities of various departments to gain insight and familiarity with the different roles on board.

«The cyclor program was very challenging» said Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. «As soon as we learned that the new Protocol would include cyclors on board, we immediately got in touch with the top specialists of the sport in Italy to figure out what the best physical profile would be for us. The choices we made were basically dictated by weight, because to fit within the parameters of the regulations (which impose a minimum and maximum limit for both the boat and the crew), an America's Cup cyclor must weigh between 95 and 110 kg. Such a profile in the cycling world is hard to find, and the few who do have it are committed to their career paths. We looked primarily at rowing, the sport that is closest to cycling in performance and physical characteristics. In the team we selected there are in fact several former rowers: some were already with us in the 2021 Cup; others (such as Rosetti, Gabbia, and Kirwan) are "new entries" with great athletic prowess. Paolo Simion, on the other hand, comes from professional cycling and has worked hard to put on weight; he has also helped us to improve on the type of training. Finally, Voltolini and Camboni, with their traditional "sailing" background, perfectly complete the team that, I am sure, will work very well and make a difference in the Barcelona races».

Once training and sea trials with the new AC75 begin, the cyclors will rotate on board to prepare for the Spanish regattas.