Checco Bruni, the new challenge with Alinghi: ‘I’m back at the helm to win the America’s Cup’

A new challenge, a new team, and above all a return to the helm, in the role he loves most. Francesco “Checco” Bruni is ready to write another chapter in his extraordinary sailing career, this time wearing the colors of Tudor Team Alinghi. After his years with Luna Rossa, first as helmsman and then as coach, the Palermo-born sailor has chosen to take the reins of the Swiss team ahead of the upcoming America’s Cup, which will be held in Naples in 2027.

The official announcement, which came on October 26, was one of the most significant moves on the international sailing scene. In fact, it is not often that one of a team’s most representative figures switches to a direct rival, especially when the two are historic adversaries like Luna Rossa and Alinghi.

Bruni met with Italian journalists today at a press conference broadcast from the headquarters of the Circolo Nautico Posillipo in Naples, to explain the reasons behind his decision, his first days of work, and the ambitions of the new project. The meeting presented the image of an enthusiastic professional who is at the same time aware of the difficulties that await him, yet determined to put all of his experience at the service of the team.

From Luna Rossa to Alinghi: a deal that came together in just a few weeks

Bruni’s move to Alinghi came together surprisingly quickly. The sailor himself explained how the deal came about, saying that the initiative came from Ernesto Bertarelli, the Swiss team’s owner, who chose to approach Luna Rossa’s management first. “It all started about a month ago. I got a call from Giulio Bertelli, who asked me whether I might be interested in this opportunity. The idea had come from Ernesto Bertarelli, who had contacted Luna Rossa’s management first. I took a few days to think it over, then let them know I was interested, and from there the deal came together within a couple of weeks. I’ve been here in Naples since Monday, and everything is very interesting and stimulating.”

Checco Bruni’s move inevitably raises the question of the technical information and the knowledge accumulated during his long experience with Luna Rossa. Bruni made it clear that the transition will take place in full compliance with the rules: “The protocol is very clear on what can and cannot be done, and I intend to follow it scrupulously. Of course, I bring with me a wealth of experience that I hope will prove very valuable to the new team, but there is information and knowledge that cannot be transferred from one team to another.”

Checco Bruni’s first days in Naples and the work of building the team

Checco Bruni’s adventure in Naples is already in full swing. The new skipper arrived just in the same hours that the boat arrived from Genoa, the one intended for training: “I arrived on Monday morning – he said – and, funnily enough, the boat arrived from Genoa at five that same day. It was a nice coincidence. For the first three days we also had Ernesto Bertarelli with us, and we held a great many meetings. They were long, intense days, but extremely stimulating. I’m happy with how things are going, although there is still a great deal of work to do, both technically and on the human side. I need to get to know a lot of people and build a relationship of trust with them.”

One of the priorities is the final composition of the crew. Alinghi already has an established core group, but Bruni wants to make sure every role is adequately covered, also in anticipation of possible contingencies: “We already have a good core of people, but we are evaluating how to round out the roster. It’s not enough to have the sailors needed to cover every role on board: we also need well-prepared substitutes who can step onto the boat at any moment, for example in the event of injury or illness, and know immediately what to do.”

Sharing the work with Paul Goodison

One of the most important points clarified during the press conference concerns leadership. Checco Bruni stated that he will be the skipper of Tudor Team Alinghi, with no formal sharing of the role with Paul Goodison, who will nonetheless continue to play a fundamental part in the project: “Paul is a very important figure within the team, and we will share all the decisions. I’ve been entrusted with leading the group, but the work will be absolutely shared. Paul is a friend, I’m very happy to be able to work with him, and I’m convinced we’ll form an excellent team.” The collaboration between the two is one of the most interesting aspects of the new Alinghi: two sailors with enormous international experience, called on to build a competitive group in a competition where crew cohesion is as important as the performance of the boat.

Back at the helm at 53: “What matters is pressing the right buttons”

For Bruni, choosing Alinghi means above all returning to being a direct protagonist on the water. After serving as Luna Rossa’s coach, also working on the development of the Italian team’s young talents, the Sicilian sailor decided to put himself back in the game personally: “Being a coach was an experience I enjoyed a great deal and that gave me great satisfaction, especially the work with the young sailors. But when I compare it with the opportunity Alinghi is offering me, there’s no comparison. This is a role I like much more.”

At 53, Bruni is aware that he is competing against younger athletes, especially in a technologically sophisticated class like the AC75, where decisions are made in fractions of a second. But experience can amply make up for the difference in reaction times: “Young sailors certainly have quicker reflexes, and that’s an important quality. But when you have to push buttons, the key is to push the right ones. Maybe today I’m a little slower, but I also have a better chance of pressing the right button at the right time.”

Alinghi aims to be back on the water in December

The preparation schedule has already been defined in its broad outlines. The immediate goal is to get the boat in the water by the end of November, to begin the first training sessions in early December. “We, too, are eager to get out sailing,” Bruni confirmed. “Right now, here in Naples, only the French boat is going out. We think we can get our boat in the water by the end of November, although we don’t have a firm date yet. Everyone is working to speed things up, but it’s important to do things right. The current plan calls for the first sailing sessions at the beginning of December.”

Checco Bruni did not want to commit to a view on the boat’s technical characteristics before having tried it personally: “I’d rather get on board and try it before giving an opinion. Looking at a boat from the outside, you can’t really understand its strengths and weaknesses. Alinghi’s recent performances fell short of expectations, but it’s not necessarily the case that this depended only on the boat: there are many factors that contribute to the result.”

The skipper nevertheless stressed that he has found a team with significant room to grow: “I’ve seen a team that is growing, even after results that didn’t meet expectations. The potential is great and the team is strong. Perhaps we’ve spent less time than others on the AC40s, because our work began later, but the preliminary regattas exist precisely to identify problems and understand where we need to improve.”

A decision shared with his family

The professional move to Naples inevitably brings some changes to Bruni’s private life as well. His family, however, will continue to live in Cagliari, at least for the time being. “My son is in his final year of school and has to take his high school final exams, so moving to Naples wasn’t an option. We made this decision all together. My wife is my greatest supporter, and I’ll try to get back to see her and our son whenever I have even just a free morning. Fortunately, I’m not on the other side of the world.”

Who is Checco Bruni, one of the great names in Italian sailing

Born in Palermo in 1973, Francesco “Checco” Bruni is one of the most decorated and versatile Italian sailors of his generation. He has won seven world titles across several classes and competed in three editions of the Olympic Games, building a career that spans Olympic sailing, match racing, and the most sophisticated boats of the America’s Cup. His name is tied above all to Luna Rossa, with which he has contested numerous campaigns, eventually becoming one of the most recognizable faces of the Italian team.

In 2021, in Auckland, Bruni shared the helm with Jimmy Spithill, helping to win the Prada Cup and take Luna Rossa to the final challenge against Emirates Team New Zealand. It was a historic result for Italian sailing, even though the New Zealand team went on to take the trophy with a score of 7-3.

In 2024, in Barcelona, he returned to the helm of the Italian AC75, reaching the Louis Vuitton Cup final. He then took on the role of coach, helping prepare Luna Rossa’s new generation of sailors. His arrival at Alinghi therefore carries a meaning that goes well beyond a simple change of team. The Swiss team acquires a helmsman who knows the AC75 class inside out, along with the dynamics of racing and the pressures of the most prestigious competition in world sailing. For Bruni, in turn, it opens up the chance to lead a sporting project himself, with the responsibility of turning a growing team into a contender for victory.

America’s Cup 2027: the racing schedule in Naples

The 38th America’s Cup will enter its decisive phase in the spring of 2027, when Naples will host, for the first time in Italian history, the races that will decide the trophy. The official schedule calls for the Louis Vuitton Cup to begin on May 22, 2027. The competition will select the challenger that will face the defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the final Match, which starts on July 10.

The road to the Cup has already seen two preliminary regattas, in Cagliari in May 2026 and in Naples from September 24 to 27. On these occasions, the teams raced against each other on the AC40, foiling monohulls that are smaller than the AC75s that will take center stage in the decisive phase.

For Alinghi, the next step will be the return to sailing with BoatOne, the AC75 already used in the Barcelona 2024 campaign. The boat has arrived in Naples, and the team is working to begin training in December, as confirmed by Bruni himself. The technical challenge will be particularly demanding: the protocol for the 38th America’s Cup limits the construction of new boats and regulates training days, making it even more important to make the most of every outing on the water.

Alinghi wants to return to the top of the America’s Cup

To understand the importance of Bruni’s signing, one has to remember Alinghi’s history. Founded by Ernesto Bertarelli in 1994, the Swiss team won the America’s Cup in 2003, becoming the first challenger to win the trophy on its first attempt, and then successfully defended it in 2007. After a long absence, the team returned to the America’s Cup in Barcelona in 2024, but without achieving the results it had hoped for. The Naples edition is therefore a chance at a relaunch, in which Bruni’s experience could prove decisive. The immediate goal will be to build a competitive crew, identify the best technical solutions, and make up ground on its rivals. But the real ambition is to bring Alinghi back to contend for the Louis Vuitton Cup and, possibly, the oldest trophy in international sport.

Conclusion

Checco Bruni’s arrival at Alinghi is one of the most interesting changes heading into the 2027 America’s Cup. The Italian sailor brings the Swiss team a valuable combination of experience, technical knowledge, and leadership ability, while for him it is a chance to return to the helm after his time as Luna Rossa’s coach. The coming weeks will be decisive for setting up the work and beginning to gauge the team’s potential on the water. Naples is thus preparing to witness a challenge within a challenge: Bruni against his own past, with the ambition of writing a new page in the history of the America’s Cup.

Sources and references

Checco Bruni at Alinghi – FAQ