Luna Rossa experiences broaching incident during rudder testing

The Luna Rossa sailing team experienced a dramatic training session following their summer break, centered on testing a new rudder innovation for the America’s Cup. The new design features more blade area at the top with an extended leading edge and slightly less area at the bottom.

During afternoon testing, the new rudder ventilated and stalled during an aggressive bear-away maneuver. This caused the AC75 to trim bow-up significantly, resulting in the boat broaching the water and crashing hullborne. Flight controller Vittorio Bissarro described the event as a “dangerous situation” caused by a loss of control over the blade and the boat’s yaw. Despite the incident, no major damage was reported, and the crew resumed sailing shortly after.