Prada Turns a New Chapter

Lost in the mire of the continuously postponed 31st America’s Cup was the quiet announcement from Patrizio Bertelli that Prada Challenge was hanging up its sheets and closing shop. “This adventure is over,” Bertelli, 56, said in Italy’s Gazzetto della Sport on Feb. 22. “I’ve been asked for the boats, but I still don’t know what I’m going to do with them. For now, they will stay here (in New Zealand).”

Prada Challenge has had an uproarious run during its seven years as a Cup syndicate. Bertelli, the managing director of the PRADA Services SpA group, exclusive manufacturer and distributor of the Prada brand, launched the Italian team in February 1997, becoming the first team to announce its challenge for America’s Cup and Louis Vuitton Cup 2000. Prada cemented a stunning and widely appealing debut in the Louis Vuitton Cup by surviving a classic, nine-race battle against Paul Cayard and the AmericaOne challenge in the finals. Winning the right to meet Team New Zealand in the turn-of-the century 30th America’s Cup Match, Prada lost badly, 5-0.

Despite the defeat Prada returned for a second challenge, but with a much heavier load. Its challenging club, the Yacht Club Punta Ala, became Challenger of Record. And the team was the first-ever defending champion of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Lead designer Doug Peterson returned, as did many of the key crewmembers, such as Brazilian tactician Torben Grael. They were bolstered by the additions of a few non-Italians, notably New Zealanders Rod Davis, as starting helmsman, and “B” boat helmsman Gavin Brady, and trimmers Sean Clarkson (New Zealand) and Andy Hemmings (England).

Burdened by high expectations Prada fell short, finishing fourth in this year’s field of nine challengers. “The people cannot imagine how close we have been this time to winning the America’s Cup, much more than we were three years ago,” Bertelli said. Prada skipper Francesco de Angelis didn’t find Bertelli’s announcement surprising. “He’s turning a new chapter in his life,” de Angelis said of Bertelli. “He’s concentrating on business concerns for a while. What he said is not very different to what he said a month ago.”

Through Prada’s run, the soft-spoken de Angelis, 42, was the perfect antidote to the fiery Bertelli. He was placid and calm to Bertelli’s tempestuous whirlwind. When Prada lost Race 4 of the 30th Match after leading up the first beat, Bertelli issued a press release calling their failure to cover when in the lead “suicidal tactics.” All before the team had returned from the race. Afterward, de Angelis calmly said, “The statement is basically straightforward. Not much to say about it. That is his feelings.”

Patrizio Bertelli: His passion will be missed in the Cup game.


De Angelis, born in Naples, Italy, said it was “very interesting” working with Bertelli. He admired his boss’s passion for the sport and intellect. “He is very successful businessman, very intelligent,” de Angelis said. “It’s very interesting to have his opinion when you approach a problem because he’s very intuitive, very lateral in thinking. He looks at the big picture, not just one point.”

De Angelis also thought Bertelli has unique motivational techniques. “I don’t show much, but I like the fact that we were always ready to fight,” de Angelis said. His worst moment of the Prada campaign came last October at the beginning of the Louis Vuitton Cup when he realised they were off the pace. That changed the mindset in the camp, going from a position of power to playing catch-up. After losing their first race of the challengers’ series, the Prada camp disintegrated into a state of chaos. Bertelli struck quickly, severing ties with lead designer Doug Peterson, one of the most successful designers of America’s Cup Class sloops, after just one race.

A few days later Prada sent its second boat, ITA-80, to a local boatyard for a new bow. The team’s race boat, ITA-74, had its bow reconstructed on site between the first and second rounds. De Angelis, deeply superstitious, said that they weren’t panicking or overreacting, but were doing things that they felt had to be done. “That definitely wasn’t the situation I was planning to be in at the beginning of racing,” de Angelis said. “But it came time to change, we had to do something. I’m not referring to Doug, but from a boat perspective there were things that had to be done. People will remember the bow, but there were a lot of other things done.”

While Bertelli and the Prada name won’t be at the next America’s Cup, de Angelis hopes to be. The tall, unassuming skipper is very interested in challenging for the Cup, perhaps continuing with some personnel from Prada. “There are a lot of good people in different departments with good individual skills,” de Angelis said. “That’s a good thing to start with. Now have to see opportunities for future.”

A lot of his future plans rest with what will happen in Auckland. Alinghi leads the series against Team New Zealand 3-0. Despite who wins, major changes are ahead for the america’s Cup. If Alinghi were to win and take the Cup to Europe, de Angelis doesn’t believe that his job of raising money will be any easier. “I don’t think the situation in Europe is as bright as people think,” said de Angelis. “From an economic point of view, worldwide is a tough time right now. With the threat of war, there are a lot of uncertainties. There will be new opportunities, but we’ll have to see. I don’t know if it’ll be as easy as everyone expects.”

Source: America's Cup