Maria Giubilei joins Luna Rossa principal crew for PR2 Naples

The much talked-about ‘pathway’ that was created in 2024 with the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona yielded its first competitive fruit with the confirmation that Maria Giubilei, a trimmer in the victorious Luna Rossa Women’s Team, will trim behind skipper Peter Burling for PR2 Naples.

Friends Reunited – Luna Rossa Announce Exciting Crew Line-Up With Maria Giubilei Confirmed In The Principal Team — 20 May 2026. Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup – Preliminary Regatta Sardinia Crew Portraits – Luna Rossa Team 1. Maria Giubilei, trimmer.

Luna Rossa, the Italian challengers for the Louis Vuitton 38^th America’s Cup, have acknowledged the coming force of Maria Giubilei with this appointment who has featured onboard the team’s AC75 during training in Cagliari and has been integral in the AC40 training since the start of this cycle.

Not only is Maria a hugely talented force in the America’s Cup, she is also the current Nacra 17 World Champion having won alongside Gianluigi ‘Gigi’ Ugolini in Quiberon, France, this year. Interestingly, Gigi has also made the Luna Rossa Principal Team and will trim in the port pod just behind his co-helm and skipper in the winning Youth America’s Cup Luna Rossa team, Marco Gradoni.

For Maria, Gigi and, indeed, Marco, it is a step into the big league of the America’s Cup, and Naples PR2 is set to reveal much about how this powerhouse team operates under intense pressure. Dockside in Naples, everyone is talking about what the tantalising prospect of three winning team members of the Youth & Women’s America’s Cups plus the three-time winner of the America’s Cup itself in Peter Burling, can produce as they come together.

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Furthermore, in the Luna Rossa Women & Youth Team, it has been confirmed that Margherita Porro, the winning co-helm from the Women’s America’s Cup in 2024 will skipper the AC40 and is joined on co-helm by the highly-rated Massimiliano ‘Max’ Antoniazzi. Trimming just behind Margherita will be Maria Vittorria Marchesini who was in the Luna Rossa Women’s America’s Cup team in Barcelona as a reserve. Giovanni Santi, who impressed mightily in Sardinia in May at PR1, is confirmed as the port trimmer behind Max.

All eyes on the first start of the first race just after 2pm on Friday 25^th September but there will be plenty of interest in the Official Practice Racing that starts on Thursday 24^th September as these new combinations bare their teeth in the white hot cauldron of the Bay of Naples.