Francesco Bruni has broken his silence on the move that stunned the America's Cup world, confirming he will skipper Tudor Team Alinghi after his sudden departure from Luna Rossa, with Paul Goodison and Phil Robertson sharing helming duties alongside him.
The Italian, freshly arrived in Naples, laid out how the switch came together.
"A few weeks ago, after PR2, I received a call from Giulio Bertelli (Team Principal of Luna Rossa) asking if I would be interested in this operation," Bruni explained. "Ernesto Bertarelli sparked the whole thing, got in touch with management of Luna Rossa and he thought about it a few days. Then I said I would be interested, and they checked the feasibility. Then I've been here in Naples for a couple of weeks. Everything very Entusiasmante, Emozionante!"
He described the fortnight since as intense.
"It's been a very interesting week since I arrived here on Monday morning," he said. "Ernesto was here for the first three days too; there were lots of meetings, long days, it was all very stimulating. I'm very pleased with how things are progressing, but it's been very intense. On the same day, at around 5 o'clock in the morning, the boat arrived from Genoa; I arrived a little later. It's not finished yet, but it's well on the way. There's a lot of work to be done, both technically and on a personal level; you have to liaise with lots of people."
Leaving Luna Rossa, where he'd settled into a coaching role with the young sailors, wasn't a decision made lightly.
"There's certainly plenty to do...it wasn't just a question of deciding whether to stay on as coach or return to the front line," Bruni said. "There are so many factors to consider. I enjoyed being a coach, but when compared with the opportunity that Tudor Team Alinghi is offering me, the decision was an easy one because I prefer this role. Being a coach was great, very rewarding, especially with the young sailors. In any case, it wasn't an easy decision because there are so many things to take into account, and Luna Rossa has meant so much to me."
Ernesto Bertarelli, Team Principal and Owner of Tudor Team Alinghi, was personally involved throughout the negotiation. Bruni confirmed as much when asked directly.
"Yes, we spoke at length over the past few weeks about this transition, which, as you can imagine, was a very delicate matter," he said. "A great deal of work went into it with the teams, the lawyers and so on. Ernesto sees me as an expert in this field, given my specialisation and the fact that I helmed the last two editions of the Cup with excellent results."
Unsurprisingly, the press pack wanted clarity on the co-helming arrangement with Goodison and Robertson both on the roster. Bruni was direct about it.
"I will for sure be skipper, Paul is a very important team member anyway, lots of work will be shared, I have been named for the leadership, but he is a very important person in the team and we are friends."
The question of which side of the boat he'll sail is still open. Bruni is left-handed and spent his Luna Rossa years on the port pod, but that's not settled yet at Tudor Team Alinghi.
"The decision is still open," he said. "There are three of us. We want to be a strong team so that anyone can fill any role. We don't yet know who will fill which position, but it will become clear who performs better or worse in one position or another. I've played on the left twice in the past, but Goody has also played on the left. So we still have to decide."
Then came the inevitable question about intellectual property, and whether a non-disclosure agreement limited what he could bring across.
"For sure I have a big amount of information and knowledge, but yes, there is a lot of info that I cannot bring to another team," Bruni said. "However, the Protocol is very, very, clear, so I will not share info that I am not allowed to share."
On the team's form through the two Preliminary Regattas, he was candid rather than defensive.
"Things certainly went better in Naples than in Cagliari, apart from the last day," he said. "The sailing team is very good; perhaps they devoted less time to the AC40 as they started a bit later, in any case, the Preliminary Regattas are very important for identifying problems. We'll look at them again and make improvements. We can do better."
Someone asked about his reflexes. At 52, it was a fair question.
"Younger people have quicker reaction times, which is important, but it's crucial to press the right buttons, and at my age I'm more likely to press the right buttons!" Bruni said. "Young Italians are doing brilliantly; they're all very talented, but I hope experience still counts for a lot. I still feel young at heart, numbers don't make the difference."
Racing a Cup on home waters, even for a rival to Luna Rossa, clearly means something to him.
"It's wonderful to have this Cup in Italy for me too, even though I'm with Tudor Team Alinghi," he said. "The Italians will be rooting for Luna Rossa, no doubt about it, but I'm pleased that so many fans and friends have backed this decision, so I reckon Tudor Team Alinghi will have more Italian supporters! The racecourse will be brilliant, and better than the Preliminary Regattas because spring is the best time of year in the Mediterranean, and especially in Naples, in terms of wind and sea conditions...Every hour on the water will be crucial; I hope Naples will give us excellent conditions from December onwards (not before, otherwise the other teams will capitalise on the good conditions). It's important to have time on the water, but quality time... Being on the front line in Naples takes on a different meaning. I'm the first to be caught up in it. I feel that the support of the Neapolitans is absolutely vital."
Finally, there's the Italian flavour within a famously Swiss outfit.
"There's a bit," Bruni said. "Pietro Sibello was one of the reasons I accepted the role; he's someone I hold in very high regard, who's worth a great deal and contributes immensely to the team. There are other people, not necessarily in the sailing team, some of them Neapolitans, too, who are helping us a great deal to settle into the city. We've been made to feel very welcome here and we want to keep it that way."
