A slice of America's Cup history returns to the water this month, and it comes with a distinctly Italian business story attached.
Maurizio Vecchiola, from the Marche region of Italy, will helm the legendary Kookaburra III at the 12 Metre International Rule World Championship in Imperia, running from 28 August to 1 September. The regatta runs alongside the Vele d'Epoca di Imperia, the historic classic yacht festival marking its 40th anniversary this year, organised by the Municipality of Imperia and Assonautica Imperia with the Yacht Clubs of Imperia and Sanremo.
Vecchiola is Executive President of Finproject, the group behind the resin technology used globally in Crocs sandals. He is a long-time devotee of classic yachts and boats with genuine sporting pedigree, and Kookaburra III certainly qualifies.
Designed by Iain Murray and John Swarbrick and built in Perth by Parry Boat Builders, the yacht is finished in a distinctive metallic gold livery and stands among the true icons of the "Twelve" class, the boats that contested the America's Cup from 1958 through to 1987.
She was the third hull built for Kevin Parry's Taskforce Defence 87 syndicate. Parry, the Australian tycoon who rivalled Alan Bond of Australia IV, had previously backed Australia II, and Kookaburra III was built to defend the Cup on home water in Fremantle, Western Australia. In February 1987 she reached the defenders' final against Dennis Conner's American challenger Stars & Stripes, going down 4-0 to the "Commodore," who took the Cup back to the United States.
With the America's Cup returning to Naples less than a year from now, Imperia offers an early taste of that same old-world Cup atmosphere. Expect fireworks when Kookaburra III lines up against her near-identical sister ship Kookaburra II, originally from the same syndicate and now owned by Patrizio Bertelli, the man behind Luna Rossa and the Prada brand.
Sailing alongside Vecchiola is tactician Tommaso Chieffi, who once crewed aboard Il Moro di Venezia at San Diego in 1992 and is the reigning world champion in this class. Several sailors from the Marche region round out the team: Andrea Merani as team manager, along with Giacomo Maria Santinelli and Claudio Vallesi.
The rest of the crew list reads Luca Chiarello, Alberto Gallina, Alvise Faraon, Vittorio Landolfi, Michele Malandra, Aldo Migliaccio, Salvatore Pavone and Matteo Puggina.
