Luna Rossa is the fifth challenger to be accepted
ZURICH, Switzerland -- Italian sailing team Luna Rossa will compete in the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2007 after America's Cup holders Societe Nautique de Geneve accepted their challenge on Thursday.
Luna Rossa follows BMW Oracle, fellow Italians +39, South African Team Shosholoza and former holders Team New Zealand as the fifth challenger to be accepted for the 2007 event.
Their challenge, which was put forward by the Yacht Club Italiano, was accepted at a ceremony in Valencia, Spain, where the 32nd Americas Cup will be hosted.
Luna Rossa is well advanced in its preparations and skipper Francesco de Angelis said: "We have been training and testing on the waters off the Spanish coast for over three months.
"We were the first to set up a base in Valencia and, as planned, we now formally announce our participation as a Challenger in the 32nd America's Cup."
The Italian team qualified to challenge New Zealand for the America's Cup in February 2000 by winning the Louis Vuitton Cup in 1999 but they lost every race in the final.
In 2003 they lost out to Swiss team Alinghi, who won the Louis Vuitton Cup and then went on to crush the holders, Team New Zealand, winning every race of the final in Auckland.
