Sydney - The Woolmark Company and Prada’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team have unveiled a new collection of merino wool technical team kit as they set sail for the 37th America’s Cup.
Returning as the official technical partner for the sailing team, The Woolmark Company says it has worked closely with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli product development team to expand the current kit to include performance-first apparel for cycling, running and gym-based training activities.
With a focus on technical performance, and the added benefit of protecting the ocean, the new custom-made kit includes wool-rich T-shirts, hoodies, shorts, leggings, a cycling suit, a waterproof jacket and a revolutionary ultralight windbreaker. At just 60gsm, the 55 per cent Merino wool windbreaker is wind-proof thanks to the density of the weave, and the presence of Merino wool ensures superior breathability.
The cycling suit has also been specially designed to meet the demanding conditions the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team will face. Using an innovative Merino wool-rich fabric, the interlock suit delivers enhanced temperature regulation and moisture management benefits, excelling in different weather conditions and intensity levels.
“Product innovation has once again been a crucial factor when designing the technical kit for the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team,” explains The Woolmark Company managing director John Roberts. “With a focus on lightness, elasticity, strength and moisture wicking properties, our internal experts met with the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli product development team armed with a selection of the best commercially available merino wool fabrics. Where further development was needed, the teams worked together to create unique fabrics destined to deliver the added element.”
The original performance fibre, merino wool has the versatility to enhance performance across key on-shore and offshore activities. The partnership once again celebrates merino wool as the added element that unlocks greater sporting performance, but also as a key material created in – and defined by - the forces of nature, put to the ultimate test by this elite sailing team.
Passionate about improving ocean health and reducing its impact, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team once again turns to wool – a fibre praised for its biodegradable nature, backed by science which shows the fibre does not contribute to microplastic pollution.
“I am pleased about the renewal of the technical partnership with The Woolmark Company, on the road to the 37th America’s Cup,” said Max Sirena team director and skipper of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team. “Wearing good quality sportswear for a team like Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli means enhancing our performance. After testing the garments in a wide range of conditions during the previous America's Cup, we discovered the unique properties of Merino wool in terms of elasticity, breathability, comfort, insulation, and water resistance. Having had an excellent experience with these uniforms, we took the opportunity to develop a training kit together, exploiting the features of this natural fibre that, moreover, is perfectly in line with our lifestyle and the sustainability policy pursued by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli."
