Following the traditional sporting and technical checks, the 43rd edition of the 1000 Miglia officially got underway today. This year’s event features over 400 vehicles from 29 countries. Among these rarities the spotlight will shine on the 1956 Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint, belonging to the priceless Stellantis Heritage collection, usually housed at the Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese. At the wheel will be the Luna Rossa team, will take on the approximately 1,900km ‘figure-of-eight’ route inspired by the first 12 editions of the legendary 1000 Miglia speed race.
There could be no more fitting stage for the dynamic public debut of the new 33 Stradale. Handcrafted in a limited run of just 33 cars, this bespoke masterpiece marks the return of the legendary 33 Stradale, an icon of the 1960s, widely regarded by many to be one of the most beautiful cars ever made. Its design and spirit are taken directly from the Tipo 33, a car that once commanded global adulation in the motorsport arena.
Ahead of the start of the race, the anticipation builds not just for the race itself, but also for time honoured traditions that precede it. Among them are the technical checks and ‘punching’ held this morning in the picturesque setting of Piazza della Vittoria, a historic square in Brescia known as the “Lioness of Italy”.
The punching process is a vital two-phase inspection. The first focuses on the crews, verifying essential documents such as permits, certificates and driving licenses. The second is a thorough technical check of each car. Following successful completion of the inspection a lead seal is affixed to each vehicle, certifying that it complies and officially given the green light to compete in the race. This procedure is an opportunity for enthusiasts to admire up close the vintage cars taking part in the race. In Brescia, all eyes were on the Alfa Romeo 1900 Super Sprint, an icon of 1950s motoring.
From a square alive with cheering crowds and rumbling engines, the 1000 Miglia roared to life. The convoy set off from Brescia, heading towards the shores of Lake Garda, then onto the cities of Verona and Ferrara, before ending the day in San Lazzaro di Savena.
Tomorrow will see the cars take on the Raticosa and Futa mountain passes, followed by a journey through Tuscany and onto the eternal city of Rome, arriving at sunset. On Thursday, the route returns north via Orvieto, Arezzo and San Marino, finishing along the coast at Cervia-Milano Marittima. Friday takes the cars along the Tyrrhenian Sea, through Livorno and across the legendary Cisa Pass before arriving in Parma. The final stage on Saturday will be run between Cremona and the villages of the Bassa, culminating in a triumphant return to Brescia, a city that for a few days each year becomes the centre of the vintage motoring world.
The Luna Rossa sailing team will take part in the 1000 Miglia alongside Alfa Romeo to underscore the strategic partnership between the two Italian brands. The collaboration was recently unveiled, ahead of the 38th America’s Cup, by a video which can be viewed here. The world’s premier sailing competition will be held in Italy for the first time in the Bay of Naples. Two iconic brands coming together in a celebration of shared values – the relentless pursuit of technical perfection, the passion for challenge and the desire to represent Italian excellence on the global stage.
Luna Rossa team biographies:
Max Sirena – Skipper and Team Director
Born in Rimini, Massimiliano “Max” Sirena has previously appeared in the America’s Cup eight times. Of these, he won the 33rd edition with BMW Oracle Racing in the role of wing mast manager and the 35th with Emirates Team New Zealand in Bermuda in 2017. Max was also skipper of the Extreme 40 Luna Rossa and winner of the Extreme Sailing Series championship in 2011. With Luna Rossa, he has taken part in all the Italian team’s entries at the America’s Cup, beginning in 2000 and winning the Challenger Selection regattas twice (Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 and Prada Cup in 2021). In 2013, he became Skipper and Director of the team he still leads today. In his free time he loves all maritime activities, but is also passionate about motorcycles, endurance races, and biking. If he had not been a professional sailor, he would most certainly have pursued a career in the maritime sector.
Vittorio Bissaro – Trimmer / Sailing Team
A graduate in aerospace engineering from the Politecnico di Milano, Vittorio has been awarded the CONI “Golden Collar for Sports Merit”. He began sailing in Optimists at the age of 10. His first regattas were on multihulls, where he achieved immediate success by winning four Italian Formula 18 titles together with Lamberto Cesari. The transition to the Nacra 17 Olympic Class came naturally: paired with Silvia Sicouri, he took three podium placings at the World and European Championships and three victories at the World Cup. At the 2016 Rio Olympics, they finished in fifth place, just missing out on a medal. Since 2017, he has been sailing with Maelle Frascari, with whom he won the 2019 World Championship. Bissaro is also an expert in offshore sailing and has taken part in major international regattas aboard Maserati Multi 70, as tactician for Giovanni Soldini. With Luna Rossa, he competed in his first America’s Cup, in Barcelona in 2024. He loves the mountains, broad horizons and severe environments. If he had not been a professional sailor, he would definitely have been a mountaineer.
Jacopo Plazzi – Coach and Youth & Women’s Program Coordinator
Born in Ravenna, Jacopo began sailing in the Optimist class at the age of nine. With the 49er he won a European bronze and several top 10 placings worldwide. An all-round fan of high-performance sailing, he coaches on the SailGP circuit. Barcelona 2024 was his second America’s Cup, again with Luna Rossa. As a child he dreamed of winning the America’s Cup, his family having passed on to him this passion and ambition. He is now where he wants to be, working towards the same goal. If not for sailing, he would see himself in the mountains, which have always appealed to him.
Umberto Molineris – Trimmer / Sailing Team
Umberto began sailing at the age of 10 in the Adriatic following the pathway of the youth classes (some singles, then mainly 420). He then moved on to the Olympic discipline, first 470 then 49er, a class in which he became Italian Champion and also took several world top 10 placings. He later decided to try his hand at other types of boats and regatta on multiple professional circuits. In 2021, he joined the Luna Rossa team through the New Generation program and participated in two America’s Cup campaigns (Auckland 2021 and Barcelona 2024). He loves music and plays the piano (having attended music school) and is passionate about all water sports and skiing. If he had not been a professional sailor, he would have taken another job out in the open air. Although he studied economics, working in an office did not appeal to him.
Ruggero Tita – Helmsman / Sailing Team
Olympic gold in the Nacra 17 in Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2021, Golden Collar for sporting merit (2018, 2021, 2022) and Rolex World Sailor of the Year 2022, Tita graduated in Information Engineering and Business Management. At the age of 13, he became Italian, Swiss and European champion in the Optimist class. He then raced on the 29er, then moved on to the 49er, where he became multiple time Italian champion. After taking part with bowman Pietro Zucchetti in the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, he turned to the Nacra 17 where, with Caterina Banti on the bow, he won gold medal in Paris and Tokyo, four world championships and four European championships. Tita worked with the Luna Rossa team to prepare for the 36th America’s Cup but was not able to take part after the Olympics were postponed to the summer of 2021. He is a fan of skiing, snowboarding and paragliding. When he is not on the water, he can be seen on the slopes. His first America’s Cup was with Luna Rossa in 2024.
Rocco Falcone – Trimmer/ Sailing Team
Born in Antigua and a holder of dual Italian and Antiguan-Barbudan citizenship, Falcone is an all-round sailor, with a great deal of experience on different types of racing boats, from Optimist to Laser, to 29ers, Dragons, Big Boats, One Design Classes and vintage and classic boats. He also has several offshore races and three Atlantic crossings to his credit. After spending three years in Canada studying for a degree in Economics, he returned to Europe and participated in various international regatta circuits, such as the Youth Foiling Gold Cup dedicated to the 69F, where he achieved excellent results. In 2024, he joined the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli youth team and won the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup in Barcelona as trimmer for the AC40. In his spare time, he enjoys wing foiling, fishing and boating with friends and family.
Guido Gallinaro – Helmsman / Sailing Team
Born in Desenzano on Lake Garda, Gallinaro has taken the classic sailing route, from the Optimist on the Laser 4.7 and the Radial, classes in which he won one world and two European titles. He has also won four Italian championships in a row. After a period in Star, where he raced alongside the most famous champions in this discipline, he moved to the 49er (coming fifth at CICO 2019) and at the same time began his university studies in medicine. After a break for his Olympic sailing career, Gallinaro joined the Dutch youth team to take part in the 2021 Youth AC, which was later cancelled. This experience would be particularly useful for his arrival on the 69F circuit, where he also raced under the colours of Luna Rossa. In 2024, he joined Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and in the same year formed part of the team that won the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup.
Giulia Conti – Helmswoman / Women’s Sailing Team
Coni Golden Collar for Sports Merit, Conti is the Italian sailor with the most appearances at the Olympic Games after Alessandra Sensini. After her debut in Athens 2004 in the Yngling class, she raced at the Beijing and London editions on the 470 (paired with Giovanna Micol), then moved on to the 49er FX in Rio 2016 (with Francesca Clapcich). She finished in fifth place in the last three Olympic regattas. On the 470, Conti has also reaped major results at the World Championships (silver in 2008 and bronze in 2010) and at the European Championships (gold in 2009 plus two silvers, in 2007 and 2010). On the 49er FX, she has taken part in the World Championships (first in Buenos Aires in 2015 and third in Santander in 2014) and in the European Championships (first in Porto in 2015 and second in Barcelona in 2016). After her Olympic career, she became a coach in the USA and in 2020 was the first non-American to be named National Coach of the Year. In 2024, she joined the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli women’s team and in the AC40 as skipper and co-helmswoman, she won the Puig Women’s America’s Cup in Barcelona.
Alice Linussi – Trimmer / Women’s Sailing Team
Born in Trieste and a graduate in Communication Sciences, Linussi began sailing at the age of seven on the Optimist, before featuring on the bow in the 420, a class where she won the world title at the age of just 15. She then moved on to the Olympic 470 class, in which she won the European Mixed Junior title in 2019, obtaining bronze in the overall rankings. In 2017, at the age of 16, she helmed an 80-footer at the regatta with the highest attendance in the world, the Barcolana, then won the 2023 edition in her division. In the same year, she entered the world of foil sailing, participating in the Women Foiling Gold Cup aboard a 69F, in which she finished third. She loves alpine skiing and plays various sports, but sailing remains her great passion. In 2024, shortly before she graduated, she joined Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and in the same year formed part of the team that won the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
Maria Vittoria Marchesini – Helmswoman / Women’s Sailing Team
Born in Trieste, Marchesini entered the world of sailing at the age of seven with the Optimist (on the advice of her grandfather), and at 14 she won the bronze medal at the Women’s World Championships. She later became helmswoman in 420, a class in which she won the bronze medal at the 2016 Women’s World Championships. Then followed the Olympic 470 class where, in 2019, she won the Juniors Mixed world gold and the European Juniors Mixed bronze medal. In 2022 she switched to 49erFX, on the bow. In the same year she began her adventure in wing foil, her passion for which extends to her having taken part in several stages of the world championship in 2023. Also in 2023, at the helm of the 69F, she came in third in the Woman Foiling Gold Cup. She studies Economics and Management at university, and i loves trekking in the mountains and skiing, although her life is in the world of sailing. In 2024, she joined Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and was a member of the team that won the Puig Women’s America’s Cup in the same year.
Sara Paesani PR & Communications Manager
Graduated in Economics with a master’s degree in management and IT, specialising at Cambridge, Sara began her sailing journey with windsurfing and the 420 class, eventually moving on to offshore sailing, taking part in several international regattas and Mediterranean crossings. Her professional background includes extensive experience in business consulting as well as roles in marketing and sponsorships for major sports brands (including the Italian National Football Team, Juventus F.C., Gazzetta dello Sport, Giro d’Italia, and UniCredit Champions League). A motorsports enthusiast, she has also taken part in off-road expeditions as a test driver and won the Italian selections for the Land Rover G4 Challenge. In the nautical sector, she managed Communication and Marketing during the relaunch of the Grand Soleil brand and worked as a media reporter and producer for Sky Sport’s program Icarus. In 2018, she joined Luna Rossa as PR and Communications Manager. The 2024 America’s Cup marked her second campaign with the team. In her free time, she enjoys skiing, surfing, wing foiling and swimming.
