Recon Photographer 37th. America’s Cup
CLIENT
America’s Cup
ROLE
Recon Photographer
COMMISSIONED PROJECT
Cagliari-Barcelona, 2022-2024
For the first time in the long history of the America’s Cup, a new figure appeared — the Recon Photographer, the official eye between secrecy and revelation.
A new generation of SPIES
In this edition of the America’s Cup, espionage became protocol.
For the first time in the 173-year history of the competition, spying was no longer a secret act, but an official duty — regulated, scheduled, and shared among all teams.
Each time Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli announced a training session, the two Recon members — photographer Ivo Rovira and his pilot — arrived at the appointed hour. They would stand inside two rectangles painted on the ground, exactly 25 metres from the boat, awaiting the signal from the boat captain.
Spying from exactly 25 meters away from the boat.
From separate hangars, the hull and mast emerged. Rigging, alignment, and assembly unfolded like a precise choreography. Lifted by crane, the AC boat was placed on the dock, ready to fly.
The mission was clear: photograph and film every structural change — hull, wings, foils, rudder, mast — capturing intelligence in each frame for rival design teams.
Once at sea, the chase began. Aboard a 700-horsepower boat, Rovira and his pilot anticipated Luna Rossa’s moves to capture the double-skin carbon mainsail, jib, tension, and manoeuvres at the perfect angle. Speeds exceeded 50 knots (100 km/h), a high-stakes dance of observation, precision, and anticipation.
