UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay visits Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team base in Barcelona

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay visits Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team base in Barcelona © Luca Butto / Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay visits Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team base in Barcelona © Luca Butto / Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

On Monday, the 30th of September, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team welcomed the UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay to their base in Barcelona. Azoulay was in town for the Ocean&Climate Village exhibition. She was greeted by Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for the Prada Group, Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, and the Italian Consul in Barcelona, Emanuele Manzitti.

Azoulay congratulated the Youth team on their recent victory and wished the best to the Women's crew and the entire Luna Rossa team for the upcoming races.

The Ocean&Climate Village has been a huge success, with about a thousand visitors and over five hundred workshops held in the first week. These workshops are run by experts from the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO. Some workshops take place aboard Cassiopea, a sailboat turned into a sustainable oceanographic vessel, curated by marine biologist Carmelo Isgrò, director of the MuMa Museo del Mare in Milazzo.

The exhibition, located at Barcelona's Port Olímpic until October 4, is supported by the Prada Group within the SEA BEYOND project. It is part of the partnership between UNESCO and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and emphasizes sustainability in maritime sports and the contribution that sailing can make to oceanographic research by collecting valuable data.

Using educational tools such as infographics, photographs, interactive virtual reality installations, and tactile experiences, the exhibit explores the intricate relationship between the ocean and climate, with a focus on the ocean's role in regulating climate.

Audrey Azoulay, UNESCO Director General, commented: "The America's Cup is a fantastic opportunity to raise public awareness on ocean protection. I warmly thank the Prada Group for having included on the Luna Rossa main sail the logo of our joint Sea Beyond educational program, which today benefits more than 200 schools in 56 countries and is set to expand even further."

Lorenzo Bertelli, Head of Corporate Social Responsibility for the Prada Group and Executive Director, Patron of the Ocean Decade Alliance, added: "I am delighted to be here in Barcelona during the final stages of the America's Cup to welcome the public to the Ocean&Climate Village, together with UNESCO and Team Luna Rossa. These are great days for the sport and for the conservation of our ocean."

Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, commented: "It is a great honor to welcome UNESCO Director General Audrey Azoulay to our base. Her presence is a tribute to our team's commitment to raising awareness about ocean conservation. The collaboration with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO during the 37th America's Cup motivates us to continue amplifying the message of marine environment protection through our sport."