Trhe Woolmark logo features prominently on the Italian challengers sails.

WOOL growers are reaping benefits from linking with Italy’s America’s Cup Challenger, the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, according to Australian Wool Innovation chief executive officer Stuart McCullough.

“AWI’s distinctive Woolmark logo is on the sails of the Luna Rosa Prada Pirelli team and premium Australian merino wool is a key ingredient of the team’s uniform on and off the water.

“This has been a fantastic opportunity to promote Australian wool in one of the world’s most famous sporting events,” Mr McCullough said.

The Italian team’s Woolmark-certified uniforms include a waterproof jacket, a soft-shell jacket, a polo shirt, a wet jacket, a blouson, a T-shirt and a wetsuit and base-layers, made with Merino wool. The official team jacket is a three-layered garment comprising 54 percent Merino wool, boned with a waterproof membrane.

Mr McCullough congratulated for winning the America’s Cup challenger series 7 races to 1 against the British challenger last month.

“We are especially proud to be part of a team where Australian sailor Jimmy Spithill plays such a key role,” Mr McCullough said.

Australian sailor Jimmy Spithill kitted out in the team’s wool blend gear.

Spithill from Sydney has won 2 America’s Cup and is co-helmsman of the boat.

“The whole objective of that partnership was to put wool in a very unexpected context and in a performance context.

“Wool most often thought of as a formal fabric, this partnership is about getting wool into new areas and as a result create new demand,” Mr McCullough said.

“Even with the outer layer (which you would not associate with wool) we have created some quirky content of the sailors standing in the shower and staying dry.

“The impact of COVID has also been an advantage because there is less sport on television so in terms of the global audience it is beating benchmarks from the last America’s Cup series,” he said.

“There is never a safe bet with sport but with the America’s Cup it is now down to just two.

“Italy with plenty of Aussie know-how against New Zealand”.

The first races between the two teams start on Wednesday.

Source: AWI.