Argo Group Gold Cup organisers welcomed the late addition of Francesco Bruni to this year’s event following yesterday’s announcement of the Italian’s move to Artemis Racing.

The Swedish challengers for the 35th America’s Cup announced that the multiple World, European and Italian champion has joined them from Italian America’s Cup racing syndicate Luna Rossa.

Artemis Racing, whom Bruni trained with aboard the team’s AC45 catamaran in the Great Sound in May, also announced that the former Luna Rossa helmsman will lead his new team at next month’s Gold Cup which he won with his former team in 2013, to become the first Italian skipper to win the oldest match-racing trophy for competition involving one-design yachts.

“I am very happy and excited to become part of such a strong team,” Bruni said.

“I will be surrounded by some of the best sailors in the world, many of them winners of Olympic medals and other great achievements. Teaming up with Iain [Percy] is great, we have been competitors and friends for a long time and I think he is doing a great job with Artemis Racing.

“I am sure I will also work very well with Nathan [Outteridge, the Artemis helmsman], and look forward to joining the sailing team in its preparations for winning the 35th America’s Cup.”

The addition of Bruni brings the total of past Gold Cup winners on Artemis’s team to three as Iain Percy, the team manager, and Christian Kamp won the revered showpiece with Sir Ben Ainslie back-to-back in 2009 and 2010. Luke Parkinson is the remaining member of the Swedish team, who are making their second straight appearance in the Gold Cup.

“As a former winner of the Argo Group Gold Cup in 2013, this should give Artemis Racing a great opportunity this year and adds further depth to an already exciting line up,” Andy Cox, chairman of the Gold Cup, said.

“The IOD is a boat that we know Francesco likes to sail and there will obviously be some rivalry to throw in the mix with his former team mate Adam Minoprio, who was also a member of the Italian America’s Cup challenger Luna Rossa.”

Bruni served as a tactician on Luna Rossa at the previous America’s Cup in San Francisco, and his services had been retained for the next instalment of the “Auld Mug” to be held in Bermuda in 2017.

However, he had been left in limbo following the withdrawal of Luna Rossa from the next America’s Cup over a controversial amendment to the class rule — a process the Italians deemed as “unprecedented” and “illegitimate”.

Bruni has been involved in three America’s Cup campaigns with Luna Rossa and has competed in as many Olympic Games.