A win and a loss for Luna Rossa
by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 26 Sep 11:41 PDT
26 September 2024
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. INEOS Britannia on Louis Vuitton Cup Final Race Day 1 - September 26, 2024 © David Maynard /
www.alleycatphotographer.com
After the success of the youth team in the UniCredit Youth America's Cup, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli also scored the first win of Match #01 of the Louis Vuitton Cup finals.
Although match #02 was a loss against the British team, the Italian boat showed solid performance in today's challenging and tough conditions. The crew, led by Jimmy Spithill and Francesco "Checco" Bruni, sailed with great confidence in strong, gusty winds, keeping the AC75 fast and well-trimmed in the heavy swell. Tomorrow, Friday the 27th, is a reserve day. The Louis Vuitton Cup finals will resume on Saturday, September 28th.
"A positive day," said Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. "We started with the victory of our youth team in the UniCredit Youth America's Cup, and seeing the pride and excitement in their eyes on the finish line gives you extraordinary energy; I'm really happy for them. Today we raced the first two finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup against Ineos Britannia. The first race was great, but even the second one, even though we lost, leaves us with a positive feeling because we sailed well. We'll analyze what we could have done better, but the overall assessment is good. These were likely the ideal conditions for them, so we learned a lot. Tomorrow we'll prepare for Saturday and Sunday's races."
MATCH #01 - ITA vs GBR
The control of boat and opponent simultaneously is a crucial skill in match racing, but today it was especially difficult, with rough waves and close to 20-knot gusts that pushed the AC75s to speeds of over 50 knots downwind. Luna Rossa got off to a great start, taking the lead in front of the GBR Team and stretching it to over 200 meters, rounding the first mark 11 seconds in front of Ineos. With well- rehearsed boat handling in the less-than-ideal conditions for foiling monohulls, and controlling the British boat, the Italian crew gradually increased the lead throughout the eight legs of today's course, closing the regatta with a 46-second advantage.
Winner: ITA (+1)
MATCH #02 - GBR VS ITA
Luna Rossa started in the middle of the line, windward and alongside the British boat. Halfway up the first beat both boats were close, both in speed and distance, but Ineos Britannia was able to edge forward, rounding the first mark with a 7-second lead. Throughout the regatta Luna Rossa managed to close most of the gap, staying close to the British boat and showing excellent speed. Ineos Britannia however made no mistakes and left no opportunity for a comeback as she went on to win the race.
Winner: GBR (+1)
Luna Rossa's crew today featured Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni at the helm, with Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei as trimmers. The cyclors on board were Enrico Voltolini and Bruno Rosetti in both races, while Cesare Gabbia and Emanuele Liuzzi alternated with Paolo Simion and Luca Kirwan.