Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli wins first Puig Women’s America’s Cup
by America’s Cup Media 12 Oct 10:52 PDT
12 October 2024
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team celebrates winning the Puig Women’s America’s Cup Final – October 12, 2024 © Ian Roman / America’s Cup
In front of the global media spotlight, during a race between the opening two contests of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli from Italy triumphed over Britain’s Athena Pathway to claim the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, showcasing a masterclass in focused match-racing.
This was a monumental battle between two exceptional teams that emerged from a highly competitive Qualification and Semi-Final series, hinting at the future of the America’s Cup. The Final was anticipated to be a classic, with Athena Pathway entering with momentum while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli relied on their inherent speed and composure when it counted.
A shaky start from the Italians saw them enter the box late, presenting a dilemma for Athena Pathway on starboard: to be aggressive or to gybe away and take the lead. The British chose the latter, positioning themselves for their final approach to windward, hoping for the speed advantage they had previously enjoyed.
However, from the outset, Giulia Conti, skipper of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and starboard helm, gained vital meters off the line, tacking at the left boundary to establish early control. From there, she and her Italian crew—co-helm Margherita Porro, and trimmers Maria Giubilei and Giulia Fava—remained composed despite intense pressure from the British, maintaining their lead over the next six legs.
Athena Pathway, captained by Great Britain’s most decorated female Olympic sailor Hannah Mills, with Tash Bryant, and trimmers Saskia Clark and Hannah Diamond, consistently posed a threat, staying close and competing tightly throughout the course. At times, they closed the gap, but the Italian crew covered well, and despite employing varied tactics, there were no opportunities for Athena Pathway to gain an edge.
By the final upwind leg, the Italian team was sailing excellently after Conti had steadied the helm on the previous downwind leg when the ride height briefly got misaligned due to the increasing chop. With wind speeds steady at 11 knots, the Italian team could sail conservatively, picking their shifts as they headed toward the final gate with a 19-second lead.
Athena Pathway was far from finished, pushing hard against the leaders during the final run to the finish line. However, a flawless gybe at the port lay line allowed Luna Rossa to cross the finish line, securing an eight-second victory and making history as the first winners of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
This sparked jubilant celebrations aboard the Italian AC40 and back on shore as the Italian team exuberantly celebrated their addition of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup to the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup previously won by the Luna Rossa Youth Team.
In honor of this monumental achievement in Italian sailing, the victorious Youth Team, led by skipper Marco Gradoni, joined the celebration as Juvé & Camps Cava was sprayed joyfully around.
Later, Maria Giubilei, trimmer aboard Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, shared her sentiments about their achievement: “I can’t find the words to express this feeling. I’m incredibly happy and proud of our team—it’s truly amazing. I don’t think we can fully comprehend it yet, but perhaps in the coming days, we will realize the significance of what we have accomplished and its importance for girls everywhere. I hope this encourages others to pursue their dreams and live their ideal lives.”
When asked whether this marks the beginning of future opportunities for female sailors racing on AC75s, she replied: “I hope so. I believe it would be fantastic, especially because I wish to sail on the Luna Rossa boat someday. It would be remarkable if we were not segregated into a separate race but were mixed in with all sailors.”
Hannah Mills, skipper of Athena Pathway and understandably disappointed but still smiling, remarked upon reaching shore: “It was difficult. We just couldn’t quite catch up with the Italians. They did an excellent job of defending, and it came down to the last run, but we couldn’t get past them.”
“Looking at the bigger picture, Ben and I initiated the Athena Pathway program to inspire particularly young girls interested in sailing, to demonstrate the abundant opportunities available, both on the water in racing and off the water in shoreside roles. We succeeded in that goal, which is everything to me. I’m incredibly proud of everyone on this team and the broader team that helped us achieve our aims.”
In a remarkable achievement—serving as both an emblem of current excellence and future aspirations—Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli overcame a substantial challenge from Athena Pathway, emerging victorious as deserving winners of the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, an achievement promising a bright future for Italian sailing.
