Luna Rossa Records a Victory and a Defeat
by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 26 Sep 11:41 PDT
26 September 2024
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. INEOS Britannia on the First Day of Louis Vuitton Cup Finals – September 26, 2024 © David Maynard / www.alleycatphotographer.com
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. INEOS Britannia on the First Day of Louis Vuitton Cup Finals – September 26, 2024 © David Maynard / www.alleycatphotographer.com
Following the youth team’s triumph in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli also achieved its first victory in Match #01 of the Louis Vuitton Cup finals.
Despite a loss in match #02 against the British team, the Italian crew exhibited solid performance in today’s demanding and challenging conditions. Under the leadership of Jimmy Spithill and Francesco “Checco” Bruni, the team sailed confidently in strong, gusty winds, keeping the AC75 fast and well-balanced amid the heavy swell. Tomorrow, Friday the 27th, is designated as a reserve day. The Louis Vuitton Cup finals will continue on Saturday, September 28th.
“It was a positive day,” remarked Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. “We kicked off with our youth team’s victory in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup, and witnessing the pride and excitement in their faces at the finish line gave us extraordinary energy; I’m thrilled for them. Today we raced the first two finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup against Ineos Britannia. The first race was exceptional, but even in the second, despite the loss, we had a positive feeling from our good sailing. We will review how we can improve, but overall our performance has been promising. These were likely ideal conditions for them, so we learned a lot. Tomorrow we’ll prepare for Saturday and Sunday’s races.”
MATCH #01 – ITA vs GBR
Simultaneously controlling the boat and the opponent is a critical skill in match racing, but today it proved particularly challenging, with choppy waves and gusts approaching 20 knots propelling the AC75s to speeds exceeding 50 knots downwind. Luna Rossa secured a strong start, leading in front of the GBR Team and extending the gap to over 200 meters, rounding the first mark 11 seconds ahead of Ineos. With well-practiced maneuvers in less-than-ideal conditions for foiling monohulls and managing the British boat, the Italian crew steadily increased their lead throughout the eight legs of the course, finishing the regatta with a 46-second advantage.
Winner: ITA (+1)
MATCH #02 – GBR VS ITA
Luna Rossa began in the center of the line, windward alongside the British boat. Midway up the first leg, both boats were close in speed and distance, but Ineos Britannia managed to advance slightly, rounding the first mark with a 7-second advantage. Throughout the race, Luna Rossa closed much of the gap, maintaining proximity to the British vessel and demonstrating excellent speed. However, Ineos Britannia made no errors and provided no chances for recovery, ultimately winning the race.
Winner: GBR (+1)
Luna Rossa’s crew today included Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni as helmsmen, with Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei as trimmers. The onboard cyclors were Enrico Voltolini and Bruno Rosetti for both races, while Cesare Gabbia and Emanuele Liuzzi alternated with Paolo Simion and Luca Kirwan.
