Luna Rossa’s Progress Halted by Boat Damage on Day 4 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 18 Sep 10:08 PDT
18 September 2024
New York Yacht Club American Magic vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on Day 4 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals – 18th September 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
Today was filled with significant disappointments for the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, who missed their chance to qualify for the Louis Vuitton Cup Final after two fiercely contested matches and suffered a breakdown in the second race.
Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, stated: “It was certainly not the day we anticipated, but that’s the nature of sports. The first race was very competitive; we had a strong start and led for the majority. However, the wind dropped while we were ahead, causing us to lose our foils. The second race was intensely close, with many tight crosses and lead swaps. Unfortunately, during the second downwind leg while we were in the lead, we suffered damage to part of the mainsail control system, which stopped us from finishing the race. We will now evaluate everything to be prepared for tomorrow’s contest. It’s unfortunate, but such incidents can happen when pushing these boats to their limits. Our spirits remain high; we are sailing well and fast, and tomorrow we will strive to secure the point we need.”
MATCH #06 – ITA vs USA
A challenging and tiring match unfolded between Luna Rossa and American Magic, in roughly 7 knots of easterly breeze and choppy sea conditions. Luna Rossa executed a tack shortly after the start, establishing a lead and rounding the first mark 47 seconds ahead of the American vessel. The downwind leg was the most hotly contested to date, featuring constant shifts in leadership. The difficult conditions demanded remarkable precision from the Italian crew, who had to perform each maneuver meticulously to avoid losing their foils. Navigating the shifting wind, both in direction and strength, proved risky; at the third gate, Luna Rossa was unable to execute a maneuver to round the mark correctly, resulting in a loss of significant distance to American Magic. Despite their attempts, the Italians could not regain control of the race or get back on the foils.
Winner: USA (+1)
MATCH #07 – ITA vs USA
In yet another race characterized by marginal conditions for the AC75s, the two boats remained close throughout, with tiny gaps at each mark. Luna Rossa displayed excellent sailing, competing effectively against their opponent, leading at the third gate and ahead on the downwind leg. However, due to a sudden failure in the mainsail control system, their momentum came to an unexpected halt.
Winner: USA (+1)
Today’s Luna Rossa crew included Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni at the helm, with Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei managing the trimming. 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.
