Athena Pathway and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli advance to the Puig Women’s America’s Cup Final Match
by America’s Cup Media, 11 Oct 14:27 PDT
11 October 2024
Puig Women’s America’s Cup Race Day 5 – October 11, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
Due to the compact racing schedule after previous postponements, the Race Committee had another challenging day at the Puig Women’s America’s Cup, requiring patience as light winds hindered their attempts to finish the Group A America’s Cup Teams Qualification Series.
After a long wait, beginning with a planned start for Group A teams at 1000 CET, a suitable breeze was found just after 1630 CET to facilitate a crucial late afternoon race to determine the Group A Qualification Series.
Shortly after, four fast-paced evening races took place between the top three teams from Groups A and B (the Invited Teams), culminating in Britain’s Athena Pathway and Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team finishing in a tie with 27 points.
These two teams will face off in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup Match Race Final, scheduled for tomorrow – Saturday, October 12 – in between the first two races of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match.
In the marginal conditions during the Group A race, success hinged on maintaining flight, with third-placed Alinghi Red Bull Racing and fourth-placed Emirates Team New Zealand acutely aware of their standings for podium placement.
The Swiss crew made a stellar start, rounding the top gate ahead of Athena Pathway before engaging in a close contest down the first run, pursued closely by the Kiwis. Drama ensued when Athena Pathway rounded the leeward gate first, but Alinghi Red Bull Racing struggled during a tack, allowing Emirates Team New Zealand to surge into second.
Unfortunately for the Swiss, they remained in displacement mode long enough for both NYYC American Magic and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to overtake, and by the time they regained speed, they could not recover, allowing Emirates Team New Zealand to secure the last qualifying podium spot for the Semi-Finals.
As evening clouds gathered quickly, with wind conditions improving significantly, the Race Committee aimed to conduct four Semi-Final races. They successfully launched the first race at 1730 CET, with Group B qualifiers including the Swedish Challenge powered by Artemis Technologies, JAJO Team DutchSail, and Sail Team BCN joining Athena Pathway, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, and Emirates Team New Zealand.
Over the next hour and a half, some of the closest AC40 racing was witnessed. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Athena Pathway exhibited exceptional consistency and speed throughout all four races. Nevertheless, the duo faced competition, with Sail Team BCN capturing race wins in the first and fourth races, thrilling the home supporters and keeping the Italians and Brits alert.
In the second race, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli maneuvered inside Athena Pathway at a congested top gate to take the lead and sailed away for a decisive victory, with the British finishing comfortably second.
With their consistency starting to pay off, in the third race, Athena Pathway began uncontested at the starboard line end and secured a commanding win. Crucially, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli clinched second place, meaning only third-placed Sail Team BCN could challenge them in points going into the final race.
The final race was thrilling. Four boats, including Athena Pathway and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, were over at the start, allowing Sail Team BCN and Emirates Team New Zealand to lead the first windward leg as winds diminished closer to sunset. After quickly serving their OCS penalty, Luna Rossa navigated the far right of the course, emerging ahead, while Athena Pathway worked hard to narrow the distance and managed to reach third at the windward gate.
By the end of the first run, Luna Rossa led, closely pursued by Sail Team BCN. As the wind continued to drop, the Italians lost their foils on the second beat, permitting the Spanish team to secure a commanding second win. Athena Pathway maintained composure, crossing the finish line in third to earn their Match Race Final spot.
Giulia Conti, Skipper for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, came ashore exhausted yet elated, expressing: “I’m worn out but incredibly happy. This joy is unprecedented as I share it not just with teammates but with dear friends, making it exceed all expectations.”
“It was challenging to remain focused throughout the day since we were on the water by 0915, but we managed to stay composed. Our coach was instrumental in keeping us focused, and we understood we needed to keep things simple and fast, which we successfully executed.”
Looking forward to tomorrow’s Match Race Final against Athena Pathway, Conti noted: “I’m eager for the final. I can’t wait to race against Athena Pathway. They’ve done a phenomenal job with Hannah Mills’ project, and they merit being in the final. I’ve raced against Hannah for a long time in dinghies, so it’s wonderful to share this final with her.”
Tash Bryant, the port helmswoman on Athena Pathway, stepped off the boat pleased but resolute about finishing the task, stating: “We are thrilled and relieved to be following in the tracks of the INEOS Britannia team, and we are eager to give our all tomorrow. Our onboard competitiveness pushes us to want to win, especially since the first would be truly significant.”
Reflecting on today’s racing and the team’s resilient mindset, Bryant continued: “We’ve worked diligently to remain calm, regardless of racing outcomes, particularly today with unpredictable wind conditions. Taking each race as a new challenge, we aimed to perform our best. We’ve been honing our reset strategies, so if we encountered unexpected situations, we worked together to refocus. I think we showed our true potential today with some incredible comebacks.”
Thus, it will be Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli facing off against Athena Pathway in the Puig Women’s America’s Cup Final, where these two exceptional teams are sure to present a match-racing expert showcase with nothing to differentiate them on the water.
This event ranks among the highlights of a splendid sailing summer in Barcelona, and as the sun sets on an epic penultimate day of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup, this inaugural competition is poised for a spectacular finale tomorrow.
Whichever of these top teams ultimately claims the trophy, designed by Spanish architect and designer Patricia Urquiola, they will undoubtedly deserve the honor of being the first-ever winners of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.
