This weekend in Auckland, the Prada Cup Final pits Ineos Team UK against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. The winner will challenge New Zealanders to win the America’s Cup in March.
Who British or Italians will have the honor to challenge New Zealanders to the oldest sports trophy in the world? Auckland will host the Prada Cup final from Saturday which will finally designate the poster for the 36th America’s Cup. It is in the best of thirteen rounds, on monohulls flying at nearly 50 knots at peak, that Ineos Team UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will fight for the right to face Emirates Team New Zealand from March 6 to 21.
Since 2017, the New Zealand team has held the title of this prestigious competition over which time has no influence, since it is blowing its 170 candles this year. At the top of the three-way mini-championship that launched the Prada Cup in January, the British challenge was directly qualified for this final. Unlike the Italians who had to go through a semi-final against the New Yorkers of American Magic.
“We have never stopped chasing time”
Ben Ainslie
“We were really keen to try to take this direct route to the final,” explains Ineos skipper Ben Ainslie, convinced that the days gained by his team to prepare for the final were no luxury. “Throughout this campaign, we have never stopped chasing time,” said the four-time British Olympic champion, referring to the major technical problems which had plagued Ineos’ first outings on the blue waves of New Zealand in December. “Recovering a little, even if it was only a week, allowed us to make the modifications we wanted on the boat,” he continues.
Americans swept away
Time is money. And to believe the specialists of the America’s Cup, it is one of the most precious commodities for those who enter this competition which brews millions. And it is clear that the Italians did what was necessary not to drag on the way, sweeping American Magic 4 innings to 0 in the semifinals.
Helmsman of Luna Rossa, the Australian Jimmy Spithill is also delighted with the career of his team and the additional competition that these four regattas will have brought. “I really think it’s an advantage to have had to play these heats, because we are much stronger,” announces the one who has already lifted the silver ewer twice.
Ineos had dominated Luna Rossa a month ago
“There is no better preparation than the pressure that the whole team went through in this semi-final where there was no catching up,” notes Spithill. Sports duel, technological challenge: the Prada Cup is therefore also a communication battle between sailors who know each other well. Ainslie and Spithill were both on Oracle Team USA’s extraordinary saga at the 2013 America’s Cup.
The American challenge had signed then one of the most fabulous “remountadas” in the history of sport when, led 8-1 by Team New Zealand, it ended up winning 9-8. Like the majority of the Vendée Globe boats, the 75-foot (23-meter) sailboats designed for this 36th edition are fitted with foils, these appendages which allow the boats to rise in order to reduce the resistance of the boat. water.
In fact, these futuristic rockets led by a helmeted crew fly at peak speed at nearly 50 knots (around 93 km / h) in aerial piloting where any error is fatal. In this little game, the British had won their three rounds against the Italians during the “robin rounds”. But that was a month, an eternity. Even for a competition that defies time.
Prada Cup Final Program:
Saturday: rounds 1 and 2
Sunday: rounds 3 and 4
Wednesday February 17: rounds 5 and 6
Friday February 19: rounds 7 and 8 (if necessary)
Saturday February 20: rounds 9 and 10 (if necessary)
Sunday February 21: rounds 11 and 12 (if necessary)
Monday February 22: round 13 (if necessary)
NB: the Prada Cup is contested in the best of thirteen rounds. The crew that will have won seven rounds will qualify for the America’s Cup
– .
