The Italian ship is now leading 4 wins to zero against the Britons of Ineos Team. However, we will have to wait before seeing the rest due to confinement in Auckland.
The Italians of Luna Rossa took to the sea on Sunday, winning two new rounds against the Britons now 4-0 down in the Prada Cup final, the winner of which will face Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup. With her two victories in the light air on Saturday, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli hit the nail on the head on Sunday by winning heats number 3 and 4 in more sporting conditions, taking full advantage of Ineos Team UK’s mistakes. However, uncertainty hangs over the schedule of this final, because the next two rounds which were scheduled for Wednesday have been postponed due to the three-day confinement that has just been ordered in Auckland, in order to fight against a source of contamination. to Covid-19 that appeared this weekend.
“The challenge today was to start in front, which we did very well, and all that was left was to prevent them from getting up”
Jimmy Spithill
“The next races scheduled for Wednesday are postponed,” the organization announced in a statement on Sunday evening, specifying that a meeting would take place in the coming days with the authorities to study the implications of this postponement. The two Sunday regattas, they shared the same scenario: a better start for the Italians and the British unable to catch up. Luna Rossa did not stop controlling Ineos, responding tit for tat to all the maneuvers of the British boat to reverse the situation. “The challenge today was to start in front, which we did very well, and we just had to prevent them from getting up,” said Luna Rossa’s Australian coxswain, Jimmy Spithill. “The guys at the coffee grinders did an amazing job, responding to every tack with a tack, and we widened the gap every time,” he added, referring to the winch columns the crew members run almost continuously on these 75-foot (23-meter) monohulls.
This Prada Cup final is played in the best of 13 rounds, which means that Luna Rossa is only three victories away from winning the right to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand in the 36th Coupe de America, March 6-21. “We are super happy for the team and for Italy,” said Luna Rossa co-helmsman Francesco Bruni. An enthusiasm that contrasted with the annoyance of the skipper of Ineos Ben Ainslie. “It was a difficult day and we are not happy,” said the four-time Olympic champion. We can sail a lot better and we have to. We gave them both heats before the start line. At this level, we cannot afford to make mistakes and we have made too many of them. ” The British challenge was even frightened one minute from the start of round 4 when his sailboat Britannia took off after a jibe (change of tack with a tailwind) that was a little too aggressive. The AC-75 landed heavily in the water, a sudden braking that allowed Luna Rossa to assert control of the round. The Italians crossed the finish line 13 seconds ahead in Round 3, then 41 seconds in the next.
– .
