Great disappointment for the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team, which once again sees its chance to access the Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup slip away after two very contested matches and suffers a breakage in the second race, compromising the final outcome.
Max Sirena, Skipper and Team Director of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli commented: “It certainly wasn’t the day we expected, but that’s sports. The first race was very beautiful and fought, we started well and were ahead for a good part of the match. Then the wind dropped when we were in front and we fell off the foils. In the second race we were neck and neck, with many crossings and overtakes. Then, on the second downwind leg when we were ahead, we had damage to the mainsail control system that prevented us from finishing the match. Now we will make all the necessary assessments to be ready tomorrow on the starting line. That’s sports, but nothing has changed, the boats are pushed to their limits and unfortunately, such accidents can happen. Morale is still high, we are racing well, we’re fast, and therefore tomorrow we’ll go out on the water to bring home the point.”
MATCH #06 – ITA vs USA
A complex, tiring match full of twists between Luna Rossa and American Magic, sailed with wind from the East at 7 knots and waves. Luna Rossa tacks immediately after the start and stretches ahead of the opponent, rounding the first mark 47 seconds in front. The downwind leg is one of the most contested seen so far, with continuous changes in leadership. The challenging conditions require maximum attention from the Italian crew, who must execute every maneuver with extreme care to avoid falling off the foils. Sailing on the wind is a priority in these situations, but it proves to be a gamble, given the highly unstable breeze in both direction and intensity, causing Luna Rossa to be unable to maneuver to round the mark at the third gate, losing precious meters to American Magic. Despite the efforts of the Italian crew, the wind does not allow them to regain flight and turn the situation around.
Winner: USA (+1)
MATCH #07 – ITA vs USA
The race, again fought under marginal conditions for the AC75s, sees the two boats “neck to neck” throughout the race, with minimal gaps at the marks. Luna Rossa, which conducted an excellent race, always sailing on the wind and on its opponent, was leading at the third gate and was in front on the downwind leg when the sudden breakage of a mainsail control system ended its run.
Winner: USA (+1)
Today’s Luna Rossa crew included Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni at the helm with Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei as trimmers. Regarding the cyclors, Enrico Voltolini and Bruno Rosetti both competed in the matches, while Cesare Gabbia and Emanuele Liuzzi alternated with Paolo Simion and Luca Kirwan.