BARCELONA (SPAIN) (ITALPRESS) – First two races and first two victories today for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli against American Magic in the semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, staged in the sea off Barcelona. The Italian AC75, sailing under the Circolo della Vela Sicilia pennant, beat the New York Yacht Club boat by a narrow margin in both race 1 and race 2, at the end of two hard-fought match races with Luna Rossa good at regaining the initial disadvantage on both occasions.
Confirmed at the helm of the Prada Pirelli-branded boat, as always, is the duo composed of Sicilian Francesco Bruni and Australian Jimmy Spithill. In the first race start won by the Americans, who closed the first windward side with a 7-second lead, then increased to 20″ after the first stern. The Italians then made up the disadvantage on the second stern, finishing at the fourth gate virtually level with the Americans. On the fifth side of the challenge, then, there was the decisive overtaking of Luna Rossa, which then arrived at the finish line ahead of American Magic with a 7-second lead.
Even in the second match race, then, the U.S. team got off to a better start, with the Italians rounding the first gate with a 10-second gap. On the wheel Luna Rossa experienced problems with its electronic instruments. Then American Magic fell off the foils at the second gate, and the AC75 with the Circolo della Vela Sicilia pennant passed ahead of the Americans during the third side of the race. From there on, the Italians controlled the challenge and their opponents, with no small amount of suffering, reaching the finish line 18 seconds ahead of the New York Yacht Club boat.
Satisfied were the men of the Italian team at the end of today’s two match races. “The breeze was ‘patchy,’ this second one was also a very difficult race. In the last side we went ‘defensive’. Great work for the cyclors today. Jib choices were crucial and we guessed right in both challenges,” said Jimmy Spithill.
The semifinals of the America’s Cup challenger competition are contested in best-of-nine races (whoever finishes first with five wins). In the other semifinal, the first two match races saw Ineos Britannia win decisively (on both occasions) against Alinghi.
Two more races from both semifinals are scheduled tomorrow, also in the early afternoon, for a total of four challenges. Luna Rossa will be in action in the Catalan Sea in the first and third acts of the day.
– photo Ipa Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
