MADRID, 15 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and British INEOS Britannia won the two semi-final races of the Louis Vuitton Cup, held as part of the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, on Sunday, taking a 4-0 lead in the semi-finals and one win away from qualifying for the final.
A superb Sunday in Barcelona, with stellar weather conditions, attracted crowds to the Fanzones and Race Village, whilst treating a global audience to a thrilling spectacle of top-class racing in the dynamic AC75s. The leaderboards don’t lie, and both Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS Britannia took two wins to put them just one away from eliminating their rivals.
Both Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic will be eliminated from the competition if they lose a single race on Monday afternoon. A fact that speaks volumes about the level of skill, technique and technology that the British and Italians are demonstrating in the crystal-clear waters of Barcelona.
With winds of over 18 knots and speeds in excess of 50 (92.6 km/h), the spectacle was truly thrilling and the best races were between the Italians and the Americans. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli got going from the start and eclipsed the Americans as soon as they left the line, taking advantage of the Americans’ minor handling errors and securing a vital position thanks to excellent race management, which they won by 26 seconds.
In the second race of the day, the battle for victory lasted for six legs of the course. In the end, everything was decided by a brilliant move by Italian helmsman Francesco Bruni in the last 100 meters of the final race, which gave him the victory by 2 seconds and relegated NYYC American Magic to the last chance.
Speaking afterwards, Luna Rossa skipper and competitiveness personified Jimmy Spithill praised his team and rejoiced in the sporting nature of the competition: “The guys did a good job today – very, very consistent and we knew we had to try and make some steps forward after yesterday. There were a lot of things we weren’t happy with so it was good to come back today and put all the pieces together.”
Meanwhile, after a dominant performance on Saturday, INEOS Britannia was determined to maintain a momentum that seems unstoppable at the moment. Two races and two outstanding performances from the British also put them at 4-0.
After some initial attempts to circle around the pre-start area, the Swiss fell off their foils, recovered, but lost control in the port gybe, with Britannia chasing at full speed in the starboard gybe. Sir Ben Ainslie’s skilful manoeuvring prevented a collision and allowed the British to sail unchallenged to a 2 minute 20 second lead.
The second race of the day saw a somewhat closer fight, but the result was the same. INEOS Britannia showed its power on every leg of the course and took a 48-second victory. The British are now just one race away from reaching the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
The race will resume on Monday at 2:00 p.m. with a maximum of two races per semi-final. A day of racing that for the British and Italian teams, with a 4-0 lead, could mean the final coup de grace.