America's Cup - Luna Rossa scores a Black Flag win in Round Robin 3

by Carlo Borlenghi and Luna Rossa on 21 Jul 2013 Luna Rossa's Round Robin 3 race was conducted close to the wind limit for the Round Robin phase of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

With Artemis team still working on their catamaran, Luna Rossa Challenge raced today alone for the third time.

Ten minutes after the gun, the Race Committee terminated the race awarding the point to Luna Rossa Challenge who completed the entire 5-legs race course anyway. Luna Rossa Challenge sailed the 12 miles course in 27 minutes and 25 seconds reaching a top speed of 38.37 knots.

After the dock in, Max Sirena commented: 'The racing rules of the 34th America’s Cup state that if the umpires are satisfied that the other yacht has abandoned, the race can be terminated before the yacht who is sailing the course crosses the finishing line (note: rules 60.5 and 44.1c). Today we sailed with gusty winds up to 19 knots. Both the performance of the boat and the manoeuvres have improved and we are now looking forward to facing Emirates Team New Zealand tomorrow. It will be a good test.'

Tomorrow Sunday July 21st, Luna Rossa Challenge will race for the second time against Emirates Team new Zealand. The regatta is scheduled to start at 12.15 local time.

Today’s crew was: Max Sirena (skipper and pitman), Francesco Bruni (tactician), David Carr (pitman/grinder), Pierluigi de Felice (trimmer), Simone de Mari (primary grinder), Cris Draper (helmsman), Xabi Fernandez (wing trimmer), Nick Hutton (bowman), Lele Marino (wing grinder), Marco Montis (freestyler) and Wade Morgan (hydraulic grinder).