Two more wins for Luna Rossa on Day 2 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 15 Sep 11:12 PDT
15 September 2024
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. New York Yacht Club American Magic on Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals Day 2 - 15th September 2024 © David Maynard /
www.alleycatphotographer.com
It was another good day for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, as the team won two crucial and hard-fought regattas against NYYC American Magic, bringing its score to 4 points in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals leaderboard.
The weather on the second day of the Semi-Finals showed stronger winds than expected, with a southerly breeze that reached up to 15 knots during the competition and wavy sea state. Luna Rossa showed excellent form in these conditions and made the right calls both on the water and onshore, starting from the sail choice (with change of mainsail before the start) to strong starts, smooth maneuvers, and correct tactical decisions. As the regattas played out seamlessly, the Italian team closed the day with two victories.
"We had a perfect start. Jimmy did a great job positioning the boat exactly where we wanted her on the line. We are super happy because everything went well: the boat was very fast, thanks to the incredible work of the shore team and the crew on board, starting from the cyclors who worked extremely hard. Luna Rossa is back" said helmsman Francesco "Checco" Bruni at the end of the first race of the day.
MATCH #03 - USA vs ITA
Luna Rossa took off with a lead on the start as she came in from leeward and forced American Magic to tack right off the line. Extending to the left, the Italian boat took control, sailing the wind shifts and simultaneously driving the Americans to the less favored side of the course. Luna Rossa had a 13-second lead at the first gate, that stretched throughout the race with sound boat handling and effective tactics. American Magic attempted multiple comebacks, but the crew led by Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni made no mistakes and left no space for a recovery as they went on to secure another important win.
Winner: ITA (+1)
MATCH #04 - ITA vs USA
The start of the match was very similar to the previous one, with Luna Rossa once again starting from leeward and slightly ahead of the US boat. This time, however, their opponents stayed close to them all the way to the left boundary. The Italian boat tacked and led at the first mark by 6-seconds, consolidated during the next downwind leg. The regatta was demanding and complex, with strong wind and waves that required utmost attention to keep the AC75 in optimal foiling conditions. The match was all but finished when American Magic closed in and rounded the fifth gate just 3 seconds behind. The final downwind leg was intense and very close, with both boats neck to neck. The outcome was uncertain until the last moment, but Luna Rossa kept control up to the finish line albeit with a narrow 2-second lead.
Winner: ITA (+1)
Luna Rossa's crew today featured Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni at the helm, with Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei as trimmers. As for the cyclors, Enrico Voltolini and Bruno Rosetti sailed in both races, while Cesare Gabbia and Emanuele Liuzzi alternated with Paolo Simion and Luca Kirwan.