Please select your home edition
Edition
sMRT ALERT AUS 1

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli win inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup

by America's Cup Media 13 Oct 2024 04:52 AEDT 12 October 2024
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women's Team celebrating winning the Puig Women's America's Cup Final - October 12, 2024 © Ian Roman / America's Cup

In the full glare of the world's media spotlight, in a race sandwiched between the opening two races of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Match, Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli beat Britain's Athena Pathway to win the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup after an impressive demonstration of cool, calm, and collected match-racing of the highest order.

This was a titanic tussle between the two outstanding competitors to emerge from a super-competitive Qualification and Semi-Final series that signalled and signposted the very future of the America's Cup. The Final was set to be a classic with Athena Pathway coming in with momentum whilst Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli knew that they had inherent speed if they could keep their nerve and deliver when it mattered.

A nervy start from the Italians saw them enter the box late and it was decision time for Athena Pathway on starboard whether to get aggressive or gybe away and lead. The British elected the latter and then set up for their final approach to windward - hoping for the speed advantage that they have enjoyed in previous races.

However, from the very outset, it was Giulia Conti, skipper of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and starboard helm, who eked out crucial metres off the line, to tack at the left boundary to gain the early control. From there she and her Italian crew - co-helm Margherita Porro, with trimmers Maria Giubilei and Giulia Fava - kept calm despite intense pressure from the British to never relinquish the lead over the next six legs.

Athena Pathway - led by Great Britain's most decorated female Olympic sailor Hannah Mills, alongside Tash Bryant, and trimmers Saskia Clark and Hannah Diamond - were always a threat as they refused to give up and kept the deltas super tight all the way around the course. At times they closed up, but the Italians covered tenaciously and despite splitting tactics all over the course to get out of phase with their opponent, there were simply no passing lanes for Athena Pathway and no possibilities to capitalise on any leverage.

By the final upwind leg, the Italian team were sailing supremely after Conti had called for calm on the preceding downwind leg where the ride height in the increasing chop briefly got out of kilter and caused the boat to punch-through a wave. With the wind speed at a steady 11 knots, the Italian team could sail conservatively, pick their shifts and headed for home around the final gate with a 19-second lead.

Athena Pathway were anything but done and threw everything they could at the leaders down the final run to the finish line. But a slick gybe at the port lay line brought Luna Rossa across the line to secure an eight-second victory and a place in the history books as the first ever winners of the Puig Women's America's Cup.

Cue wild scenes of celebration onboard the Italian AC40 and also back ashore as the Italian team celebrated ecstatically the fact that they had added the Puig Women's America's Cup to the UniCredit Youth America's Cup won earlier by the Luna Rossa Youth Team.

To celebrate this landmark moment in Italian sailing the victorious Youth Team, led by skipper Marco Gradoni, jumped aboard to join the celebrations as the Juvé & Camps Cava was sprayed around with abandon.

Later, ashore, Maria Giubilei trimmer aboard Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli said she was struggling to take in the womens' achievement. "I don't know how to describe how this feels. I'm super super happy and proud of the team - this is just a wonderful feeling. I'm not sure we really can understand it yet. Maybe in the coming days we will understand properly that this is a really big thing that we have done and how important it is for girls everywhere. I hope this will inspire people to follow their dreams and live the life they want to lead."

Asked if this is the first step along the way to having female sailors racing aboard AC75s in the future America's Cups, she answered: "I hope so. I think that would be a good thing - especially because I really want to go on the Luna Rossa boat one day. I think it would be great for women at some point if there was not a race just for us but we were mixed in with all the other sailors."

Understandably disappointed, but still smiling, Hannah Mills - Skipper of Athena Pathway - came ashore and said: "It's just tough. We couldn't quite get back at the Italians. They did a really great job of defending and it really came down to the wire on that last run, but we couldn't quite get past them.

"I guess bigger-picture-wise, Ben and I set up this programme, Athena Pathway, to try inspire, particularly, young girls coming through the sport of sailing - or ones who might want to try sailing - to showcase that there is much more opportunity coming, whether it's on the water, racing, or off the water in shoreside roles. We've really delivered on that in terms of what we've created here, so that for me is everything. I'm so proud of everyone in this team and the wider team for helping us to achieve that."

In a stunning win - and a notable marker of both present brilliance and future intent - Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli faced down an enormous challenge from Athena Pathway to come out victorious as the very worthy winners of the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup - an achievement that bodes well for the future of Italian sailing.

Related Articles

America's Cup: Dalton pushes back on Swiss claims
More to Swiss withdrawal than disagreements over the draft Protocol says Dalton. Grant Dalton: "It has been somewhat obvious for some time that they have been struggling to recover from their lack lustre performance in Barcelona last October and give themselves an ‘on water' opportunity to win in AC38." Posted on 20 Apr
America's Cup: Alinghi confirm exit and wind-down
"We have not been able to find agreement with the Defender of the America's Cup" Twice America's Cup winner Alinghi has issued a statement saying they will not enter the 38th America's Cup, after taking issue with some measures in the draft Protocol. Team members were told last week. A media statement was issued Saturday afternoon. Posted on 19 Apr
Cup Spy: Kiwis make another tough call
The split between Peter Burling and Emirates Team NZ wasn't seen coming outside the team Todays's announcement of a split in the long relationship with Emirates Team NZ and its skipper, three times Cup winner Peter Burling wasn't seen coming outside the team, although rumours had been circulating on the Auckland waterfront for a month or two. Posted on 11 Apr
America's Cup: Burling leaves Team NZ
Emirates Team New Zealand and Peter Burling have today confirmed that they have agreed to part ways Emirates Team New Zealand and Peter Burling have today confirmed that they have agreed to part ways ahead of the 38th America's Cup. Posted on 11 Apr
America's Cup: Proposed Cup changes
Several parties associated with the America's Cup have talked of radical changes coming. Loose-lipped UK parties associated with the America's Cup have revealed radical changes being mooted for the way the America's Cup is to be organised for future events. But will they gain gained traction, this time? A lot has changed in 20years. Posted on 8 Apr
NZ Govt turns back on last Cup hosting opportunity
Business leaders and commentators are quick to criticise NZ Government's lack of foresight. The NZ Coalition Government decision to walk away from hosting of the 38th America's hadsreceived criticism from City leaders. With changes mooted in the Cup along F1 lines, Cup hosting will move out of the reach of the always cash-strapped Kiwi nation. Posted on 1 Apr
America's Cup set to return to the USA
President Donald J. Trump has proclaimed that the next will be held at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. President Donald J. Trump has proclaimed that the next America's Cup, the prestigious sailing competition dating back to 1851, will be held at his private club, Mar-a-Lago. Posted on 31 Mar
America's Cup NZ Govt declines to fund Auckland
Emirates Team NZ have confirmed that NZ Government has refused funding for the 38th America's Cup. Emirates Team New Zealand has confirmed that MBIE and Central Government have decided not to back the 38th America's Cup hosting in Auckland. Naples and Athens tipped as venues by European media. Posted on 31 Mar
Cup Spy: Has the Cup already flown?
Despite Auckland Council's best efforts to secure the Hosting, is the Cup again headed offshore? An America's Cup spoor trail of NZ governmental droppings and footprints indicates that despite Auckland Council's best efforts to secure the Hosting, the event is again headed to the Never-Land of an offshore location. Posted on 30 Mar
Three times America's Cup winner passes away
Matt Mitchell won three America's Cup sailing for teams representing three nations. There wasn't a boat Matt Mitchell couldn't race or a challenge he wasn't up for. And, say those closest to the America's Cup star and grassroots sailing champion, no one was spared his good-hearted quips. Posted on 25 Mar
Vaikobi 2024 DecemberX-Yachts X4.3Selden 2020 - FOOTER