Another win for Luna Rossa secures the team a spot in tomorrow’s final
Another great day for Luna Rossa, as she takes her third point in the Final Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona by defeating the British team, Ineos Britannia. The Italian boat and crew proved their solid ability to excel even in the light and unstable winds of the day as they made the correct tactical choices both onshore and offshore, with clean and precise maneuvers and consistent sailing in the shifty conditions. With this victory, which brings the team to three points in the overall standings, Luna Rossa secures a place in tomorrow’s final.
«We are very happy with this win,» said Francesco "Checco" Bruni at the end of the race. «We made all the right choices, starting with the larger headsail, as suggested by our coach, Hamish Willcox.»
MATCH #11: ITA vs GBR
Buoyed by their previous victory over Alinghi, the British team led by Sir Ben Ainslie was very aggressive and determined to claim the favored side of the course, but things didn’t go as planned: with an early entry in the pre-start box the British boat incurred a first penalty, followed by a second one soon after the start as they crossed the left boundary. Ineos Britannia lost precious meters to Luna Rossa in executing the penalties, and the Italian boat took advantage to gain the lead, rounding the first mark 23 seconds ahead. From that moment on, the Italian crew sailed a perfect race without pushing too hard or making mistakes, continuously controlling their opponent and staying on the best side of the course to maximize the weak and unstable breeze, which gradually died down, eventually forcing the committee to shorten the course. Luna Rossa claimed the third point in the Final Preliminary Regatta, crossing the finish line with a 46-second lead over the British boat.
Winner: Luna Rossa (+1)
Luna Rossa's crew today featured Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni at the helm, with Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei as trimmers. The cyclors were: Enrico Voltolini, Emanuele Liuzzi, Cesare Gabbia and Luca Kirwan.
Tomorrow, August 25, Luna Rossa will compete in Match #14 against Alinghi Red Bull Racing. At the end of all the races of the day the top two teams will compete in a match race final to determine the winner of the event.
