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“The gloves are off” and Luna Rossa is “playing ugly,” according to British sailing writer Magnus Wheatley ahead of this week’s Prada Cup final.
His taunt follows Team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s successful bid in filing a non-compliance complaint against competitors Ineos Team UK.
A second “yellow card” for the British union would cost them a race, as the two teams vie for who will face the New Zealand team in the America’s Cup.
COR 36 | Borlenghi study
INEOS Team UK and Luna Rossa are ready for a smoky Prada Cup final.
Wheatley said on his Rule69 blog that Luna Rossa’s play was “daunting” and “the cheapest of the cheap shots.”
“For the sake of the sport, I would highly recommend to the Prada gang to think again and come back to the table,” he said.
“The tone is wrong. The intention is clear. And once again, when an olive branch of reason is offered, it has been rejected.
“This will come back to haunt Prada. The gloves are off now. “
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Wheatley wrote that the sport must be played on a “level playing field,” and Luna Rossa’s play is unsportsmanlike.
“Yes, sport is about winning and losing, but the way you win is just as important. The way you play is paramount, ”he said.
COR 36 | Borlenghi study
Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni constantly perfect their work as co-helmsmen aboard the Luna Rossa.
“[Luna Rossa] they are playing this game badly, immersed in an obvious and outdated narrative that is not typical of this wonderful regatta set in these tense world times. “
He said the British team, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, would strike back with “fire and fury.” Ainslie promises more speed in Britannia for the Prada Cup final.
“We go into the Prada Cup final knowing that Prada is playing ugly,” he said.
“The only way to counter it is to speak in the water. Nothing succeeds like success. “
Racing returns on Saturday and Sunday.
