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Keep up the Latin passion: Luna Rossa is vigilant to keep her emotions in check after jumping to a 2-0 lead on the opening day of the Prada Cup final in Auckland.
The Italians launched into an error that knocked Britannia off their feet in the starting box to sail 1m 51s in the opening race on Saturday, then held on to dominate race two for a 26s win in the Hauraki Gulf. .
Equally effective in light winds and the breeze pushing past 15 knots, Luna Rossa is off to an impressive start in her quest to claim seven victories and earn the right to face Emirates Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup match. in March.
Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
The Luna Rossa crew members record the moment after an opening day of the Prada Cup final that saw them beat INEOS Team UK twice.
From owner Patrizio Bertelli in Italy to team skipper Max Sirena on the support boat and co-helmsman Francesco Bruni on the race boat, the message was clear: it’s a good start, but anything can happen.
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“We can’t take anything for granted,” Bruni emphasized after a day when Luna Rossa poked fun at his underdog status against the previously undefeated INEOS Team UK with a little ingenuity and gentle work from the crew.[peedandsmoothcrewwork[peedandsmoothcrewwork
“We sailed well today, but we also made a couple of mistakes and we have to keep focusing on the next race. It’s just a colon, and it’s a long series, the longest series yet. We have to think race by race, day by day.
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Luna Rossa win again, in windier conditions than the first race, to take a 2-0 lead over Ineos Team UK.
“The performances of the boats, if you take away the first race that was won at the start, they are very close, and I think we will see a lot of closed races.”
Bruni said the message was quickly delivered to the team on the water where Sirena was on the phone with Bertelli, who has remained in Italy to focus on her Prada fashion empire in a country that is still dominated by Covid.
“There were a lot of smiles,” Bruni said, watching that long-distance phone conversation.
“But again, they said it’s just two points, and it’s a very long series. Just stay focused and don’t waste time celebrating. “
Much was made of Italian preparation compared to Britannia with Luna Rossa forced into the semi-final play-off against American Magic, while INEOS Team UK had an extra week to work on their boat.
Bruni felt his team had hit the right mix, as they managed to squeeze in a ton of training and adjustments.
“It’s a very difficult balance to modify the boats and look for a little speed advantage or spend time in the water and try to improve what you already have,” he explained.
“We sailed a lot in the last week. It was a race against time to give us a package that was reliable and fast, and I think we had a very good package today.
“There is no special ingredient to get better and better, it’s a lot of work … time in the shed and time in the water.
Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
Luna Rossa always had an advantage over INEOS Team UK on the opening day of the Prada Cup final in Auckland.
“We also made some small modifications to the package, but obviously the time in the water was good for us, and we feel that we are in good shape and can do good races.
“But tomorrow may be a very different story.”
On Sunday, with a fresh forecast from the east in the forecast, the boats are set to race on the E course between Maraetai and Waiheke Island for the first time.
It is an area that all teams are comfortable with as they have been training and racing there regularly for the past four to five months.
Course A on Saturday, with its construction and steady northeast wind, offered no real overtaking opportunities for the pursuing ship, much to the frustration of the British.
They will expect better on Sunday when they need to return to a series.
