America’s Cup 2021: Luna Rossa helmsman Jimmy Spithill says there will be improvements

The America’s Cup is more than just a battle on the water. It is a war of wits; a strategy match in which peaking too soon could lead to the premature demise of your team.

Luna Rossa’s helmsman Jimmy Spithill knows how the game is played and how important decisions made in the sheds are to his ultimate goal of lifting the Auld cup.

The Italian challenger has advanced every step of the campaign so far, with his 4-0 shutout of American Magic in the Prada Cup semifinals showing promising signs for the team.

“We definitely made a performance improvement, but it’s not enough,” Spithill told the Herald.

“We are going to need more and that is the name of the game. We will put a lot of blood, sweat and tears in these next few weeks to really improve both in terms of the way we are navigating it and our technique, but also the actual hardware in the game. tool itself; really making sure we make some good decisions that now lead to it. “

Before the series with American Magic, Luna Rossa applied a number of improvements that they had scheduled for that point in the campaign, and they have more lined up in the two weeks before the Prada Cup final begins against Ineos Team UK.

While Luna Rossa backed up her speech of improving her performance in the week between the round robins and the semifinals with excellent sailing against American Magic, Spithill knows the team is eager to do the same in the next fortnight as they seek revenge in Ineos. UK team.

The British challenger was undefeated during the free-for-all phase of the competition, the final race between them and Luna Rossa being by far the most exciting contest of the campaign.

But while they have two weeks between races, there will be little downtime at Camp Luna Rossa. On Sunday, tools were reduced as all challengers took a day off; for the ground team, it was their first day off since Luna Rossa arrived in New Zealand last September.

Starting Monday, everything will be close at hand at Luna Rossa’s base in Hobson Wharf, and the team hopes to use as many hours as possible in a day to get their boat to where they think it should be for their series against Ineos Team. UK, which begins February 13.

“We definitely have a lot of updates planned and to be honest you really need to make sure you select and spend time on the areas,” Spithill said.

“There are so many things you can do and you need to balance time in the shed with time in the water. We are fortunate to have a great team behind us. They will work through the night just to allow us to sail the next day, and we will definitely look to use that.

“We are very, very lucky to have those guys on the tools and that’s what gives the guys on the boat all the motivation to go out there and do it.”

Are you going to compete in the Cup?

• Give yourself enough time and consider taking a ferry, train or bus to see the Cup.

• Make sure your AT HOP card is in your pocket. It is the best way to ride.

• Don’t forget to scan QR codes with the NZ COVID Tracer app when you are on public transportation and enter America’s Cup Village.

• For more ways to enjoy race day, visit at.govt.nz/americascup.