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Italian media have accused New Zealanders of “arrogance and disrespect” towards Luna Rossa’s Copa America challenge.
Luna Rossa will face the New Zealand team in the America’s Cup match starting Wednesday in a best-of-13 series.
The New Zealand team is heavily favored by bookmakers, but it is the chorus that is built up in the New Zealand media that is starting to cause outrage in Italy.
Phil Walter / Getty Images
Luna Rossa proved to be a dominant America’s Cup challenger, but is that enough to beat the New Zealand team?
Few, if any, experts can watch Luna Rossa beat the defender with a continuous talk of Te Rehutai’s impressive speed that dovetails with the Cup’s proven formula of “fastest boat always wins”.
READ MORE:
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* America’s Cup – New Zealand team’s perfect counterattack to the race-hardened Luna Rossa
* America’s Cup: Luna Rossa warns that it will be difficult to overtake
“New Zealand arrogance and disrespect, Luna Rossa responds with silence,” shouted the headline in OA sport in Italy, which has increased its coverage of the America’s Cup in recent weeks with growing claims from a clever Italian union.
While The Match has been delayed due to Auckland’s ongoing battles with Covid-19, “the verbal battles began some time ago,” he wrote. OA sport.
“For days, the New Zealand media have been repeating that the defenders are superior and will have a good time with Luna Rossa, to the point that the contest must be a mere formality.
“… It’s hard to think of other sports where there is a tendency to belittle the opponent in this way even before an event starts.
“… The objective is to launch these excavations at the opponent with the stated intention of hinting at the worm of doubt and undermining his beliefs. It is a subtle and banal psychological warfare. “
The Republic took a similar view in an article entitled: “In New Zealand they already feel the cup is in their pockets.”
“Not only have stories about speed multiplied, but bold statements are increasing, not just from fans of sailing, the second Kiwi passion alongside rugby, but also from former champions and experts.
They felt that even the official America’s Cup website had reflected this in its preview, with the inclusion of “rumors.”
“The speed of the ship can make you look like a tactical genius. Winning starts can be one thing, but if your boat is significantly faster and the team is confident in this, the focus and tactics may be more about starting off cleanly and keeping the powder dry for the point where you can set foot. on the floor ”, reads the official preview.
“Here, if the rumors are correct, it is the home team that has the advantage. Also, rumors have been working overtime when it comes to the home team’s performance in light weather and there has been talk of a code zero being part of their stated sail wardrobe. “
COR 36 | Borlenghi study
The New Zealand team appears to have an upwind speed advantage over Luna Rossa heading into the America’s Cup match.
Both Italian media outlets were uncomfortable with the bold prediction of America’s Cup Hall of Fame winner Murray Jones, who won the Auld Mug with the New Zealand team and the Swiss team Alinghi.
Discussing the merits of various Copa América helmsmen throughout time in a fascinating article featuring Press roomSuzanne McFadden, the normally reserved Jones, finished without leaving any doubts to readers about The Match’s outcome.
“I think the New Zealand team will win easily. I think they will be significantly faster. They’ve had a huge advantage: They haven’t really missed a day since leaving Bermuda, while everyone else had to rebuild or start from scratch.
“I just hope it’s not a complete cover-up,” Jones said.
Unlike, OA sport noted that Luna Rossa had been generally reserved during preparation, with co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill particularly generous in praising New Zealand team ace Peter Burling in a recent interview.
TODD NIALL / THINGS
New Zealand team strategist Glenn Ashby says there are still a lot of things unknown until the first time in the starting draw, but he will back his super talented team to get ready.
And they questioned some recent moves by the New Zealand team that seemed to navigate in the face of these growing feelings of dominance by the Kiwis.
“How can we forget that Team New Zealand has been testing Luna Rossa’s double helmsman solution for days? If one ship actually travels twice as fast as another, and the exit plays a secondary role, why try to mimic your opponents?
“And why are New Zealanders, as has been repeatedly made clear, almost obsessed with the desire to race in high winds?”
THINGS
Duncan Johnstone and Todd Niall of Stuff discuss how Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa are shaping up, despite Auckland’s Covid-19 level 3 alert, which postpones the start of the America’s Cup.
