Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli during their loss in RR3 Race 2 against INEOS TEAM UK - during Racing of the Prada Cup, on Course C on the Waitemata Harbour. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli during their loss in RR3 Race 2 against INEOS TEAM UK - during Racing of the Prada Cup, on Course C on the Waitemata Harbour. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
Luna Rossa believe that competing in the Prada Cup semifinal could have long-term advantages, despite the cut-throat nature of the next few days.
The Italian syndicate have a difficult route to the challenger decider and will be under pressure against American Magic, after an underwhelming performance in the round robinseries.
As the Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa had some key advantages coming into this regatta, as their involvement in formulating the design class gave them a head start in certain areas compared with the other challengers.
They looked well placed after December America's Cup World Series, with a chance of winning the overall regatta up until the final stages of their last race against Team New Zealand, but haven't built on that momentum.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and American Magic during a practice race. Photo / Gilles Martin Raget.
They lost all three round robin races against Ineos Team UK, albeit two by narrow margins, and were trailing American Magic before Patriot's dramatic capsize, while their only other win came when the Americans failed to finish in fickle winds.
It doesn't seem like the ideal preparation for a death or glory elimination contest, but co-helmsman Francesco Bruni is optimistic, pointing to advantages to taking the long road.
"In some ways, if you want to win the Cup, it is probably better to go into the the semifinal, win that and then win the Prada Cup," Bruni told the Herald.
"You have a better chance of winning the Cup if you go through that way."
The 47-year-old feels that racing miles under the belt will be equally, or perhaps more important, than development, as the regatta evolves.
"So far the deciding factor, as these programmes go ahead, has been more and more the racing, not so much the performance of the boats," said Bruni.
"So the more racing that you have, the more chance you have of winning the Cup. If you want to win the Cup, probably it's fair to say that the more racing you do the better.
"[In the] performance of the boats, there is a lot to improve in the small details but maybe there is more metres in the racecourse, in the boat to boat duelling."
Luna Rossa need improvements in both areas.
Their first-generation AC75 looked ahead of the curve, but other syndicates appeared to imitate aspects when the second generations boats rolled out. Luna Rossa is quick, especially in light breezes, but they will be nervous if the winds lift.
Their crew work has been patchy thus far, especially with their manoeuvres and transitions around marks.
INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli battle it out in RR3 Race 2 - during Racing of the Prada Cup, on Course C on the Waitemata Harbour, Auckland. 23 January 2021. Photo / Brett Phibbs.
Their starts have been consistently solid, but they gave up leads several times during the round robin and didn't always look smooth or confident.
In the bigger picture, history shows that the top round robin qualifier usually progresses to the Cup match.
But this regatta is much more compressed than those of the past, which may change the equation.
In 2000 each challenger had 30 round robin races in the round robin stage, while BMW Oracle had 28 races on their way to the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup final.
Whereas next month Ineos Team UK will enter the Prada Cup final with only five official races behind them.
"You will have a three-week window where you won't get intense racing," admitted British skipper Ben Ainslie. "You need to trade that off versus the development gains you might be able to make. It's time off the water for [upgrades] versus time on the water, keeping the intensity going."
Friday's first race in the best of seven series is scheduled for 3:15pm.
Heading into the Cup racing?
• Give yourself plenty of time and think about catching a ferry, train or bus to watch the Cup.
• Make sure your AT HOP card is in your pocket. It's the best way to ride.
• Don't forget to scan QR codes with the NZ COVID Tracer app when on public transport and entering the America's Cup Village.
