Louis Vuitton Cup Day 9: Luna Rossa closes the Round Robins in second place
by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 9 Sep 17:07 BST
9 September 2024
Round Robin Sail-Off - INEOS Britannia vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin Day 9 - 9th September 2024 © Ian Roman / America's Cup
The final day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins closed with a defeat for Luna Rossa. Due to a pre-start malfunction the team was unable to compete in its first match against Alinghi and lost the sail-off against British team INEOS Britannia.
The Italian syndicate is currently in second place at the end of the initial rounds, right behind team GBR.
With a one-day delay due to the weather conditions of the last few days, the final matches of the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robins were raced in marginal conditions for the AC75s, with fickle breeze and residual swell on the course. At the bottom of the overall standings, Orient Express Racing Team becomes the first challenger to be eliminated.
MATCH #29 - ITA vs SUI
A problem with the starboard foil prevented Luna Rossa from manoeuvring and entering the pre-start box. Forced to continue on a starboard tack, without the ability to change course, Luna Rossa crossed the boundary by over 100 meters and was disqualified at the preparatory signal.
Winner: SUI (+1)
MATCH #31 - GBR vs ITA
After a good start on the right side of the course, INEOS Britannia moved in front of Luna Rossa and consolidated its lead at the first gate. The Italian crew did its best to close the gap but the challenging weather conditions and the opposing team made it impossible to catch up and turn the situation around.
Winner: GBR (+1)
Luna Rossa's crew today featured Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni at the helm, with Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei as trimmers. The cyclors were Bruno Rosetti, Cesare Gabbia, Nicholas Brezzi and Emanuele Liuzzi.