The Preliminary Regatta Sardinia ended in the best possible way for Luna Rossa – they won both the overall title and the Youth and Women’s title. Their preliminary event wins have shown the other challengers in the 38th America’s Cup what is needed to beat this polished, well campaigned team.
Can’t win them all
Their outstanding result helped offset the disappointment for Luna Rossa 1, which, after leading the standings throughout the event, narrowly missed out on qualification for the final match race. For Marco Gradoni, Margherita Porro, Maria Giubilei, and Giovanni Santi, however, there remains the great satisfaction of having led the standings until the final day and of claiming victory in the Y&W classification.
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- © RICARDO PINTO / AMERICA’s CUP
The winning combination
Peter Burling, Ruggero Tita, Umberto Molineris and Vittorio Bissaro once again proved to be the team to beat, confirming the depth of experience of the sailors on board. Consistent, clean, and focused, they steadily improved their performances, adding points race after race until securing a place in the final match race ultimately winning the event.
The final day of the Preliminary Regatta Sardinia certainly lived up to expectations for the many fans who came to Cagliari to follow the racing, both on shore and on the water. A 13-knot southeasterly breeze, combined with a light sea state and sunshine, provided ideal conditions.
Major disappointment
In race 7 the Y&W crew was forced to leave the racecourse just minutes after the start. After crossing the line early, the boat sailed by Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro was penalised. But due to an issue with their communications software, they were unable to complete the penalty within the required time and were disqualified. Luna Rossa 2, meanwhile, delivered a solid and consistent race, staying within the leading group throughout the race. On the final leg, Peter Burling and Ruggero Tita read the shifts on the racecourse perfectly and crossed ahead of the French crew, finishing in second place.
Race 8 saw another setback for the Luna Rossa 1 crew, which was forced to return to the line after an early start. Unfortunately, despite the efforts of Marco Gradoni and Margherita Porro, the significant delay could not be recovered, and the Y&W crew saw their hopes of reaching the final match race slip away. Luna Rossa 2, meanwhile, once again delivered an outstanding race from the start, immediately taking the lead of the fleet. From that moment on, the team remained in control, covering its rivals closely and matching the New Zealanders to secure a place in the final.
A textbook final
Luna Rossa 2 vs Emirates Team New Zealand
The Luna Rossa 2 crew demonstrated vast experience right from the start, putting the New Zealand team under pressure and forcing them into a penalty for an early start. Peter Burling and Ruggero Tita simply had to stay tight on their opponents, matching every manoeuvre and maintaining constant cover to secure victory in both the match and the event.
“I’m happy, and I am for many reasons”, said Max Sirena, CEO of Luna Rossa. “From a sporting perspective, the team delivered two outstanding results. We won everything there was to win, and that helps offset the disappointment of missing out on an all-Luna Rossa final. The guys were extraordinary, and I want to thank them one by one — together with the entire Luna Rossa team — for the work they have done over these months and for what they achieved. I’m also truly pleased with the response from the city of Cagliari. The warmth and support they showed us gave us an important boost. We worked long and hard to arrive fully prepared for this event. It is a deserved victory, and one that makes us very proud”.
“A fantastic day”, said Peter Burling. “We worked hard to get here, but in the end we’re really happy. We had a strategy that paid off, and we sailed very well. The result came. We’re happy to have won the first event. Today is a great day”.
Relive the racing here.
