Until the final, Luna Rossa's A-Team was never in the lead in the first pre-regatta of the 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup. Once again, however, the old rule in sailing became apparent: the final score is settled at the finish. Kiwi Peter Burling - in action for Italy's challengers from Team Luna Rossa for the first time this cycle after three Cup victories for New Zealand - showed all his class in the final duel against his former team. The duel between Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand the Burling Italians won with a tactical masterstroke and a convincing start-to-finish victory.
On the America's Cup hunt with Italy: Burling withstands the pressure
The start phase between the two Cup giants was fiercely contested. While Luna Rossa, with Peter Burling on the starboard helm, made a tack to windward on the way to the line to optimise its timing to the line, Emirates Team New Zealnd was already racing down the line to the pin. Too early and chased by Luna Rossa, helmsman Nathan Outteridge had no chance of a top start in the final seconds. Although he visibly picked up speed on the New Zealand AC-40-Foiler at the last minute, he made a narrow early start.
This timing error cost the New Zealanders the race and victory in the first pre-regatta. Luna Rossa controlled the match over the entire distance. "It's my first win in the 'grey uniform'. We really showed what we've got as a team. That's very satisfying," said Peter Burling after the race. After switching from the New Zealand to the Italian team, he was under a lot of pressure. The 35-year-old three-time Cup winner and 49er Olympic champion lived up to this on Whitsunday.
Pete did an incredible job today. We put a lot of pressure on him right from the start." Ruggero Tita
Burling, his port helmsman and Nacra 17 double Olympic champion Ruggero Tita and their trimmers Umberto Molineris and Vittorio Bissaro beat Burling's former team mate and long-time companion Nathan Outteridge and the crew of the Cup defenders. Sailing with Outteridge were 49er world champion Seb Menzies and trimmers Iain Jensen and Andy Maloney. Outteridge confirmed after the final that the decision had been made at the start.
I gave them the start and after that it pretty much stayed that way. In the last Cup we didn't win the first event either, but came back strongly after that." Nathan Outteridge
Before the decisive duel, the furious AC40 fleet had completed two more fleet races on the final day. The women's and junior team from Luna Rossa had started the day as rousing frontrunners. But after a glittering few days, Marco Gradoni, Margherita Porro and their team seemed almost a little over-motivated. They had already made a false start in the first race of the day. As a result, the penalties piled up because the young Azzurri failed to rectify the mistake. In the end, they were disqualified.
The young America's Cup: Gradoni, Porro and crew go "full throttle!"
Margherita Porro explained after the race: "We had technical problems. Someone said that we were over the line, although it was OK on our screen. After that, the image on our screen froze. Then we were disqualified." When asked whether they would be able to contest the eighth and final race with the entire fleet, Margherita Porro replied after race seven: "Definitely! At full throttle!"
No sooner said than done. Luna Rossa's talentswho were the benchmark for two days in this first pre-regatta for the 38th America's Cup and had put the fear of God into the Cup establishment, stormed off again. And were again too early, had to return to the line and were unable to make up the gap that quickly grew as the race progressed. The two slip-ups by the young Luna Rossa forwards, who had performed so marvellously well, almost seemed like gifts to the seniors.
It should be noted that Emirates Team New Zealand reached the final by just one point ahead of Luna Rossa's women's and youth team. Fourth place behind the top three was claimed by the French team La Roche-Posay Racing with good performances on the final day. Co-directors Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois saw a team that was able to improve. Trimmer Flo Trittel, who joined the team with his 49er helmsman Diego Botin, gave a positive assessment.
Technical problems slowed down strong Brits
Olympic and SailGP champion Trittel said: "It was a very positive regatta weekend for the La Roche Posay Racing Team, where we learnt a lot. I believe that we were able to take a step forward every day. This progress was also reflected in the results: with fourth place in the overall standings, we are exactly where we belong at the moment."
The other teams in Cagliari were the New Zealand women's and youth team and the Swiss Tudor Team Alinghi, which also improved on the final day with fourth place in the last race. Skipper Paul Goodison said after capsizing the day before"It's great to finish with a success. Today was a better day."
The fact that Great Britain's talented Athena Pathway team and their highly-rated A team led by Dylan Fletcher came last in this order was mainly due to technical problems in the case of the seniors. They finished 2nd, 1st and 3rd in the three of the eight fleet races they contested.
Best team in the average result of the races sailed: GB1!
If you only take the average second place of the British seniors in the races contested, then they were the most successful fleet racing team this weekend in terms of the skills shown on the water, if it hadn't been for the darned technique, which instead gave them eighth and last place. Click here for the results of the first pre-regatta of the 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup.
It should become clear at the second pre-regatta from 24 to 27 September in the future America's Cup port of Naples what the British are capable of with an intact boat. Until then, Peter Burling remains the king of the America's Cup. And with him, his new team Luna Rossa, who, as event winners, should have few worries when it comes to their successful young talent.
The pre-regatta also showed that Italian fans are already in high spirits one year before the America's Cup premiere in Naples are. The upcoming European Cup summit in Naples is set to become a festival for sailing.
REPLAY! The final of the first pre-regatta of the 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
