The Italian sailing area for the first pre-regatta of the 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup made Bella figura on the opening day of the race with eight furious AC40 foilers. Champagne conditions were served up in Cagliari's Bay of Angels, with swell and squalls in 16 to 21 knots of wind. Every now and then the gusts got even stronger, exceeding the 21-knot limit. Enthusiastic crowds had gathered on land for the high-calibre sailing festival. 650 boats were officially registered for the course. Italy embraces the America's Cup with both arms a year before the main event in Naples.
First pre-regatta for the America's Cup: Italy's young red moons shine brightly
It was "meraviglioso", wonderful that Luna Rossa's junior and women's team really let it rip on this first official race day in the new Cup cycle. Right from the opening race, skipper Marco Gradoni, co-skipper Margherita Porro, Maria Giubilei and Giovanni Santi made various Cup stars in the fleet look "old" with their start as they crossed the line with perfect timing.
The day ended with this picture after three races: Luna Rossa's Women & Youth Team led the event standings on Friday evening after the first of three days of racing with a whopping 29 points. Margherita Porro, who was part of the victorious Italian women's team at the first Women's America's Cup 2024 in Barcelona, said: "I think it's a good sign that women and young people are currently playing a pioneering role."
This is a huge incentive for women and a huge incentive for young people to keep moving forward and to believe in themselves." Margherita Porro
The fact that Marco Gradoni and Italy's young guns carry the number 1 to their team name Luna Rossa was the programme at the start: two race wins and a second place testified to the brilliant Italian talent show. The dominance of the Azzurri in their home territory and the luck of the fans was completed by the senior team Luna Rossa 2 with helmsmen Peter Burling and Ruggero Tita in second place. With three-time America's Cup winner Burling and Nacra 17 double Olympic champion Tita at the helm, the experienced Italian team - actually the A team - scored 20 points and came second.
New Zealand's Cup youngsters also shine
They were followed on equal points by the talented New Zealand Cup defenders. In the varied competition on the AC40 foilers, Tudor Team Alinghi with helmsmen Phil Robertson and Paul Goodson and New Zealand's Cup Seniors with helmsmen Nathan Outteridge and Seb Menzies also scored 20 points each, but were unable to catch two young teams.
Positioned one point behind the Swiss were France's La Roche-Posay Racing team with Quentin Delapierre and Diego Botin at the helm in fifth place. The British team had a ravenous day at the first showdown between the sailing teams. The senior team missed two races due to technical problems. However, Dylan Fletcher and his crew were able to show that they also want to - and can - compete at the top with a second place in the third race.
A brutal capsize cost the British youth and women's team around double Olympic champion Hannah Mills a lot of points. In the evening, there was little joy in the British racing team that the two crews GB1 and Athena Pathway initially brought up the rear of the standings with 10 and 9 points respectively.
A sailing spectacle with capsizes, sun shots and belly flops
Paul Goodison, skipper of the Tudor Team Alinghi and one of the most experienced sailors in the current America's Cup cycle, summed it up: "I think Cagliari is a great venue. As you saw today, these were some of the best races I've sailed in a long, long time." He could be pleased because his team returned to the harbour with a "dry" boat.
Others were less fortunate in the AC40 rodeo, which served up capsizes, sun shots, violent belly flops from the foilers and protests in series. In turn, even the most renowned sailors had to put up with setbacks. The first pre-regatta of the 38th Louis Vuitton America's Cup will continue on Saturday and Whitsunday until the final of the two best teams after eight fleet races. Click here for the intermediate results. The live broadcasts from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. can be viewed on YouTube and elsewhere.
The highlights of race day one of the pre-regatta in Cagliari:
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
