Louis Vuitton Cup Final Day 5 - Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli suffer damage after a nosedive
by Mark Jardine 1 Oct 2024 14:37 BST
1 October 2024
Another day of big breeze in Barcelona with 16 to 21 knots forecast which will, once again, test Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS Britannia to the limit.
They go into the day tied 3-3. Will one of the teams manage to take the lead at the end of the day in this enthralling contest? Or will honours be even again?
Race 7: INEOS Britannia vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Out on the race course winds were averaging around 17 knots, which meant the action started without delay.
INEOS Britannia entered the start area bang on time with Luna Rossa slightly late, and the British boat went for a loop to set themselves up in front of the Italian's approach.
At the start INEOS Britannia were just slightly to leeward, and tried to squeeze Luna Rossa up with a high mode, but the Italians hung on well, with the pair tacking at the boundary. On port tack the Italians managed to gain the slightest of advantages, forcing the British boat to tack away early and take a hitch up to keep their air clear.
A left windshift played to INEOS Britannia's advantage, allowing them to tack ahead of Luna Rossa at the first windward gate, rounding just one second ahead.
Soon after rounding, Luna Rossa had a huge nosedive downwind which tore off a number of fairings behind the jib sheet track and around the mast. They stopped racing while INEOS Britannia carried on around the racetrack.
Watch the video of the crash
It was now a race against time for the Luna Rossa support team to get their yacht back in operation for the second race of the day.
Hatches were opened for the technicians, and most likely to pump out any water that got inside the hull, while work was done on deck cutting sailcloth to cover where the missing fairings were.
Strong tape was fixed over cracks elsewhere as the clock once again mercilessly reminded us that time waits for no-one.
Race 8: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. INEOS Britannia
The Luna Rossa shore team have proved their worth before, and they did it again today.
In the end they had slightly longer to fix the boat as the top end wind limit was breached a couple of times.
With conditions right at the top end of sailable in an AC75, the race was under way.
In the pre-start, as the two teams approached the boundary with INEOS Britannia just behind, Luna Rossa gybed in towards the start line, while the British boat seemed unable to do so, and decided late to tack, picking up a boundary penalty and instantly putting them on the back foot in the race.
Luna Rossa started at the right hand side of the line, with INEOS Britannia just behind, squeezed out by the Italians, having to tack off straight away to clear their air and their penalty.
The racing was tight, and at times it looked like the British boat was quicker, but Luna Rossa stuck to their processes and game-plan, keeping their elbows out wide to thwart all the efforts of their opponent.
So here we are again at the end of another racing day with the teams all square, this time at 4-4. Just when one team seems to have gained an advantage, the other comes back, and the Italian team will be feeling jubilant this evening as they complete a more permanent repair of their boat.
The mistake by INEOS Britannia in the pre-start was costly, and you can't help but wonder if this signals a true momentum shift in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. We'll see how it plays out tomorrow.