PRELIMINARY REGATTA SARDINIA | DAY 01

Splendid weather, with steady southerly winds at 16/18 knots and plenty of sunshine: this is how Cagliari welcomed the Preliminary Regatta Sardinia – the opening event of the 38th America’s Cup, organized by America’s Cup Management (ACP). The public responded with incredible enthusiasm, both on land and at sea, to watch races that certainly lived up to expectations. As expected, the eight crews on the water battled fiercely to secure valuable points toward victory in this event. There was no shortage of protests, penalties, and close crossings between the foiling AC40s, which delivered an impressive show in the Gulf of Angels.

RACE #01
Starting well to leeward and clear of the opposition, Luna Rossa 1 immediately broke away from the rest of the fleet and took control of the race. The Y&W crew rounded the first mark in the lead and, thanks to excellent boat handling, maintained control all the way to the finish line. Luna Rossa 2 remained among the leading group until the end of the second downwind leg, where they were running in second place. However, at the gate maneuver, the boat came off its foils, and that mistake resulted in a delay that proved impossible to recover from.
Luna Rossa 1: 1st place (+10 points)
Luna Rossa 2: 7th place (+4 points)

RACE #02
Another excellent race for both Luna Rossa boats, which finished in second place (Luna Rossa 1) and third place (Luna Rossa 2). Shortly after the start, the two Italian boats and the New Zealand Principal boat pulled away from the rest of the fleet, engaging each other throughout the race with very aggressive crossings. Sea conditions, with a well-formed swell, made the race particularly challenging. The two Italian crews did an outstanding job of managing both the demanding conditions and their rivals at the same time, delivering an excellent performance that translated into an important result for both teams.
Luna Rossa 1: 2nd place (+9 points)
Luna Rossa 2: 3rd place (+8 points)

RACE #03
Another high-level performance from the two Italian boats, finishing with a victory (Luna Rossa 1) and a third-place result (Luna Rossa 2). Despite a penalty for an early start, Luna Rossa Principal did an excellent job of taking advantage of every opportunity to recover positions and finish the race in third place. Luna Rossa Y&W sailed a strong race, consistently holding second position and, capitalizing on an error by the New Zealanders on the final leg, managed to take the lead and maintain control all the way to the finish line.
Luna Rossa 1: 1st place (+10 points)
Luna Rossa 2: 3rd place (+8 points)

«It was a great first day of racing, perfect for breaking the ice», said Umberto Molineris. «We made a few too many small mistakes, but we’re feeling good. The points are still very close, and tomorrow we start again».

«It was a demanding day, with a well-formed swell and not much wind, but still conditions that really tested you», said Maria Giubilei. «We had fun and tried to give it our all. We kept motivating each other, and in the end, it worked».

«We bet on Cagliari in 2014», said Max Sirena, CEO of Luna Rossa. «Today, seeing the perfect conditions of the racecourse and the extraordinary participation of the city – with so many people following the races both on land and at sea – we had the certainty that we had made the right choice».

The Luna Rossa crews racing today were as follows:

Luna Rossa 1 – Y&W
Marco Gradoni (helmsman)
Margherita Porro (helmswoman)
Maria Giubilei (trimmer)
Giovanni Santi (trimmer)

Luna Rossa 2 – Team Principal
Peter Burling (helmsman)
Ruggero Tita (helmsman)
Vittorio Bissaro (trimmer)
Umberto Molineris (trimmer)