PRADA CUP FINAL DAY 4: MORNING BRIEFING
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli are within striking distance of winning the PRADA Cup. Win both races today and they secure their position as the Challenger for the 36th America’s Cup.
Victory would be more than simply lifting the prestigious trophy and writing themselves into the history books. Winning the PRADA Cup would deliver the first of two key goals that the Italian team has been working towards since becoming Challenger of Record almost four years ago. Since that moment, every day of their operations has been towards their America’s Cup goal. As well as building their own campaign they have worked with Emirates Team New Zealand to create the new class and the rules that go with it along with the event itself. It is hard to exaggerate the significance and importance of winning for this team.
With just two more wins required and their dominant performance so far, success for the Italian team can’t come soon enough. They know the risk of a comeback by INEOS TEAM UK is real. And so do the British.
One win today keeps them in the game. Two would reinvigorate their campaign and deliver momentum.
While their hopes of taking the America’s Cup back to its roots in the UK – 170 years after the Cup left the shores – have taken a battering over the last few weeks, yesterday’s win made it clear that they haven’t given up on the fight.
Yesterday, INEOS TEAM UK skipper and helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie was candid about just how important the weather conditions were in their ability to beat Luna Rossa.
“In 12-13 knots the boats are pretty even, below it we struggle,” he said shortly after racing. “We know it, they know it, but that’s the challenge.”
Luna Rossa’s co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill was playing their defeat in the second race down, congratulating the British.
“It was a great race, full credit to INEOS TEAM UK for that one,” he said.
So, given that the weather is such a critical factor there will be plenty of focus on today’s forecast.
As the high pressure system that brought summer back to Auckland moves slowly to the east, it pulls a steady gradient wind flow over the region. At 9-14 knots from North East, the weather models all agree that this, along with the gradual incursion of some patchy high cloud throughout the day, will fight off any sea breeze from the opposite direction to produce an afternoon of consistent and steady conditions on Course A.
Conditions that, according to both teams, are right on the crossover for each of their performances.
One win apiece yesterday has seen the stakes raised for today. The pressure is only going one way, up and rapidly.