AMERICA'S CUP STARS SCORE GOLD AND BRONZE AT PARIS 2024 OLYMPIC GAMES
It has been one of the stand-out performances across any disciplines at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, and today Ruggero ‘Ruggi’ Tita, sailing with Caterina Banti, won a Gold medal for Italy in the Mixed Multihull Class, bringing their foiling Nacra 17 across the line safely for the win - with Puig Women's America's Cup sailor for Emirates Team New Zealand, Erica Dawson, sailing with Micah Wilkinson, securing the bronze medal.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli helmsman, Ruggi, has taken time off from preparations for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup with the Italian team to defend the title that he first won at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games but now returns a double Olympic Gold medallist in a huge boost for the team.
From the very outset, Ruggi and Caterina set the standard in the Nacra 17 fleet scoring six first places and one second place from the first seven races. As the conditions got tricky in the Bay of Marseille, Tita and Banti kept consistent top six results but a UFD (a U-flag for a premature start) in Race 10 really put the pressure on, especially with the Argentinian pairing of Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco plus the ever-present threat of the British pairing of John Gimson and Anna Burnet (Athena Pathway Women’s America’s Cup Team Member) ready to capitalise on any mistake.
Also in the running were the New Zealand team of Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson (Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s Team Member) back in 4th place so there was everything to play for, going into the Medal Race.
Originally scheduled for Wednesday 7th August, it was a nerve-wracking wait shoreside for the Nacra 17 crews, with the medal race due to start immediately after the conclusion of the ILCA Men’s Dinghy medal race. However, a number of race cancellations and delay in the singlehanded fleet, meant that the organisers re-scheduled the Nacra 17’s to Thursday 8th August.
When finally racing got underway, it was disaster for the British pairing who were scored OCS (On Course Side) and eliminated, leaving a three-way tussle for the medals. The Medal Race itself was won superbly by the French pairing of Tim Mourniac and Lou Berthomieu but scoring a second place in the race secured Ruggero Tita and Caterina Banti a remarkable and historic second Gold medal for Italy.
Mateo Majdalani and Eugenia Bosco secured the silver medal for Argentina after a seventh place in the Medal Race whilst Micah Wilkinson and Erica Dawson scooped the bronze medal after an eighth place finish in the Medal Race and the British disqualification.
For Ruggi & Caterina, it was unbounded joy at the finish line, the result of a brilliantly executed Olympic campaign that also fused training for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup for Ruggi. He will now return to the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli base in Barcelona ahead of the Preliminary Regatta that starts on the 22nd August before the Louis Vuitton Cup on the 29th August.
The whole America’s Cup community sends Ruggi and Caterina congratulations on an excellent defence of their Olympic title and further congratulations to Erica Dawson of the Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s team for her bronze medal.
All photos c/o World Sailing - Paris 2024 Olympic Games
(Magnus Wheatley)