Europeans Among Themselves: Historic Prada Cup Final Ahead

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Europeans Among Themselves: Historic Prada Cup Final Ahead
Europeans Among Themselves: Historic Prada Cup Final Ahead

Video: Europeans Among Themselves: Historic Prada Cup Final Ahead

Video: Europeans Among Themselves: Historic Prada Cup Final Ahead
Video: Хозяин форта в Калининграде | НЕИЗВЕСТНАЯ РОССИЯ 2024, March
Anonim

The second and last day of racing in the only semifinals of the challenger round of the 36th America's Cup brought no more surprises. The result makes Italy's cup fans dream. As at the beginning of the semifinals the day before, the Azzurri and "LunRossa" prevailed twice against the disenchanted American Magic team on Saturday, won the semifinals unbeaten 4-0 and sent the Americans home.

PradCup 2021
PradCup 2021

Crossed in the Prada Cup semifinals much faster than in the preliminary round: the Italian "LunRossa"

PradCup 2021
PradCup 2021

Francesco Bruni and his team were determined and significantly improved in the semifinals

"We competed against a formidable Italian team and they beat us," was the simple and frustrating conclusion of the US skipper Terry Hutchinson, who was eliminated with his team. And the Italians? After the first two semi-final victories, they no longer compared themselves with their current opponents, but with the upcoming British final opponents. On Saturday, too, the Azzurri's eyes were mainly on Sir Ben Ainslie's Ineos Team UK. When asked what helmsman Francesco Bruni might want from the British boat, he confidently said: "Pretty much nothing. But a good competition."

So quickly and painfully the America's Cup commitment came to an end on Saturday: Goodbye, American Magic!

PradCup 2021
PradCup 2021

The encouragement of the American fans didn't help anymore …

American Magics New Zealand helmsman Dean Barker said after the clear defeats on the water at the departure of the team from the New York Yacht Club: "The Italians have made no mistakes. It is frustrating for us not to be able to contest the last races in the semifinals. These There was simply no longer any possibility. Getting the boat back on the water after capsizing two weeks ago was an outstanding achievement for our team. I'm proud of that. But we played in the semifinals against a team that had made a giant leap forward since the last encounter has made." After their spectacular capsizing with a large hole in their hull, the Americans themselves did not succeed in doing this despite having completed the repair marathon.

PradCup 2021
PradCup 2021

Farewell to the stage of the 36th America's Cup as a fair sportsman: US skipper Terry Hutchinson

PradCup 2021
PradCup 2021

After capsizing two weeks ago, "Patriot" stopped moving on the second and last day of the semi-finals. American Magic was eliminated in the 36th America's Cup cycle

Historic Challenger Final

While the Americans are packing their bags, Patrizio Bertelli's team LunRossPradPirelli is gearing up for the historic, purely European challenger final against Sir Ben Ainslie's Ineos Team UK. The pairing means doubly good news for European Cup fans, because with the upcoming duel between the teams from Italy and the United Kingdom, it is already ensured that a European team will enter the 36th duel for the America's Cup (from March 6th) will move against the New Zealand Cup defenders. The question is: Can the British continue their dominance last shown in the preliminary round against Italy, or have the Italians actually made such a big leap in the rapidly developing technology and handling competition with the new futuristic monohull foilers as it did looked like in the past two days?

Both teams will give the answers from February 13th on the water. The final of the challenger's round will be held in the "First to win 7" mode - the first to score seven victory points will move into the 36th match for the oldest and most important trophy in sailing, where they will meet the Emirates Team New Zealand. Prada's co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill, known for his pithy sayings and strong self-confidence, said before the encounter: "We left a lot behind in the preliminary races against the British and were quite disappointed. We have now caught up well, even if we still have a lot to do We will certainly not underestimate each other and do everything we can to ensure that the Poms make amends to us for the preliminary round. " Prada's Italian helmsman, Francesco Bruni, took his team's plans even further: "We'll have a good fight against the British. We want to win every race."

PradCup 2021
PradCup 2021

They face Italy in the Prada Cup final: skipper Ben Ainslie, four-time Olympic champion, and his tactician Giles Scott, 2016 Finn Olympic champion

PradCup 2021
PradCup 2021

"Britannia" is the pride of the British: will they be able to defeat the Italian "LunRossa"?

Bruno Troublé, who was the initiator of the series of challengers introduced at that time under the name Louis Vuitton Cup in 1983 and today moderator of the daily press conferences in Auckland, told YACHT online: "There were a number of European challengers in the America's Cup in the middle of the 20th century. The 'Shamrock (s) ',' Endeavor ',' Souvereign '… But only' Il Moro di Venezia 'in 1992 and' LunRossa 'in 2000 made it to the final of the challenger round as European teams before Alinghi won the America's Cup in 2003 and 2007. I'm happy I'm looking forward to seeing the Italians or the British in the America's Cup. " Bruno Troblé's Cup prediction: "It's going to be a lot closer than we expect!"

36th America's Cup
36th America's Cup

The regatta format for the PradCup: in the final, Sir Ben Ainslies Ineos Team UK meets Patrizio Bertelli's LunRossPradPirelli Team

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