Ben Ainslie screwed, Luna Rossa ‘plays’ Oracle’s magician

AINSLIE DEFEATED 3-2
The Luna Rossa Challenge team with the crew of Francesco Bruni (helmsman), Xabi Fernandez (mainsman/tactician), Pierluigi de Felice (tailer) and Nick Hutton (bowman) dominated at the Argo World Cup in Hamilton, Bermuda. Francesco Bruni and his crew won 17 of the 20 races held since the start of the event, which kicked off last Tuesday, Oct. 8, and beat in the final 3-2 the team of Ben Ainslie, the most titled sailor ever with five Olympic medals (four golds and one silver) and recent America’s Cup winner; also on board with Ainslie was Olympic Star champion Ian Percy in the role of tactician. The finals were held in very unstable winds between 10 and 12 knots, which made the races particularly challenging in terms of tactics and boat handling. Francesco Bruni and the Luna Rossa team always controlled their opponent at the start, winning by a wide margin the three races needed to secure the stage.

Francesco Bruni, tactician of the AC72 Luna Rossa during 34th America’s Cup, and in the role of helmsman at the Argo Group Gold Cup, said, “I am very pleased with the result and thank my crew with whom I share the credit for this important victory.This race was part of Luna Rossa’s training program. We went from the speeds of the AC72s to those of the International One Design; there is definitely a big difference, but it is still exciting to measure ourselves in match racing on equal terms, especially with a champion of Ben Ainslie’s caliber.”

IOD, WHO WAS HE?
The International One Design (IOD), is a 10.21 meters overall (by 2.10 wide) brogetted by Bjarne Aas back in 1936. The IOD class was the first to receive “International Classic yacht” status from the International Sailing Federation. Today it is mainly used for match racing and is still considered one of the most difficult boats, because due to its slow acceleration it does not allow the slightest error. It is the official boat of the Bermuda leg of the Alpari World Match Racing Tour, a circuit that also includes five other legs (Germany, Korea, Sweden, the United States and Malaysia), each of which is raced with a different one-design.