Young Luna Rossa is unstoppable at the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Youth Team, the blue “youth” AC40, which lines up as crew on the starboard side helmsman Marco Gradoni and trimmer Federico Colaninno and on the port side helmsman Gianluigi Ugolini and trimmer Rocco Falcone really dominated this first part of the selection races for the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup.
Always in the lead, always picking the right side, clearly ahead of everyone else.
Eight races, five firsts and a second, then a DNF and a third but with the games already over.
Luna Rossa advances to the semifinals scheduled to begin tomorrow.
And it is the big favorite, the boat to beat for opponents USA, Great Britain, Sweden, Spain and Australia.

Super Luna Rossa at the Youth America’s Cup

While with AC75s it can be said that some boats may be faster than others, here that excuse does not work because the boats are all the same and even were assigned at random.
Marco Gradoni’s team was the favorite and the experience he gained as a helmsman within the Luna Rossa team certainly favored him over the others in the first elimination phase of the regattas, where teams competed in two rounds of six teams.
In the last two regattas, the Italians did not spare themselves in livening up the crowd with a balancing act in the seventh race, which even stranded them, and in the 8th race with a risky start in front of the bows of the others, which cost them a protest and penalty payment.
Which did not give us another first place from Italy, but only a nice 3rd. Entering the semifinals for Group 1: Italy, United States and Great Britain (eliminated France, New Zealand, Switzerland) Entering the semifinals for Group 2: Sweden, Spain and Australia (eliminated Canada, Holland, Germany). The six teams from tomorrow will compete in four regattas.
The top two will advance to the finals.
Where whoever finishes first wins in the only scheduled race.

The chronicle of today’s regattas

Group 2 – 7th race The Australians finally managed to cross the finish line first after a series of races in which their way of driving the boat to the limit had led them to all kinds of acrobatics: touchdowns, splash downs, wheelies, nose diving.
With winds between 13 and 14 knots and little wave Australia, after a good start, led the entire race, shortened like the others to four sides of the initial six planned because, due to bad weather and lack of wind, two days had already been lost.
More wind on the left side of the course and the boats decidedly more even than in previous days.
Tightly trailing Australia are Spain, with its team from Barcelona, and Sweden alternating 2nd or 3rd place with Canada and Holland.
True fleet racing with all boats very close together.
Very fast race with boats always traveling above 25/30 knots.
The victorious AC72 finishes in 12’48”. Group 2 – 8th trial

Start with all boats positioned on the line but Germany and Canada, on the left, are out and take a penalty.
Australia leads, alternating the lead with Spain, which then takes the lead.
It keeps Spain firmly in the lead and at the first gate all six boats round the buoys in just 20″, quite a sight.
Sweden keeps in close contact with Spain and, just a few seconds behind, Canada and Holland follow.
At the next gates always in the lead Spain tailed by Sweden.
The two teams stretch out over the others also because they choose the left side of the course.
Truly a good regatta, fought after the two leading positions.
In the end it was Spain that won the race in 14’28” over Sweden, Canada, Holland, Germany and Australia. Group 1 – 5th race Wind 14.5/14.7 rising wave.
The Italian AC40 starts on the right, takes the lead and then moves to the left, overtaken by France.
Among the following boats a protest and related penalty for the British.
Gate 1 for the French but at this point Italy goes to lead.
At the stern gate Italy, USA and France arrive together but Italy passes first, keeps the lead also at the next gate even if the USA takes more wind on the left.
Italy always leads on the last edge over NZ and USA but the New Zealanders are stopped by a spash down.
At the finish the Italians are first in 12’47” over USA, France, Switzerland, New Zealand and Great Britain.
Finished the race the support boat approaches the Italian hull that decided to replace the jib. Group 1 – 6th race The wind has increased and marks 17.5 knots with some wave.
Nice start by the Italian team that crosses the line keeping all on the right, off France.
Italy veers and goes to the left side of the field, the USA takes the lead, overtaken then by NZ, which at gate 1 is first followed by Italy and USA.
In the second side the Italians come under and at gate 2, with a spectacular but risky turn they pass in the lead, over NZ, very close, Americans.
Nice racing with all boats close together (they all stay in the screen) and with the hulls winding at a speed between 30 and 32 knots.
Italy maintains the lead over Nz even at the third gate and then goes on to win winning the race. Group 1 – 7th race Wind at 18.9 knots rising wave.
Boats are jumping and flying at times.
Number at the start of the Italians who come back from above in the line with seconds to go, gybe quickly and gag.
A real crash that compromises the whole race, which they will always run spaced out from the others between 600 m and 1200 m.
France takes the lead, passing first at gate 1 ahead of Great Britain, USA NZ and Switzerland, all close together and included within a handful of seconds.
France stretches while the others follow detached between 200 and 300 m.
At the second gate France still leads while New Zealand moves into 2nd place.
Next, enclosed within seconds, are the others, Italy excluded. At the third gate, France is still clearly ahead of Great Britain, the U.S. and Switzerland, and at the finish they win the race in 12’55” over New Zealand, Great Britain and the U.S. Group 1 – 8th race Wind at 17.2 knots, stable wave, boats exceed 30 knots upwind and 40 in the aft side.
Italy makes a risky start by sailing down the line before the start from left to right ahead of all other competitors.
Behavior that costs him a protest and related penalty.
He drops from the lead to 3rd place, but recovers to 2nd.
Here there is a serious technical problem by the French who fall behind and then retire.
At the 1st gate the USA passes first followed by Italy at 8″ which slips to 4th place in the next side.
At gate 2 the USA leads well over Great Britain, New Zealand and Italy while at gate 3 Italy gains one position.
The USA eventually confirms its excellent performance ahead of Great Britain, Italy, Switzerland and New Zealand.