Naval battle in Barcelona: Luna Rossa breaks mainsail battens but then makes it 2-2

Strong southwesterly winds return to the Barcelona race course after a “nightmare” Saturday in the light wind, comes a thriller Sunday with intensity bordering 21.5 knots for the third day of the Louis Vuitton Cup finals. A day that, after many ups and downs, puts the series between Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Ineos Britannia back at 2-2. The boats wait stationary bow to windward for the air to come back into limits, but it is at this stage that the unpredictable happens: Luna Rossa breaks the mainsail battens and needs immediate intervention from the shore team. The Italian team does not ask for the 20-minute delay, probably because it is not enough for the mainsail replacement surgery.
The Race Committee meanwhile gives the okay to start the third match and the Italian boat loses it without even having the opportunity to play it out. The final match then moves to 2-1 for Britannia.
The fourth match is a sea battle, and Luna rossa wins it by reacting after the mainsail “crisis.” We discuss this at 6:30 p.m. in a crackling episode of the Cup Trial. The guests of Mauro Giuffrè and Luca Sordelli will be the super young people of Luna Rossa Youth, Marco Gradoni and Gianluigi Ugolini.
Then there will be Paolo Semeraro, Ida Castiglioni and Riccardo Ravagnan, and finally we will get to know the founders of the very popular Prada Pirelli Supporters Club group.

Luna Rossa vs. Britannia – match 4

After a long wait until 4:15 p.m., Ian Murray places the field for match number 4 of the day. Luna Rossa enters tacked to port, Britannia to starboard and immediately manages to attack the Italians at the crossing, putting them in trouble.
Ai nslie chases the Italian boat throughout the prestart pushing her from downwind, Luna Rossa manages, however, to disengage and even if not win the start in the final seconds.
Britannia goes right with a small meter advantage for Luna Rossa who manages to put her nose ahead. Very aggressive Ben Ainslie still trying to give Luna Rossa a penalty but failing. Boats paired up at the first Gate, with Ineos struggling to control the leeward craft.
Luna Rossa holds a 150-meter lead in the stern, a nothing in this wind. The second windward mark begins again with the Italian boat ahead trying to control Britannia and defend the right.
Ben Ainslie tries everything to try to disturb from downwind after the crossing but once again his attack goes awry.
The boats stay glued together, with just a 50-meter gap and Ineos trailing by just 5 seconds at the second windward gate.
The British immediately split at the second stern but Luna Rossa copies the move and tries to keep in control.
Some difficulties for Ineos in the buoy laps, all of which were executed with double-booms in the water. Luna Rossa’s small stretch at the beginning of the second windward leg, with Ineos paying dearly for a less than perfect turn. Reassuringly, the lead at the end of the third windward leg, with the Italian boat having stabilized about 300 meters of advantage that on the water translates into 19 seconds.
Penultimate downwind quite in control for Bruni-Spithill who seem to have tamed the fury of Ben Ainslie. The last upwind sees a good recovery by the British, also due to an inaccurate tack by Luna Rossa that makes an extra maneuver for a wrong layline by the Italian boat.
Thus begins a very high intensity last side.
It gybes and counter gybes Britannia to try for the all and all.
Luna Rossa spreads her elbows to stay ahead but the margin is now less than 100 meters.
Luna Rossa goes on to win a very difficult race, however, sweating by just 4 seconds, and brings the series to 2-2. Mauro Giuffrè