SIGHTINGS prada cup — expect the unexpected
COR36 / STUDIO BORLENGHI
What have we learned so far in the Prada Cup Selection Series? That after three years in the making, it has come down to three weeks of critical racing. When it comes to competition for the oldest trophy in sports, expect the unexpected! Every day of racing has been unpredictable, challenging, and downright bizarre. Races to date have either been filled with minefields of light-air puffs — with the winner of two of those three race days determined by 'lottery' — either by popping up on their foils first and being fast enough to connect the dots or just trying to survive big pressure blasts that seemed to come out of nowhere. With just over a month to go until the 36th America's Cup Match is set to commence, the British INEOS Team UK find themselves on top of the leaderboard and will wait until February 13 for a worthy opponent. It will either be Challenger of Record Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, with Francesco Bruni and Jimmy Spithill sharing the steering duties, or the wounded warriors from American Magic as they return to racing with their patched-up AC75 Patriot. "We don't get desperate; it's more excitement. There is a
real incentive for all of these teams to win," remarked Spithill. "There is a lot on the line. And American Magic? There is no doubt in my mind they will be back. They were very quick leading into it. For now, we can't worry about them." The racing to date has gone horribly wrong for American Magic, though Patriot has shown herself at times to be the fastest boat in Auckland when they are not making mistakes, or when they're up and foiling, or when they are not upside down! But time is running out for the Americans, who have to win a best-of-seven series on a short turnaround or they will be eliminated. The day they capsized, American Magic had sailed a brilliant race against the Italians after stumbling at the start. They had arrived late after a last-minute sail change, but by the time they were bearing down at more than 40 knots toward that fateful gate, helmsman Dean Barker, over objections from tactician Paul Goodison, went for a somewhat aggressive move by launching a bear-away jibe at the top of the course in a squall, which is one of the diciest maneuvers you can pull off. The high-risk maneuver offered no reward.
This page: t took Herculean efforts to keep 'Patriot' a oat. ight page, top to bottom: The fateful moment when 'Patriot' lies on her side and the full e tent of the damage is ust being reali ed American Magic's shore, production, design and sailing teams worked hours a day to get 'Patriot' ready for the semifinals American 'patriotism' and support on full display.
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• February, 2021
