America’s Cup challenger: finalists in place for Louis Vuitton Cup

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the team representing the Circolo della Vela Sicilia yacht club, has secured its place in the Louis Vuitton Cup final after a last race against NYYC American Magic.

This means that the Italian team will battle the Brits for the right to duel with defending America’s Cup champion Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ). When the winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup final meets ETNZ, the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match will be decided.

“The challengers are the best that they have ever been going into this competition,” Jimmy Spithill, skipper of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, told Matt Sheahan. “The whole fleet has been a very high level. This next final will be one helluva fight. Whoever comes out of this will be the best prepared we’ve ever seen a challenger. We’ve got two great teams here.”

Traditionally, the America’s Cup culminates in a showdown between the defending champion and a challenger, who emerges from a series of intense qualifying rounds. This year’s cup has followed that format, beginning with several preliminary regattas that took place from August 22-25, 2024. The Louis Vuitton Cup final takes place from September 26 to October 7 with ETNZ back in action against the winner from October 12 in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match.

While the preliminary events allowed teams to fine-tune their strategies and assess the competition, the focus is shifting to the Louis Vuitton Cup final.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s comeback puts team in final

In order to secure its place, the Italian shore team had burnt the midnight oil, repairing a damaged mainsail traveller track system that had given way in the previous semi-final race.

“It was an incredible effort from the guys on the shore when you look at what happened yesterday, and a lesser team really could’ve crumbled, and I’ve seen this,” says Spithill. “This is my eighth campaign in a row now and you always face a couple of moments in a campaign where you kind of find out what you’re made of, and I really felt like yesterday was one of those for the entire team.

“We had to react and the guys in the shore team really took the lead and just worked all through the night to get our boat ready to race and go on and win. You’re usually pretty motivated when you go out there but when you see that and how you live it as a team, it’s a very, very powerful thing.”

INEOS Britannia relieved to make America’s Cup challenger final

Now the Italian team will face INEOS Britannia which secured its spot after winning the required five races against its opponent, Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI).

Image courtesy of INEOS Britannia

“We are happy and relieved to have secured our place in the Louis Vuitton Cup final,” skipper Ben Ainslie said after his team’s semi-final race (18 September). Ainslie was robbed at knifepoint in Barcelona earlier this month. “It was seriously hard out there, battling with the light air and that sea state. You have to give credit to Alinghi who sailed a great first race and put up a good fight, they were great competition. It’s obviously tough for them to go out at this stage but they’re a great team and have performed well. We are looking forward to the final and pleased our hard work has paid off so far, but it all starts over again now and we will concentrate on preparing.” Ainslie says he is “super proud of the team” and the journey that it’s been on this last couple of months. “Since we’ve been sailing Britannia here in Barcelona we’ve come a long way, but we’ve still got a long way to go.”

Alinghi Red Bull Racing gave it all it had

On its last day of competition in the 37th America’s Cup process, Alinghi Red Bull Racing gave it everything it had. The first match of the day resulted in a triumphant win against Ineos Britannia, but the second match saw a hard-fought fifth point go to the British team.

“I’m immensely proud of this team and the partnership with Red Bull,” says Ernesto Bertarelli, team chairman for Alinghi. “We would have liked to go further in the competition, but that’s what sport is all about. Congratulations to Ineos Britannia for their performance. They’re quick and make few mistakes, and we wish them all the best for the rest of the competition.”

NYYC American Magic’s journey ended

“Stepping ashore it’s brutal, it’s really tough,” says Tom Slingsby, starboard helmsman. “I mean you’re representing so many people when you’re steering one of these boats, and you’ve got sixty-plus people back at the base who are relying on you and hoping we can get there. It’s just such a wide team that put so much trust in you and it is brutal. You’ve just got to lick your wounds congratulate the better team and try to come back stronger.”

Comeback kings reunited

Matt Sheahan noted yesterday that all the skippers (who were – at that point – still in the pool for the Louis Vuitton Cup final) are experts in comebacks, individually and collectively.

“Ben Ainslie built a career on Olympic comebacks,” Sheahan says. “Tom Slingsby mounted his comeback in the games too, when he crashed out of the running in the 2008 games only to come back and take gold in 2012. And of course . . . in 2013 Jimmy Spithill and his team defied the odds to win the America’s Cup in San Franciso. For that historic comeback, there were three key players onboard that America’s Cup Boat – Spithill, Slingsby and Ainslie. The true comeback kings.” Watch Sheahan’s round-up below.

Continue browsing MIN’s latest news about the America’s Cup campaigns and surrounding hubris.

Main image above courtesy of credit Ian Roman : America’s Cup.

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