Round Robin 3 – Race 2
Start: 17:20
Port: ITA
Stbd: GBR
Course: C
Axis: 227
Length: 1.9nm
Current: 0.2 knots @ 316
Wind: 18-22 knots / 240 degrees
Winner: INEOS TEAM UK +33 seconds
If the tension surrounding this Italian/British shoot out for the right to jump straight to the PRADA Cup final wasn’t enough, the weather was about to throw plenty of more stress into the mix.
As the start time arrived, the breeze was shifting back and forth across the racecourse, preventing the race committee from setting a fair course.
As a series of delays followed, pushing the start back by almost an hour, news then came that INEOS TEAM UK needed to play their ‘delay card’ of 15mins as they struggled to repair a problem with the cunningham, one of the key controls for the mainsail.
By the time the race did start at 17:20 the breeze was up towards 20 knots at times and still clearly very shifty. In the pre-start and with just a few seconds to go there were the first indications that this would be a closely fought race.
As they crossed the line, both were at the pin end, INEOS TEAM UK to windward, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to leeward. As they headed out towards the left-hand side of the course INEOS was first to tack away. Luna Rossa followed shortly afterward and when the pair came back together on the right-hand side of the course they were still neck and neck. Luna Rossa tacked underneath but was slow to come out of the tack. From here, the close battle continued to the first gate where INEOS rounded just 2 seconds ahead of Luna Rossa.
Drag racing down Leg 2 both were on port tack with Luna Rossa slightly lower and faster. But when they came back together, the Italians had lost out as the British crossed ahead. At Gate 2 the British lead had increased to 9 seconds as they rounded the left-hand mark. Luna Rossa took the right.
The next time they came back together Luna Rossa had taken the lead, the Italians appeared to be in phase with the shifts and were capitalizing on it, pulling out more distance. By Gate 3 their lead was 19sec. But there was plenty more left in this match.
Once again, the pair took opposite marks as they headed down leg 4. When they came back together this time BRITANNIA had taken distance out of their opponents and by Gate 4 the gap was down to 10sec.
As both boats went around the right-hand mark, Luna Rossa headed out to the right while INEOS TEAM UK pulled off a more tricky tack around the mark to split from Luna Rossa who saw the move and tacked to cover.
Both now on starboard, when the British team came back they were now just a boat length apart as INEOS TEAM UK passed just behind them.
From there, Sir Ben Ainslie pushed out to the right, they needed the breeze to swing in their favor to capitalise on their move to the right of the course. The next time that they came back together, INEOS TEAM UK was ahead as they crossed the bow of the Italians on starboard. The tables had turned yet again.
From here, just over one leg lay between the British quest to jump to the final and the Italian hopes to keep their fast track to the Prada Cup alive. By the top mark for the last time, Gate 5 there was just one second between the pair as they headed down the final downwind leg.
Once again, they took opposite marks and they came back together INEOS TEAM UK were on starboard, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on port, the British were ahead by no more than a second as both tacticians talked of the left hand side being the better side.
For the next cross into the finish, INEOS TEAM UK were on port but could lay the finish, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli couldn’t and tried to get INEOS TEAM UK on a port starboard. As they approached the stern of the British boat, Luna Rossa called a protest as they claimed they had to avoid the give way boat. The umpires didn’t agree. The Italians had played their last card, it hadn’t worked and Sir Ben Ainslie cut the finish line 33 seconds ahead.
NEXT RACE: Sunday 24th of January 2021-
INEOS TEAM UK vs LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI – Start at 16:00 NZT
Cover photo: 23/01/21 – Auckland (NZL) 36th America’s Cup presented by Prada. PRADA Cup 2021 – Ineos Team UK wins the PRADA Cup 2021. Photo by COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi
