Prada Cup
SemiFinal: Auckland, NZ, January 2021

Prada Cup Semi-Final
Day 1

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)
vs.
American Magic (USA)

Best of 7 (first to four wins) Match Race Series
Winner advances to Final
Loser is eliminated

Day 1:
Race 1: 1515h/3:15pm start
ITA beats USA, leads series 1-0
Race 2: 1615h/4:15pm start
ITA beats USA, leads series 2-0
Race Area: C

Conditions: Wind 18 kts SW (PredictWind.com), SSW 165-20 kts (Official AC), SW easing to 16-19 kts. (RepCast, see at left). Low tide 1450h. Wind against tide may build chop as the race progresses, with extra current factor due to Spring Tide.

Matchup:
Today will probably feature the strongest breeze of the series, scheduled for 2 races per day. There's the perception that lighter air favors the Italians and heavier air favors the Americans, but we've really only seen these boats in a few sporadic conditions, so that's probably too simple an assumption. When the wind was up in their previous race, American Magic looked faster in boatspeed and was pointing better, too, usually a good sign. Luna Rossa sailed a well-coordinated race, tough on tactics, against INEOS at the end of the RRs, and seems prepared to get the most out of their boat. American Magic is back on the water after heroic efforts following their capsize in RR2. The team's focus was simply returning the boat to the status quo, aiming to pick up with the known level performance they had during the previous round, not of trying to alter their configuration at the same time. That's smart from a management perspective, but Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has had the previous week to work on improvements. So the opening races today of the Semis will be a chance to see what ITA has found, and if they've gotten a step ahead of the US team. American Magic didn't hold back in their on the water testing of Patriot the last two days, and should have full confidence in their boat, which will be necessary if the forecast verifies in the high teens and gusts to 20 or more.

Race 1:
Luna Rossa entering on starboard was able to block American Magic in the pre-start and lead comfortably at the line. Extending and showing great speed, LR picked the shifts and sailed much shorter distance than AM, saving over 2600m. Finish delta is 2:43.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli wins Race 1, leads Semi-Final series 1-0

Prada Cup Semi-Final
Day 2

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)
vs.
American Magic (USA)

Going into Race 3, ITA leads the series 2-0.

Best of 7 (first to four wins) Match Race Series
Winner advances to Final
Loser is eliminated

Day 2:
Race 3: 1515h/3:15pm start
ITA beats USA, ITA now leads series 3-0
Race 4: 1615h/4:15pm start
ITA beats USA, wins series 4-0
Course: Race Area A

Conditions:
Winds 6-9 kts. NNE, but unsettled as the afternoon progresses, with a 50% chance of racing (See RepCast, at left). Winds 6 kts. NE, becoming 10 kts N (PredictWind.com). N-NWE 7-10 kts (Official).

Race Area A will be the designated area for racing, hoping to avoid the worst effects of the stall.

Matchup:
Wind conditions are the opposite of Day 1, and will be a completely different test for ITA and USA: foil early and stay up, assuming racing does get off the blocks. The AC75s can't be moded for conditions day-to-day by changing the foils, unlike 2017's yachts. There will have to be the right call on sail selection and a huge premium on the coordination to transition from displacement to foiling.

Luna Rossa is improved since the Rounds Robin, and they enjoy the luxury of being able to focus on just sailing a good race in a fast, sorted boat. American Magic, though they accomplished a near-miracle in getting their injured AC75 back on the water, still seems to be fighting to tame the boat. Rudder chatter, present since December, was more visible than ever on the helm. The afterguard was behind the curve in the pre-starts, giving up early leads in both races. Collectively, they look like they are in the phase of having a lot of small issues to solve that, if dealt with, will make the boat much faster.

American Magic has to find their groove quickly. They'll be eliminated from the 2021 regatta if they don't win at least one of two races today.

Oracle Team USA faced this in the 2013 America's Cup, working to find the sort of balance that let them stop struggling and begin sailing their AC72 to its potential . It took them half a dozen races to get a handle on that situation. American Magic looked to have the most speed in the RRs, nearly sailing away from Luna Rossa until the fateful moment. The fastest boats can be the hardest to tune and get on track. Now is the time.

 

Race 3: 6 Leg Course
Winds 10-12 kts, 25 to 40 degrees. Start on time. Both boats slightly early for the line, LR to windward, nearly even start. They tack once and on the long climb up the course Luna Rossa is pointing better, American Magic tacks away. ITA is going slightly better and leads by :13 at the first gate. ITA turns right, USA turns left.

Luna Rossa is doing slightly better downwind and extends a little bit more, :22 seconds at gate 2. Upwind again, Luna Rossa holds about a 300m lead. American Magic splits, hoping to get over to the left. Luna Rossa loosely covers, continues to extend. ITA is clearly faster here, lead is out to 400m, and :41 at the third gate, halfway through the race. American Magic is running out of opportunities in this race. And running out of races.

Downwind, American Magic finds something, and chips away at the lead. Back under 300m as they match gybes down the course. They round the bottom gate, LR turning right, AM turning left, now 19 seconds behind.

Final upwind leg. Winds are getting a little lighter, flirting with 9 kts. American Magic is hanging in there, trying to split tacks with ITA. Lead hovers about 300m. Oscillating shift for ITA, will leave USA headed into the final gate. :41 lead again for Luna Rossa at the last upwind gate. Downwind, it's about a 475m gap, American Magic not changing it, and LR is quickly more than halfway home.

Patriot maybe choose some better wind, but it's not going to make at the difference here. Luna Rossa keeps cruising and wins Race 3 by a finish delta of 34 seconds!

The series is now 3-0 Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, with one more win needed to advance to the Prada Cup Final. American Magic's back is to the wall, and they will have to win four straight.

Race 4:
Start is on time. Luna Rossa wins it, American Magic splits to the right. About 100m lead heading upwind, American Magic staying close. Nearing the top mark, American Magic can't get the board to lower, overshoots the mark, loses lots of time before they can tack and head down to the gate. Soon after rounding, they have a second problem with the foil arm, can't gybe properly. Luna ROssa is over 1.5 km ahead. This will be not only the race, but the series, and the regatta for American Magic unless something dramatic happens......and the foil won't cooperate again on the next gybe. AM gets a boundary penalty before they can gybe, but it's looking completely academic at this point. With one and a half legs to gom, American Magic is a leg behind.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will win Race 4, sweeping the Semi-Final Series 4-0, and going on to face INEOS TEAM UK for the right to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand for the America's Cup.

America's Cup Format | Race Courses | Race Areas

Prada Cup Round Robin Reports | Race Results