It would be really nice, for the first time in 170 years, to bring the oldest sailing trophy to Italy, as well as the oldest ever considering the trophies for which it is still competing. The America's Cup, established in 1851 (on the occasion of the London Expo, with the challenge between the British Royal Yacht Squadron and the New York Yacht Club, which won and still has the record of victories, 25), is older than Wimbledon, rugby's 5 Nations (later to become 6 Nations), even of the Boat Race, the historic rowing regatta that sees Oxford and Cambridge compete every year, since 1856. Never as in this edition, with the advent of the very fast AC75 class, which almost fly over the water , the America's Cup is the Formula 1 of the sea, an event with extremely high technological, industrial, know-how as well as sporting value.
Precisely for this reason, because in Formula 1 we are multiple winners with Ferrari and because sailing, for a people of "saints, poets and navigators" (but also "of artists, heroes, thinkers, scientists and transmigrants", to name it well), it can be less, the victory of Luna Rossa would be nice, speaking of technological and industrial value is supported by two giants of Made in Italy such as Prada and Pirelli, who put money and skills into it. And from a squadron that brings together the best sailors, strategists, technicians and sailing experts from North to South, from the Romagna of the skypper Max Sirena, to the Liguria of the strategist Pietro Sibello, from the Sicily of the helmsman Checcho Bruno to the Trieste of the tactician Vasco Vascotto, only to name a few. Not to mention that the official headquarters of the boat is Cagliari and that there is an international touch Australian skypper James Spithill, one who already won the cup in 2013 at the helm of BMW Oracle. A squadron that has shaped itself over time, through a few victories and many defeats: Luna Rossa made its debut in the America's Cup 21 years ago, when it surprisingly conquered the Louis Vuitton Cup by knocking out the favorite Americans, only to then lose the final against the New Zealanders.
It will be Team New Zealand, again, the opponent of grand final starting in Auckland on Wednesday 10 March, more precisely in the night between Tuesday and Wednesday for those who follow from Italy. Twenty-one years later, Luna Rossa reaches the last act after having regained the challenger trophy (which today is called the Prada Cup), dominating the English of Ineos, who would have given their soul to shake off the complex of competing for a trophy invented but never won: “Finally we can say we are in the America's Cup. We have faced a long journey with ups and downs over the last few months and we are happy to have won the Prada Cup and to have unmarked one of our objectives, that of racing against the Defender. It is an important moment for the team and represents the result of these last three years of work. We have shown that we never give up, even when they thought we were doomed”, proudly says Max Sirena, skypper and team director of the Italian expedition.
“The big wednesday”, announces the America's Cup site resoundingly to present the grand final. New Zealanders are the holders of the title and they are very fast: they are always the favourites. After the two tests scheduled for Wednesday, there will be a day off and then the resumption of competitions over the weekend, starting on Friday. We compete in the best of 13 regattas: whoever comes first to 7 wins raises the cup. From Italy it will be possible to follow all the regattas on TV, on various channels, around four in the morning. In Auckland, however, Covid will prevent there from being an atmosphere worthy of the event: at least until Friday in the New Zealand city the Covid alert level 2 has been imposed, for which the regatta fields near the coast will be banned to avoid gatherings. The only courses available will be Course A, towards Takapuna, and Course E in the Waiheke Island area.
The race takes place in the legendary Hauraki Gulf, the same as 21 years ago: the 36th edition of the America's Cup is up for grabs, a trophy that no Italian boat has ever won. Before Luna Rossa, the Moor of Venice tried it in 1992, but was defeated in San Diego by hosts America Cube. The New Zealanders, on the other hand, have won this trophy three times, the first in 1995: by defeating Luna Rossa, they would go on to four victories, overtaking the Americans of the San Diego Yacht Club. In 35 editions, only twice (with the Swiss team Alinghi) has America's Cup ended up in Europe, or rather in a country other than the USA or New Zealand. To play the charge is Spithill, who already beat the New Zealanders in the 2013 final, completing the greatest comeback in history (from 1-8 to 9-8!): “New Zealand is the favourite, but it doesn't have the guarantee to win".
