INEOS Britannia, one victory away from challenging Emirates for the Copa América
The tie was finally broken in the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup from which the challenge that challenges Emirates Team New Zealand for the Hundred Guineas Jug will emerge. The INEOS Britannia won both races on the fifth day at Luna Rossa, is 6-4 overall and is just one victory away from being the champion of the Challengers Tournament and, therefore, being the boat that challenges the New Zealanders, defending champions.
After four days in which equality was maximum and ended with a victory for each team, the one led by Sir Ben Ainslie taking the lead. The British, who have gone from less to more in the competitionare the Challenger of Record (first team to challenge the winner of the previous edition) of the 37th America’s Cup. Never has a British team achieved the feat of becoming champion of the oldest sporting trophy in the world. since losing the first race around the Isle of Wight in 1851 to the schooner America, representing the New York Yatch Club.
After three days of Garbí wind, the Levante made its appearance in the bay of Barcelona which complicated navigation as there were more waves. With winds around 16 knots (almost 30 km/h), the first race of the day – the ninth of the final series – began very evenly. INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli reached the first mark with only 2 seconds of difference after four lead changes in the first stage. But the britishto whom the two-time Olympic medalist Xabi Fernández trains, They knew how to read the race course better and had one point more speed which already in the second made them increase the distance to more than 150 meters.
When the transalpines were closing the distance with their rival, An error by Luna Rossa when taking the mark to start the fifth stage left them stucka circumstance that INEOS took advantage of to increase the meter advantage on the regatta course to almost 300.
INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa, on the fifth day of the Louis Vuitton Cup final.
Better in difficult conditions
The team of Ainslie, the most successful Olympic sailor in history and winner of the America’s Cup with Oracle Team USA in 2013did not give in from then on and flew without cracks taking each buoy on the side most favored by the wind. The INEOS took 27 minutes and 35 seconds to complete the 8 sections while the silver Italian AC75 crossed the finish line 23 seconds later. The British struck first (5-4). “We have handled the difficult situations on the race course very well,” Ainslie acknowledged before the last race of the day.
Today we contradicted the Italian press
“There was a lot of debate in the Italian press that Luna Rossa could win the regatta alone and today we have shown them otherwise”said the four-time British Olympic champion. “It has been a great job by the team. It is very difficult to sail these boats with so much swell. It is difficult to explain it to people, but we are very happy to have achieved two victories,” concluded Ainslie.
“Today there was very complicated conditions. Congratulations to INEOS for the two victories. We have fought until the end and we will go for it again on the next day“, responded Jimmy Spithill, one of the two skippers of the Italian team.
We have fought until the end
In it, the British made a great start and after the halfway point of the race they took the lead until the end. With 6-4 in the box, this Friday it is enough for them to add a victory in any of the two scheduled regattas to become champion of the Challengers Tournament. Tomorrow is a day of rest.
