The 36th America’s Cup is still in its preliminary stage, with the challenger to be decided from the three official team entries.
Friday will see the start of another stage of the Prada Cup Challenger Selection racing and at the end of this ‘first to win four race series’ one of the competing teams will be eliminated from the event.
This semi-final series will see the repaired and relaunched NYYC American Magic boat, Patriot, face the Italian entry Luna Rossa in a maximum of seven races over four days, starting Friday 29 January.
The route to the Prada Cup semi-final has been very different for the two competing teams.
After the capsize and near sinking of Patriot in their round robin race with Luna Rossa, the American team spent nine days rebuilding their damaged hull, and refitting the water damaged internal systems in order to race in the semi-final.
While Luna Rossa went on to face Ineos Team UK in the re-organised round robin races.
Beaten by the British team’s Britannia, which finished overall winner and went straight to the Final, Luna Rossa now face the Americans in the semi-final for the other Prada Cup Final place.
Expect fireworks as the two teams battle to stay in the game.
In last minute Arbitration Panel decision . . .
They ruled that Luna Rossa must carry their two running backstays, in a tensioned position as specified in the rig plan, as do all the other teams.
Also . . . The Challenger of Record, Team Luna Rossa, has cancelled the option for a competitor to request a 15 minute delay to the start if there is a breakdown on board their AC75.
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