Both teams have already won today. The Italians are sending their silver bullet and its winning streak into the start box. Both boats are on both foils, like training wheels for the bouncy conditions. Ineos wants to sail across the front of Luna Rossa to take the leeward spot. Luna Rossa is happy to let them have it. Heading for the line, both boats are down on speed, lifting their windward foils on final approach for speed with a slight advantage to Ineos. Well, that is a surprise. And if you like that one, keep watching.
On leg one, Ineos is in control and forcing Luna Rossa back to the left.
Ineos is on a smaller jib which worked for ETNZ. Text buddy Rosco comments that Luna Rossa just isn’t looking comfortable upwind.
Ineos leads into gate one and with Luna Rossa on their heels, Ineos needs to keep it clean but just as I am typing that, Luna Rosa does a shocker coming out of the mark.
Leg two: ‘The Italians will be just about out of tear-offs by now,’ says Glenn Ashby in another Aussie classic. ‘They are just getting roostered.’
Yep, and so it continues. Every delta a little more painful than the last. It is good to see a chink in the silver armour but we’ve seen this movie before and Jimmy always comes back – doesn’t he?
I wonder if Peter Burling is watching this. Of course he is. Although I’m also getting flashbacks to 2021, when Ineos failed to score in the Christmas regatta, then sailed a winning streak through the round robins. Meanwhile Luna Rossa found a heap more speed and won nearly every race against the British in the finals. Jimmy Spithill later credited Ben with making him sail better.
Then it happens on the final leg: in the big swells, the rudder lets go on Ineos Britannia. They do big leaps and dives off through the swells like a dolphin. Ben Ainslie yells: ‘Board down! Board down! Board down!’
It’s a glimpse of hope for Luna Rossa but with a lead of 500m, Ineos has enough in the bank to recover and take the biggest scalp of all in this regatta – the first defeat of Luna Rossa.
© Rebecca Hayter
Photo credit: Ian Roman, America's Cup
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