We’re gaining all the time, say Luna Rossa
Italian challengers Luna Rossa believe they are already closing the gap on the advantage America’s Cup holders Team New Zealand have over them in high winds.
Luna Rossa skipper Max Sirena readily acknowledged the Kiwi speed advantage in that zone after the world series regatta where Team New Zealand blitzed them by 3min 12sec in a decent south-westerly wind on the inner-city course of Auckland’s Waitemata Harbour.
A motivated Luna Rossa were the first challengers out of the shed after Christmas, looking to utilise the strong south-westerlies that buffeted Auckland earlier this week.
And, according to co-helmsman Francesco Bruni, they have made decent gains.
‘‘We encountered that strong wind that was needed to improve in the conditions where ETNZ has shown to have an advantage at the moment,’’ Bruni told Italian yachting site Fare Vela.
‘‘We tried many solutions including adjustments, appendices [and] settings. It was three very profitable days just to grow in medium-strong wind conditions. We have tried many solutions ... but I can’t tell you what we discovered.’’
Bruni acknowledged the potency of Team New Zealand’s Te Rehutai which cleverly covered the broad wind range the world series delivered.
‘‘I have seen several clever things on their boat.
‘‘For now they are with a foil configuration geared for medium to strong wind, although they have an incredible ability to adapt even to light wind,’’ Bruni told Fare Vela.
Max Sirena
Luna Rossa skipper
‘‘They were good at racing in light winds, with foils that tended to be small.
‘‘I think we have a successful package, but you all saw that with little wind we competed well. I hope that these steps forward that we have made in strong winds in this period can take us high.’’
Luna Rossa are busy preparing for the Prada Cup challenger series that starts on January 15 while Team New Zealand must now train alone until the start of the America’s Cup match on March 6.
Bruni says there is plenty to play out over the next two months and keeping track of the Team New Zealand’s development will be difficult with the challengers consumed by racing.
‘‘It’s still long, and we still have a lot of meat to put on the fire, both us and them, so it’s still too early to tell. Unfortunately we will not meet them again until March ... we hope to see them in March . . .’’
Of the fellow challengers, Bruni felt American Magic had ‘‘a good package’’ but were vulnerable in light winds, while he backed struggling INEOS Team UK to become more competitive after their disastrous world series effort that was plagued by breakdowns and serious deficiencies in light conditions.
Bruni told Fare Vela he is a fan of the ‘‘wonderful’’ AC75 boat.
‘‘Three years ago I was sceptical about the new class. I said to myself, ‘too many computer simulations and little sailing’, but now that we have them, and we are sailing, I must say that it is a very successful boat, a good project.
‘‘They are amazing racing objects, which surprise us too and give us great sensations, especially upwind, when we reach 35-36 knots with VMG close to 30, we are amazed.
‘‘I have to say that I would like them to remain as an America’s Cup class regardless of who wins the Cup. A really nice object.’’
‘‘We have tried many solutions . . . but I can’t tell you what we discovered.’’