Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has beaten American Magic in the Prada Cup Semi-Final. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will move on to face INEOS Team UK in the finals, while American Magic has been eliminated.
American Magic’s defeat comes after an early departure from the round-robin portion of the Prada Cup when a tip resulted in significant damage to their boat, Patriot. With the help of Emirates Team New Zealand, they rewired, patched and rerigged, but even though the boat made it to the starting line in time, the repairs were untested, and the team had missed out on critical racing experience. When they rejoined the competition in the semi-final, they were no match for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
The current standings are somewhat of an upset as, in last month’s America’s Cup World Series, American Magic had great boat speed and seemed likely to be the strongest contender to face Emirates Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup. On the flip side, INEOS Team UK struggled with speed and made mistakes that cost them races. But everyone loves an underdog, and they are now the favorite team by a healthy margin.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and INEOS Team UK will face off for the Prada Cup finals Feb 13-22, and the winner will advance on to the America’s Cup.
For more, visit americascup.com
February 2021
