Two More Wins For Prada

Team Prada, with Francesco de Angelis as skipper and helmsman, sailed another two good races with Luna Rossa (ITA 45) today.

The weather conditions on the race course were not ideal, with very light shifting winds which put under test the tactics of each team.

In the first race Prada was against Young Australia 2000 (with the youngest skipper in America's Cup history; 20 years old James Spithill); the Australians had a better start over Luna Rossa but were overtaken during the first windward mark. Prada stretched their lead throughout the rest of the race and finished 14 minutes and 43 seconds ahead.

In the second race of the day Prada was against Team Dennis Conner (helmsman Ken Read). At the start Luna Rossa was ahead of the Americans by 4 seconds, and maintained the lead for the rest of the race winning by 5 minutes and 4 seconds.

During the races today Luna Rossa had a man on top of the mast for quiet a while: this because in light and puffy wind conditions it is extremely important to have a good view of the whole racing area, and the position on the mast is ideal. Michele Ivaldi is the crew member who was on the mast today.

Torben Grael, tactician on Luna Rossa, said: "Today's race conditions have been quite unpredictable, especially during the first race when the wind direction kept shifting and there were many patches of no wind. The second race, against Dennis Conner, was better because the wind was a little stronger and more stable and the tactical decisions were less problematic".

Wednesday's Weather:
N-NE wind, 10-15 knots. Increasing cloudiness.

Wednesday's Racing:
Tomorrow, 20 October, the racing is scheduled as follows (first start at 10.40 approx):

REGATA 5 - Not racing AmericaOne
1st match Spanish Challenge vs Prada Challenge (start at 10.40 am local time)
2nd match Nippon Challenge vs Dennis Conner (start at 10.50 am local time)
3rd match Young America vs Le Defi BTT (start at 11.00 am local time)
4th match Abracadabra 2000 vs America True (start at 10.40 am local time)
5th match FAST2000 vs Young Australia 2000 (start at 10.50 am local time)

REGATA 6 - Not racing Young America
1st match Le Defi BTT vs AmericaOne
2nd match Young Australia 2000 vs Nippon Challenge
3rd match Abracadabra 2000 vs Spanish Challenge
4th match America True vs Prada Challenge
5th match Team Dennis Conner vs FAST2000

RESULTS AFTER DAY TWO OF ROUND ROBIN 1 (1 point per win)
4 points - ITA 45 (Luna Rossa)
4 points - USA 49 (AmericaOne)
4 points - USA 53 (Young America)
3 points - USA 54 (Abracadabra 2000)
1 point - JPN 44 (Asura)
1 point - FRA 46 (6eme Sens)
1 point - USA 55 (Stars & Stripes)
1 point - ESP 47 (Bravo Espana)
1 point - USA 51 (America True)
0 points - AUS 29 (Young Australia 2000)
0 points - SUI 59 (be hAPpy)

Tuesday's Racing:
RACE 3 - not racing America True
1st match Spanish Challenge wins over Le Defi BTT (55 seconds)
2nd match AmericaOne wins over FAST2000 (14 minutes 1 second)
3rd match Abracadabra 2000 wins against Team Dennis Conner (3 minutes 50 seconds)
4th match Prada Challenge wins over Young Australia (14 minutes 43 seconds)
5th match Young America wins over Nippon (1 minute 32 seconds)

RACE 4 - not racing Spanish Challenge
1st match Abracadabra 2000 wins over Young Australia 2000 (1 minute 54 seconds)
2nd match Young America wins over FAST2000 (4 minutes 50 seconds)
3rd match AmericaOne wins over Nippon Challenge (2 minutes 26 seconds)
4th match Prada Challenge wins over Dennis Conner (5 minutes 4 seconds)
5th match America True Le Defi BTT (54 seconds)

RACE COURSE
Windward-leeward format, 12.5 nautical miles; four legs, two upwind and two downwind; the first and the last legs are 3.25 miles long, the others 3.00 miles.

Tuesday's Weather:
N-NE breeze, 9-13 knots. Sunny with scattered clouds; more clouds in the afternoon. Wind waves up to 0.5 metres.

© Scoop Media