America’s Cup: Luna Rossa wins the preliminary races; New Zealand knocked out in the final

Luna Rossa did not disappoint its supporters; indeed, the entire length of the Via Caracciolo seafront was lined with spectators. First, it won the two qualifying races, leaving the rest of the fleet a world away, and then threw itself into the final match race against Emirates Team New Zealand with the determination to win. The Louis Vuitton Preliminary America’s Cup Regatta in Naples concludes with victory for the favourites – the Italian boat. Thus, Luna Rossa repeats its success in Cagliari and beats the Kiwis once again.

The star of the show is Peter “Pete” Burling, Luna Rossa’s chief helmsman, ably assisted by Marco Gradoni (who helms on the port side) and the trimmers Maria Giubilei and Gianluigi Ugolini. And now, who’s going to change the crew? Watching the Italian boat’s manoeuvres, it’s clear they have total control of the race course and their opponent’s moves. After all, their track record speaks for itself, with three Cup victories and two Olympic medals. And in an event that rewards technology and speed to the point of obsession, discovering that there is an athlete who wins – and indeed almost dominates – is a pleasure. We mustn’t forget Gradoni, who was an excellent helmsman, albeit with a few minor slip-ups; for him, too, the promise has been kept. Among the anxious spectators was Patrizio Bertelli, the man who began his Cup career in the last century and is still a leading figure today – a man who deserves this spectacle. The standings see Tudor Alinghi in third place, followed by the French team from La Roche-Posay, who have once again shown some very promising flashes of speed in these races.

Naples’ grand dress rehearsal as a regatta venue also went well: all promises were kept, and the turnout even exceeded expectations. Gran Dalton, the CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand and, in a sense, the master of the Cup, said: “The crowd figures over the last few days are already impressive. We’ve had an average of 80,000 spectators a day and we’re only just getting started. If we consider that the Barcelona edition attracted 1.8 million over the entire period, we’ve already exceeded all expectations.”

Among Luna Rossa’s guests yesterday was CONI President Luciano Bonfiglio, a Neapolitan born in Posillipo who was a sailor in his youth: “I gave it up when my family moved to Milan… I was in the process of buying the Flying Dutchman. Naples has been transformed by and thanks to sport and the many initiatives such as this one. Sport contributes to the development of young people, but also to that of a city.”

The Circolo del Remo e della Vela Italia is the club that challenged the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron on behalf of Luna Rossa; its president, Roberto Mottola, says: “I had no doubts about Naples’ ability to host the Cup. The whole city is embracing the event with enthusiasm, and I can see that lots of tourists have also arrived from further afield – in short, this audience isn’t made up entirely of Neapolitans. Next year we’ll have a packed programme that isn’t just about the America’s Cup; there’ll be our traditional events linked to the Tre Golfi week and the North Cup during the Cup for the maxi yachts and the 12-metre International Class, between the end of the Louis Vuitton Cup and the start of the Match.”