Ineos defeats Luna Rossa in Louis Vuitton Cup play-off: a blow for the Italian crew

Another bad day for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli that cashes in on a disqualification and a second defeat against Ineos Britannia that seems to be launched towards an important performance growth. Luna Rossa was first stopped by a breakdown to the right "paw" that cost her a disqualification for going out of bounds and then in a race that was a photocopy of the one of the other day in which Ineos after the start always showed its exhaust pipes. You have to take the good news, which is that after yesterday's racing Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is inside the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. As Checco Bruni always said, you have to grow day by day. "We are in the semi-finals, that is the important thing," says Checco Bruni, helmsman of the Italian boat, "we are not completely satisfied, but this is how things are going, we knew we would have a few bad days. Sir Ben responds from his cockpit "we didn't expect it, but it's a step forward to bring the Cup back to the Solent" or rather to the Royal Yacht Squadron.

The race between the two was for the head-to-head tie-breaker and it is now up to the British to choose their opponent. It is likely to be Alinghi Red Bull Racing, which has won three points including one due to Luna Rossa's disqualification. On Friday we will know which team Sir Ben Ainslie has chosen as his opponent. The round robin ranking is quite truthful about the boats' current performance. Ineos Britannia, the only one that has beaten ours, has been able to grow every day. One of the merits may be the harmony in the coxswain pair Sir Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher who seem to be getting better and better every day. Ben has chosen not to have his friend-enemy Giles Scott on board, replaced by the determined and attentive young Dylan.

The ranking that includes Emirates Team New Zealand sees the Kiwis in the lead with eight wins and two losses, followed by Ineo and Luna Rossa. The Kiwis are strong, but have not looked as unbeatable as they have in the past. That incident with the crane could be the symptom that some carelessness happens. American Magic is going through a difficult moment: skipper Paul Goodison fell into a hatchway and apparently broke some ribs, in his place on board there is a boy of Argentinian origin but there are few doubts that he is a descendant of Italian immigrants, in fact his name is Lucas Calabrese, he has always trained as third helmsman and he is not unfamiliar with AC75. Now the skipper has become Tom Slingsby who was the deputy. From the base of Alinghi Red Bull Racing the bells have been ringing, for now the Red Bull Racing team has conquered what for such a gifted team is the minimum objective, namely the semi-finals. Now the commitment is to grow. The French of Orient Express become spectators, their exclusion was entirely expected, it is a team with few funds but whose goal is to participate in a next edition. An intention that was confirmed by the CEO of Accor Group, sailing enthusiast and owner of a 'P-class' like Patrizio Bertelli, Sebastien Bazin.