Luna Rossa, no time to celebrate: challenge with Ineos around the corner

The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli party was frugal: a few beers in the shed all together. Then home, to rest "I'll have my two camomiles with my wife," jokes Checco Bruni. Max Sirena and his wife Tatiana were spotted on the tram on their way home. In fact, the younger ones went to the usual Thursday bar, where all the teams are gathered in groups wearing the same colour shirts and no one talks about the regatta, or almost. Those who drop by to shower first are immediately made fun of. Even young heroes such as Marco Gradoni who is winning the Unicredit Youth America's Cup where he finds very little competition. It is a useful and intentional race but not entirely perfect: there are only six boats available to the teams and in the hands of the less experienced, especially the invited teams who are not the children of a real challenge, they often have to be readjusted.

As a precaution, the committee does not send the more immature ones out for fear of putting them in trouble. After all, Wednesday evening's was certainly not going to be the right celebration, as everyone inside and outside the team expected more. First of all patron Patrizio Bertelli, who totalled six challenges taken part and one as no one has done in the history of the Cup, Thomas Lipton arrived at five, demonstrating an infinite passion that he also likes to call obstinacy, determination, a will to win that has enveloped him since the first challenge presented, and it is a bit of an impression to write this, at the end of the last century: his decision was made on 3 February 1997.

In 2000 Red Moon lost to the Kiwis and Peter Blake wrote him a letter. "He wrote me that to win you have to try and try again with determination," he says, "and I am here.

Since yesterday at Luna Rossa's base, the shore team has been working hard: small changes to the boat from which they expect great results, in fact the regulations do not allow the components to be changed and somehow inhibit growth and speed gains. Then it's off to sea to test, to see if the ideas were right, to try out the new sails which have to be 'fresh' for the big challenge against Ineos Britannia which has had a couple of extra days for these operations. We will only understand on the field if the bloody battle against American Magic served to train ours with new match race situations and flight hours or if it tired them out. Meanwhile Emirates Team New Zealand trains and watches. One of the last days Peter Burling and his mates were at sea for nine hours, testing relentlessly. The day before yesterday, after training, they took down the sails and stopped to watch the last race from the boat, even paying a compliment to ours. It starts again next Thursday, with live broadcasts on Italia 1 free to air and Sky Sport by subscription.