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In Cagliari, this first preliminary regatta of the 38th America's Cup served above all as an open-air laboratory. The eight competing teams sailed on equal terms on AC40s. Competing only in the fleet, with the exception of the final, the 8 crews put on an incredible show: starting on the port side, crossing at 35 knots and losing the water several times. Luna Rossa quickly found its rhythm in this field.
Luna Rossa already validates its duo
The final between Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand had the flavour of a dress rehearsal before Naples 2027. The Italian challenge won by 33 seconds, thanks to clean sailing and few errors in transitions.
Particular attention was paid to Peter Burling. Long the face of Team New Zealand, the New Zealander was discovering his new role in the Italian colors. Teaming up with Ruggero Tita, double Olympic champion in the Nacra 17, the duo showed a good complementarity in the relaunch and stabilized flight phases.
La Roche Posay Racing Team builds its automatisms
Fourth with 55 points, the French challenge finished behind the two crews of Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand. But over the course of the eight races sailed in Cagliari, the crew showed a steady rise in power.
Quentin Delapierre shared the helm with Diego Botin, Spanish Olympic champion in the 49er. It's a new partnership which still needs some sailing time to stabilize the automatisms.
The French skipper summed up this progress work: " There were a lot of good things, even if we also made a lot of mistakes. We improved throughout the weekend"
Above all, the French showed better control of starts on the final day. On these hydrofoil boats, poor positioning before the signal is immediately costly. The French crew gradually reduced this deficit.
Another point observed in Cagliari was the team's ability to quickly analyze its mistakes between races. An important quality in the modern America's Cup, where video debriefings and onboard data play a central role.
Philippe Presti is already preparing for Naples
Philippe Presti has joined the French challenge as Sporting Director, bringing rare experience to the America's Cup world. A two-time winner with Oracle Team USA, he knows the technical and psychological demands of these long campaigns.
For him, this first confrontation was above all a life-size test. " It was really a dress rehearsal for what will happen a year from now in Naples" he explained after the races.
The former tactician places particular emphasis on pressure management. On boats capable of rapidly exceeding 40 knots, the margins for error become extremely small. A poorly-coordinated maneuver can result in immediate loss of flight, and tip a race.
The French management also seems to want to establish a culture of continuous improvement rather than a focus on immediate results. A coherent approach in an America's Cup cycle where development is built over several seasons.
A hierarchy already visible before the America's Cup
Nevertheless, the final rankings show an initial trend. Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand already have a superior level of expertise in this format. The Women & Youth crews, now fully integrated into the syndicates' sports programs, are also showing a rapid rise in skill.
Final result at Cagliari:
- Luna Rossa, 63 pts
- Emirates Team New Zealand, 60 pts
- Luna Rossa Women & Youth, 59 pts
- La Roche Posay Racing Team, 55 pts
- Emirates Team New Zealand Women & Youth, 50 pts
- Tudor Team Alinghi, 40 pts
- Athena Pathway Women & Youth, 38 pts
- GB1, 27 pts
