The second race of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals between NYYC American Magic and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli brought another thrilling battle on the waters of Barcelona. After a narrow defeat in Race 1, American Magic came out strong, eager to even the score.
With the wind picking up for the day’s second race, American Magic started with port entry, while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, already 1-0 up, had starboard. Right from the start, American Magic was handed a slight advantage when Luna Rossa briefly lost control of their rudder in the start box. However, the Italians quickly recovered, setting the stage for another close race.
American Magic was aggressive early, keeping pace and leveraging strong tactical calls by Tom Slingsby and Lucas Calabrese. The team executed clean maneuvers, and it paid off when they rounded the first mark with a 10-second lead. Patriot was flying downwind, and the crew found good pressure to extend their advantage. But just as they seemed to take control, a brief moment off the foils allowed Luna Rossa to claw back into the race.
As the teams headed back upwind, Luna Rossa closed in, forcing a fierce tactical duel. American Magic was determined not to give an inch, but Luna Rossa managed to sneak ahead with some good positioning. The Italians rounded the next mark with a small lead, and despite American Magic’s relentless pressure, they could not break the Italians’ defenses.
By the final stretch, Luna Rossa had stretched their lead to 18 seconds. Slingsby and the team pushed Patriot to its limits, closing the gap slightly as the finish line approached. However, Luna Rossa held their nerve and crossed the line first, sealing their second win of the day and a 2-0 lead in the semi-final series.
It was another incredibly close race, with just moments and minor shifts making the difference. American Magic’s performance shows they are more than capable of fighting back in this series, but they’ll need to dig deep as the first-to-five battle continues tomorrow.
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Photo: © IAN ROMAN / AMERICA’S CUP
