The thirteen-race series will be contested between INEOS Team UK from Great Britain and Itay’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were the first team to win seven races will win the Prada Cup, the qualifying series to the America’s Cup 2021. Sailing’s Prada Cup Challenger Series is set to be raced from 13 to 22 February in Auckland, New Zealand.
Light and changing wind conditions are expected in Auckland on Saturday and Course A has been announced as the stage for the opening races of the event.
Team UK and Luna Rossa also are in competition to have some control over the next America’s Cup. Luna Rossa has served as Challenger of Record under Cup-holder Team New Zealand which allows them to jointly determine the rules of the regatta and the type of boats that are used.
Who will take part Prada Cup Final?
Team UK and Luna Rossa also are in competition to have some control over the next America’s Cup. Luna Rossa has served as Challenger of Record under Cup-holder Team New Zealand which allows them to jointly determine the rules of the regatta and the type of boats that are used.
INEOS Team UK
The initial round-robin phase of the Prada Cup saw INEOS Team UK remain undefeated as they racked up six victories.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli meanwhile managed three victories and was defeated three times. Significantly, the three losses were from their three races against the British team.
The Italians come into the finals in search of their first win against INEOS Team UK and will have no doubt have picked apart their previous encounters in order to strategise a route to victory over their rivals.
Luna Rossa (Team Italy)
The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team are led by skipper and team director Max Sirena, a two-time winner who is taking part in his seventh America’s Cup challenge.
Also racing for the Italians is three-time Olympian Francesco Bruni. The 47-year-old made his Olympic debut in Atlanta in 1996 where he finished 12th in the laser class. His attempts at Sydney 2000 and Athens 2004 did not yield a medal but his depth of experience will be an asset out at sea.
Bruni is very familiar with his current team, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, as he first raced with them back in 2003 when it was known as Luna Rossa Challenge.
Ainslie has been racing in the America’s Cup since 2005 and brings with him a wealth of experience. He was integral in Oracle Team USA‘s remarkable turnaround victory against Emirates Team New Zealand in 2013.
America’s Cup 2021: Prada Cup Final Live Stream and TV Guide
This weekend’s sailing action is available via some major TV packages like NBC Sports Gold Pass as well as YouTube and Facebook. All eyes will be on the American Magic team as their Patriot returns to action following emergency repairs.
Every race of the America’s Cup series will be shown live on Sky Sports, normally Sky Sports Mix. The BBC will be also be showing the semi-final and final of the Prada Cup, as well as decisive race days during the America’s Cup match itself. The America’s Cup YouTube channel also has a live stream.
With the round robins done and dusted, the two remaining challengers face off in a best of seven (first to four wins) races to determine who will take on Ineos Team UK, who booked their place in the Prada Cup final by being the top team in the round robins.
The main story coming into the semis will be the state of American Magic’s AC75, which underwent severe repairs after its dramatic capsize in the first week of Prada Cup racing.
The Americans will be a relatively unknown prospect, having only a few days of practice time after re-launching Patriot 2.0 on Wednesday.
Terry Hutchinson’s crew were the top challenger in the World Series event in December and were the only team to beat the defenders’ Team NZ.
However, it was a different story in the Prada Cup round robins where American Magic was winless, including two losses to Luna Rossa – suffering a capsize in the second race to put them out of the water for nine days. NBC Sports Gold Live
2021 Prada Cup Final Schedule
The Prada Cup final will be a best of 13 series, with the winner moving on to challenge Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup match in March. There will be two races per race day of the Prada Cup final. The racing window for each race day will be around 4 pm-6 pm, with the first race of each day scheduled for 4.15 pm.
Feb 13: Race 1 and 2
Feb 14: Race 3 and 4
Feb 17: Race 5 and 6
Feb 19: Race 7 and 8
Feb 20: Race 9 and 10
Feb 21: Race 11 and 12
Feb 22: Race 13
The Prada Cup is the first stage regatta of what is perhaps the most prestigious international sailing event, the America’s Cup.
This is the first-ever Prada Cup (formally called the Louis Vuitton Cup) and three challengers are vying to take the final spot in the 36th edition of the America’s Cup to race against Emirates Team New Zealand.
This challenger series consists of four Round Robin races, a semi-final and the finals. Ineos Team UK, Luna Rossa Challenge from Italy and American Magic from New York have already completed two of the Round Robins, with the American team capsizing on January 17.
The third and fourth Round Robins have been rescheduled – Race 2 of the third Round Robin was to take place on January 22, but has been moved by a day to January 23, while all three races (including the ‘ghost race’) of Round Robin 4 will be held on January 23-24.
Sirena’s first win was in the 33rd America’s Cup in 2010 with BMW Oracle Racing and his second was in the 35th America’s Cup (2017) with reigning champions, Emirates Team New Zealand.
However, his current campaign with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, for which he first raced in 2000, is dear to his heart as it will be the Italian’s opportunity to claim the title with an Italian team. For more updates visit the main source of America’s Cup 2021: Prada Cup final news
