Damiani Italia Challenge leads Emirates Team New Zealand downwind. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Damiani Italia Challenge.
by Gabriele Cutini (in translation)
At the earliest opportunity, Damiani Italy Challenge balanced the accounts with Emirates Team New Zealand, providing the crew of Dean Barker with a defeat in the opening match of Round Robin 2 of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. A victory that is not simply about the assignment of points – the success against the Kiwis, qualified of right for the grand final, serves to appreciate the equality of level – it is good for the morale and begins the second round robin races in a better frame of mind.
With a wind between the 12 and the 15 knots, the match saw the crews on board the New Zealand hulls.
The team of the skipper of Francesco Bruni immediately took the lead in the race, thanks to the intuition of Vasco Vascotto in choosing the right hand side of the course. This allowed them to gain sufficient ground to take on their opponent in a tacking duel.
After gaining an advantage of 11 seconds, Damiani Italy Challenge managed the race with determination, hindering Dean Barker from returning to the competition.
Tomorrow, on board NZL-92, Damiani Italy Challenge will challenge Alinghi, the holder of the America' s Cup that today inflicted defeat on the previousle invincibile Team Origin.
Gabrio Zandonà, coach of Damiani Italy Challenge: "We were fortunate early on and then showed our capabilities. After the start the Kiwis were in a position of slight advantage, but the first shift of the wind to the right gave us sufficient metres to cross them. From that moment, manoeuvring in an efficient manner and cleaned, we were able to hold them off. In the second crossing, it was the choice of Vasco to defend the right hand side of the course, also to begin to protect the left".
Francesco Bruni, skipper of Damiani Italy Challenge: "It was an attractive day. We beat the New Zealanders on their boats, after a start with the disadvantage of the left. For us, it is the third victory in five races and we are not able to be other that satisfied".
Damiani Italia Challenge
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