Day 1 racing: Sardinia AC40 fleet showcase
3 Fleet Races Complete | Cagliari, Sardinia
Leaderboard – After Day 1
| 1. Luna Rossa – Women & Youth | 25 pts |
| 2. Emirates Team New Zealand (Senior) | 20 pts |
| 3. Emirates Team NZ – Women & Youth | 20 pts |
| 4. Tudor Team Alinghi | 20 pts |
| 5. Luna Rossa (Senior) | 20 pts |
Race 3
Winner: Luna Rossa – Women & Youth
Italian double, Kiwi wipeout on the final run
A chaotic pre-start saw four boats over the line early, including Athena Pathway and France. Nathan Outteridge’s ETNZ (Senior) started cleanly and locked into a fierce battle with Great Britain’s GB1 for the lead. However, the rising 20-knot wind and a short, brutal Mediterranean chop turned the final downwind leg into a survival test. The ETNZ Senior AC40 lost stability at high speed, resulting in a dramatic nose-diving capsize on the final run. This allowed Marco Gradoni and the Luna Rossa Youth team to sweep past for their second win of the day, followed closely by the Luna Rossa Senior boat.
Seconds from the finish line ETNZ’s lead evaporates in the blink of an eye
On-Board Comms
ETNZ Senior (Nathan Outteridge): “Keep the bow up, it’s really twitchy in this chop! Watch the rudder depth… whoa, losing it, losing it – hold on!”
TV Commentary
“The Kiwis are pushing hard on the boundary – oh, they’ve stuffed it! A massive nose-dive for Team New Zealand on the final leg! The boat is dead in the water, and the Italian youth crew are absolutely flying past!”
Management Debrief
Erica Dawson (ETNZ Women & Youth Starboard Helm): “It ended up a pretty breezy, challenging day. In the last race, we were getting around 18 to 20 knots. Our goal was to just keep things super simple and minimise manoeuvres. The boats are awesome; it’s just really, really cool sailing.”
Race 2
Winner: Emirates Team New Zealand (Senior)
Kiwis strike back; high-speed British capsize
Pushed into a corner after a tough first race, Outteridge executed a brave, aggressive port-tack start to cross the fleet and claim the early lead. Luna Rossa mounted a furious mid-race charge, trading razor-thin, high-speed crosses above 40 knots. The Kiwis held their nerve, countering every attack to claim their first win of the AC38 cycle. Behind them, the British Athena Pathway crew lost control on the final downwind run, spinning into a violent capsize. The crew escaped uninjured but were forced to retire.
Luna Rossa came hunting but ETNZ delivered a gutsy Race 2 win
On-Board Comms
Athena Pathway (Hannah Mills): “Gybing here… wait, the rudder’s out! We’re going over, watch out!”
TV Commentary
“Look at the pace on New Zealand, they are defending the left perfectly. But look behind – the British boat has capsized! Athena Pathway has gone rubber-side up on the final sprint!”
Management Debrief
Phil Robertson (Tudor Team Alinghi): “Tricky race for sure. We caught three boundary penalties on that opening upwind leg which dropped us deep, but we settled into a cleaner rhythm as rivals made mistakes.”
Race 1
Winner: Luna Rossa – Women & Youth
Local Women and Youth stun the fleet; immediate penalty drama
The highly anticipated opening race of the 38th America’s Cup cycle began in a solid 15-knot southerly breeze. The local Italian W&Y crew, steered by prodigy Marco Gradoni, won the start cleanly. ETNZ (principal) attempted an early tactical tack, resulting in a heated boat-on-boat protest. The jury penalised the Kiwis, dropping them far back into the pack. Gradoni capitalised perfectly, extending away to an authoritative 35-second, 650-metre victory over the French. Meanwhile, the principal Luna Rossa boat nearly capsized at the final mark, dropping to 7th.
On-Board Comms
Luna Rossa Youth (Marco Gradoni): “We have the hook, squeeze them up. Nice start. Let’s keep it smooth on the foils.”
TV Commentary
“The crowd at Lazzaretto is on their feet! The atmosphere here in Cagliari is electric! The kids have absolutely schooled the senior fleet in Race 1!”
Pre-Race
The “Bay of Angels” Delivers the Heat
Conditions were spectacular off Cagliari, Sardinia. The Gulf of Angels delivered a textbook offshore southerly breeze building from 15 to 20 knots, accompanied by a sharp, developing Mediterranean wave chop. In these fully equalised, one-design AC40 monohulls, survival and flawless boathandling would dictate the scorelines on Day 1.
Racing continues on Day 2 with three further fleet races scheduled. Luna Rossa’s Women & Youth crew hold the lead, but with four teams locked on 20 points, the standings remain wide open heading into tomorrow.
