LUNA ROSSA WINS AGAIN

Another good day of racing for Luna Rossa with Francesco de Angelis at the helm, who managed to win both regattas sailed today.

The start of the first race, scheduled for 10.40 am local time, was delayed of 20 minutes approximately because the wind, very light, was shifting. At the start Luna Rossa managed to get the best position over Bravo Espana (helmsman Pedro Campos) and rounded the top mark 1 minute and 25 seconds ahead. The wind increased to 10-12 knots and the Spanish boat came closer to Luna Rossa in the downwind leg. During the last round of the course the wind kept building, with gusts up to 20 knots. Luna Rossa continued well during the rest of the race and crossed the finish 1 minute and 2 seconds behind the Italians.

The second race of the day for team Prada was postponed, too, this time due to a gear failure on America True (helmsman John Cutler). Luna Rossa won the start and managed to keep his rival at bay during the first lap of the course, rounding the first leeward mark 59 seconds ahead. In the second and last windward leg the Italian boat decided to go left without covering America True.

This tactical decision proved to be the right one, and Luna Rossa rounded the top mark with a lead of 1 minute and 30 seconds. America True followed and, with the wind dropped to 12 knots, crossed the finish line 1 minute and 25 seconds behind.

Torben Grael, tactician of team Prada, said: "Today we had better conditions than yesterday, more stable. Francesco de Angelis made two good starts making life easier for me. Boat speed is not a problem for the time being for us".
Tomorrow Luna Rossa will race against two strong teams, AmericaOne (skipper Paul Cayard) and Young America (skipper Ed Baird).

TODAY'S RACING
RACE 5 - not racing AmericaOne
1st match Prada Challenge wins over Spanish Challenge (1 minute 2 seconds)
2nd match Dennis Conner wins over Nippon (1 minute 14 seconds)
3rd match Young America wins over Le Defi BTT (2 minutes 4 seconds)
4th match America True wins over Abracadabra 2000 (26 seconds)
5th match Young Australia wins over FAST2000(12 seconds)

RACE 6 - not racing Young America
1st match AmericaOne wins over Le Defi BTT (1 minute 26 seconds)
2nd match Nippon wins over Young Australia 2000 (1 minute 52 seconds)
3rd match Spanish Challenge wins over Abracadabra 2000 (43 seconds)
4th match Prada Challenge wins over America True (1 minutes 25 seconds)
5th match Dennis Conner wins over FAST2000 (42 seconds)

RESULTS AFTER DAY THREE OF ROUND ROBIN 1 (1 point per win)
6 pts - ITA 45 (Luna Rossa)
5 pts - USA 49 (AmericaOne)
5 pts - USA 53 (Young America)
3 pts - USA 54 (Abracadabra 2000)
3 pts - USA 55 (Stars & Stripes)
2 pts - JPN 44 (Asura)
2 pts - ESP 47 (Bravo Espana)
2 pts - USA 51 (America True)
1 pt - FRA 46 (6eme Sens)
1 pt - AUS 29 (Young Australia 2000)
0 pts - SUI 59 (be hAPpy)

RACE COURSE
Windward-leeward format, 12.5 nautical miles; four legs, two upwind and two downwind; the first and the last legs are 3.25 miles long, the others 3.00 miles.

TODAY'S WEATHER
N-NE breeze, 3-20 knots. Sunny with scattered clouds; more clouds in the afternoon. Wind waves up to 0.5 metres.

TOMORROW'S WEATHER
N wind, 15-20 knots. Increasing cloudiness with periods of rain in the afternoon.

TOMORROW'S RACING
Tomorrow, 21 October, the racing is scheduled as follows (first start at 10.40 approx):

REGATA 7 - Not racing AmericaOne
1st match Spanish Challenge vs Prada Challenge (start at 10.40 am local time)
2nd match Nippon Challenge vs Dennis Conner (start at 10.50 am local time)
3rd match Young America vs Le Defi BTT (start at 11.00 am local time)
4th match Abracadabra 2000 vs America True (start at 10.40 am local time)
5th match FAST2000 vs Young Australia 2000 (start at 10.50 am local time)

REGATA 8 - Not racing Young America
1st match Le Defi BTT vs AmericaOne
2nd match Young Australia 2000 vs Nippon Challenge
3rd match Abracadabra 2000 vs Spanish Challenge
4th match America True vs Prada Challenge
5th match Team Dennis Conner vs FAST2000.

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