Luna Rossa senior holds the overall lead at the America's Cup preliminary regatta in Naples after five fleet races, managing a turbulent day on the water that featured shifting winds and a dramatic recovery by the Italian squad.
Naples Regatta Standings After Five Races
Following five completed fleet races in the Gulf of Naples, Luna Rossa senior commands the standings with 29 points, according to the official race committee data. The event operates under ideal meteorological conditions, with race organizers recording winds between 10 and 18 nodi and more than 26,000 visitors at the Race Village by early afternoon.
The Second Race: French Victory and Italian Recovery
The La Roche-Posay Racing Team secured victory in the second race of the day, bouncing back from a severe capsize during the previous afternoon’s session. The French squad’s shore crew worked through the night to repair structural damage to their AC40, allowing the team to dominate the second fleet race from start to finish. Meanwhile, Luna Rossa senior suffered an early penalty and dropped to the back of the fleet before staging a fierce comeback. The Italian boat climbed as high as third place during the second downwind leg before dropping back to sixth following a mistake at the gate entry.
Afternoon Chaos and Shifting Winds in Naples
The French leaders capsized their boat in the final stretch after driving their bow deep into the water, mirroring an incident from the previous day’s racing. Capitalizing on the mistake, Emirates Team New Zealand claimed first place in that heat, while Luna Rossa senior fought back from an earlier mishap to finish second. The day’s schedule included four total fleet races, utilizing an extended format to catch up on a missed race from the opening day of the preliminary series.
Crew Lineups and Broadcast Information
Luna Rossa senior competes under the guidance of skipper and starboard helm Peter Burling, alongside helmsmen Marco Gradoni, Ruggero Tita, Gianluigi Ugolini, and trimmers Maria Giubilei and Umberto Molineris. The preliminary regatta events of the 38th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup are broadcast live on television and streaming platforms for international audiences.
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