A classic Luna Rossa
The match race final unfolded in Jeddah, crowning the defending champions while the Red Sea hosted a fierce battle for supremacy. Emirates Team New Zealand asserted their dominance on the water, facing a determined Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and a group of challengers keen to shake the status quo. The title fight carried the weight of history, with a summer horizon in Barcelona as a backdrop for the teams’ ambitions. The competition stretched long, demanding focus, precision, and flawless teamwork across a demanding course.
The second tournament, initially planned to be held in Vilanova but hindered by wind, concluded with the team that accumulated the most points taking the victory. American Magic delivered an intense, high-stakes performance that kept a razor-thin margin in play. A critical moment near the end of the final round altered the outcome as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli faced a last-breath setback that hinged the result on a single decision. The defending champions pressed for victory during the preliminary rounds, while the Italians pushed back with resolve, saturating the event with tension as the Red Sea hosted a dramatic race.
Alinghi Red Bull can’t resist
Yet the Swiss crew could not complete the job smoothly. The competition proved fierce and demanding, with no one eager to slip down the standings. Arnaud Psarofaghis noted that the day was extremely tough, and the field saw crashes across the board as teams from the United States, France, and Great Britain hit hard. Alinghi Red Bull Racing finished last in the first race, which ruled them out of the frame for the final match race and left them in the upper echelon of the classification only briefly. The day posed a stern test for every crew and added a new layer of pressure to the title chase.
The race on Friday unfolded with a clean, penalty-free rhythm that highlighted how crucial this moment was for the overall results. The equality of the teams remained remarkable, and the boats shared common performance traits, underscoring that victory often boils down to tiny, decisive details.
French disappointment
The opening moments featured a Kiwi-led surge, but the Italians quickly found momentum and controlled much of the race for the majority of the distance. Eastern Express Racing faced a somewhat disappointing run to date, citing technical issues as a factor in their fourth-place finish. A contender expressed satisfaction with the final placement, acknowledging the challenge and looking forward to the rest of the series.
Gradoni, the Italian helmsman, reflected on the progress and the big picture, while team manager Maximum Mermaid offered a supportive nod to the crew. The sense was that progress had been made, even if the final result did not meet everyone’s hopes. The comments from the teams captured the mood: a mixture of pride in the journey so far and a quiet reflection on what remains to be done to challenge the leading boats.
For positions 3 to 6
Inside the course, the focus shifted to the chase for third place through sixth. The teams carefully weighed their options as the final lineup took shape. Alinghi Red Bull Racing showed resilience and pushed hard to maximize performance in the racing area, aiming to improve on their showing in the first heat of the Red Sea. The Kiwi team remained hungry for victory, keeping their eyes on the coveted final. A sense of pride electrified the paddock as the crews prepared for the decisive stages and pushed to claim every advantage possible.
In the end, the final results in Jeddah placed the Swiss in third, with the Americans, the British, and the French close behind. The day underscored the depth of talent across the fleet and the tight margins that shape the outcome of these high-stakes match races. The event closed with an atmosphere of mutual respect among competitors who shared a common drive to push their limits and elevate the sport to new heights.