Historic Moment: Italy Claims Victory in the Inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup

Under the global media spotlight, Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team triumphed over the UK's Athena Pathway team between the first and second races of the 37th America's Cup, securing the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup championship. It was a highly competitive event, with both teams demonstrating exceptional racing skills in calm and outstanding performances.

The final was a showdown between two top teams that had emerged from intense qualifying and semifinal rounds, heralding the future trends of the America's Cup. Pre-race, Athena Pathway was highly anticipated due to their strong previous performances, while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli believed that if they could stay calm at crucial moments, they had an inherent speed advantage.

At the start of the race, the Italian team appeared slightly tense, entering the racing zone with a slight delay, while the British team took a favorable position on starboard, facing a choice between attacking or tacking. Athena Pathway opted for the latter, preparing to sprint upwind, aiming to capitalize on the speed advantage they had shown in earlier races.

However, Italian skipper Giulia Conti displayed excellent helming skills at the start, gaining a slight lead from the starboard side and then tacking towards the left boundary, quickly taking control of the race's pace. From that point on, she and her team—helmsman Margherita Porro, trimmer Maria Giubilei, and Giulia Fava—remained composed, fending off continuous pressure from the British team and maintaining their lead throughout all six legs.

Led by British sailing legend Hannah Mills, the Athena Pathway team, including Tash Bryant, Saskia Clark, and Hannah Diamond, never lost their desire for victory and consistently closed the gap on their opponents throughout the course. Despite their efforts, the Italian team executed precise defense, blocking every attempt by the British team to overtake. Athena Pathway tried adopting a splitting tactic, attempting to widen the distance and find an opportunity to break through, but none of these attempts succeeded.

As the race entered the final upwind leg, the Italian team delivered a top-tier performance. Despite facing some wind wave challenges during the previous downwind leg, which briefly destabilized their boat, Conti quickly adjusted the team, regaining control. With wind speeds reaching 11 knots, the Italians chose a more cautious sailing strategy, catching the best wind shifts to head for the finish line, maintaining a 19-second lead at the final mark.

Athena Pathway was still unwilling to concede defeat and made a final push, hoping for a comeback in the closing sprint. However, Luna Rossa's precise tack on port allowed them to cross the finish line first, securing victory by a narrow margin of 8 seconds and claiming the title of the first-ever Puig Women's America's Cup champions.

Cheers echoed aboard Italy's AC40 boat, and the celebration reached its peak when the team returned ashore. Luna Rossa's youth team had previously won the UniCredit Youth America's Cup, and now, with this Puig Women's America's Cup victory, they wrote another brilliant chapter in Italy's sailing history.

To commemorate this historic moment, the youth team captain, Marco Gradoni, joined the celebration with his teammates, with champagne spraying and cheers filling the air. This victory is not only a great achievement for Italian sailing but also sets a bright outlook for the future. Facing the formidable challenge from Athena Pathway, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli's stellar performance secured the championship, adding a glorious page to the history of the Puig Women's America's Cup. This victory marks a promising future for Italy in international sailing competitions.

Credits: America's Cup