They left the port at 7:00 AM, in the dark, in an unusual and somewhat surreal atmosphere for sailors who compete during the day between three buoys! On the Kiwi side, a focused and silent crew. A cold, efficient machine leaves the dock. On the Italian side, laughter and loud chatter. An almost disconcerting relaxation. But on the water, combined with talent, the Italian exuberance jammed the gears of the Kiwi machine.
Two matches, two victories
Francesco Bruni and his team rounded all the buoys in the lead. Sometimes even acrobatically, like at the final mark of the second race. During the maneuver around the buoy, the forward crew member Pietro Mantovani falls into the water, and resurfaces on board 15 meters later, retrieved by the strong arms of the winchman Piero Romeo! Passionate and demonstrative, the Italians don’t even wait to cross the finish line to jump for joy and congratulate each other… They have just achieved the feat of defeating the formidable Kiwis.
“It’s an incredible feeling,” exclaimed Francesco Bruni, the helmsman, upon his return to land. “I can’t find the words to describe what I feel. We knew we could perform well. We had trained well. But we would never have imagined defeating Team New Zealand 2-0 in the final! We were very relaxed before the start, I think that is one of the keys to our victory. Being a 100% Italian team is also an additional motivation for us.”
On the opposite side, the disappointment is as significant as the upset. “I think we sailed well today, but Azzurra was clearly better than us,” acknowledged Dean Barker. “They did everything right. They sailed very, very well. It’s tough to end a successful year with these two losses in the final. But it motivates us to improve for the next event.”
The next event will take place at the Kiwis’ home, in Auckland in March, before stopping in Sardinia in May, in the Italian waters of the mythical Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Azzurra’s club. A program that already looks enticing…
Results of the day
Azzurra beats Emirates Team New Zealand by 25’’
Azzurra beats Emirates Team New Zealand by 17’’
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Final standings of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice-Côte d’Azur
1) Azzurra
2) Emirates Team New Zealand
3) Synergy Russian Sailing Team
4) Team Origin
5) All4One
6) BMW Oracle Racing
7) Artemis
8) TFS-Pages Jaunes
