For Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli it was ‘one of those days’ out on a choppy Bay of Cagliari with technical issues curtailing the sailing day without a tack or a gybe thrown in anger. Almost immediately after exiting the harbour, an electronic issue was identified, and the technicians came aboard quickly to work below decks.
Speaking afterwards Marco Donati, the electronics supremo within Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli saw positives in the day as he described the issues, saying: “The issue was a little thing, but it just takes time to fix it because there’s a lot of stuff that you have to remove to access to that…it was something that we couldn't sail without, so let's say it was not a major thing that will stop us sailing but, because we are not in a regatta, you want to have the data to analyse so sometimes it doesn't really make sense to go sailing without getting the data to analyse what you want to try. Otherwise, it's a waste of time. So, we knew that the breeze was getting up, but we wanted to try the exercise of fixing something outside (the harbour) and it's also something that we should train for, for when we arrive at a regatta and understand not sailing-wise but maintenance-wise what we can do outside (on the water). So, it has been, by the way, a good exercise and we learn from that too.”
Section 41. Reconnaissance
a) As a campaign cost reduction measure, COR/D has mutually agreed to cooperatively implement a centralised reconnaissance programme for all teams for the reconnaissance of all Competitors’ AC75 Yachts, AC40 Yachts and LEQ12 yachts including both on-land and on-water imagery (the “Joint Recon Programme”).
b) Each team is assigned a two-person Recon Unit to follow their every on-water move, but it's not that simple. The cameras are supplied and identical for all Recon Units. Drones are not allowed, and they can't get that close, plus following a boat and keeping a camera steady at 45 knots isn't that easy to begin with.
c) A three minute interview follows each on water day, and teams must answer the Recon Unit's questions while trying not to give too much away. It's a raw, unedited view of the never before seen behind-the-scenes development of a team and their boat to win the oldest trophy in international sports.
#AC37Recon #AmericasCup #Barcelona2024
