Luna Rossa put themselves in a strong position to qualify for the Challenger Series final by taking a 2-0 lead over American Magic in the best-of-seven repechage semi-final at Auckland on Friday.
Auckland, New Zealand – New York Yacht Club American Magic, the U.S. Challenger for the America’s Cup, took two losses against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli of Italy on the first day of racing at the Prada Cup Semifinals. Eleven days after suffering significant damage and nearly sinking during a Round Robins race against the Italians, American Magic succeeded in patching the hull of its AC75 racing yacht and restoring its many systems to full functionality. The mere presence of the American AC75, PATRIOT, on the starting line in Auckland’s Waitematā Harbor was a testament to the tireless efforts of the team since the near-sinking occurred on January 17.