BARCELONA, Sept. 30 (Xinhua) -- The Louis Vuitton Cup remains evenly poised as Britain's INEOS Britannia yacht races against Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli off the coast of Barcelona, vying for the chance to face Emirates New Zealand in the final of the America's Cup.
INEOS got off to a flying start in the first regatta, eventually winning by 12 seconds. However, a wind shift in the second race allowed Luna Rossa to secure the better start, enabling them to gain an advantageous position and cross the finish line at a speed of 51 knots.
Monday's results leave the series tied at three wins each, with the first crew to claim seven victories advancing to the final.
"I think the racing really showed how evenly matched the boats are in those conditions. It was kind of won or lost on the start. In that second race, we thought we should've done enough, but they managed to work a nice little shift on that right-hand side, and that just seemed enough to get ahead," said Dylan Fletcher, port helm for INEOS.
Francesco Bruno, port helm for Luna Rossa, expects the series to be tightly contested in the coming days. "I think it's going to be consistency until the end. It's going to be a big battle for sure. It's not going to be easy, but we are ready for the fight, and we like to fight."
"We are optimistic about how things are going, but we know it's going to be a very hard battle," Bruno added after the day's racing. ■
