There’s going to be a showdown between Pirelli and Penske on the Hauraki Gulf, with the winner taking on Mercedes GP.
Instead of fast cars, these races will be between remarkably fast sailboats powered in part by brainpower and financial backing from some of motorsports’ biggest names, in an America’s Cup that is pushing the boundaries of technology at close to freeway speeds.
Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team, backed by the tony fashion house and the multinational tire manufacturer, faces the New York Yacht Club’s winless American Magic in the Prada Cup semifinals for challengers starting on Friday.
Roger Penske, the American auto racing titan who bought the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year, is one of three principals backing American Magic, reportedly with significant sums of their own money. American Magic’s yacht Patriot will race for the first time since sustaining serious damage in a dramatic capsize on Jan. 17 while leading Luna Rossa during a round-robin race.
The winner of the best-of-seven semis advances to face undefeated Ineos Team UK, whose principal and skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie, has credited Formula One powerhouse Mercedes with helping his yacht Britannia turn a 180 after looking dead in the water during a warmup regatta in December.
The stars of this regatta are the fantastical-looking AC75 yachts, which rise up on hydrofoils and speed across the tops of the waves, their hulls lifted out of the water to reduce drag. Ineos Team UK hit 50.29 knots – 57.9 mph – in a thrilling win against Luna Rossa that vaulted the British directly into the Prada Cup final.
“Whenever there is competition at the highest level, there is Pirelli,” chief executive Marco Tronchetti Provera said from Milan. “These are amazing boats with a level of technology we have never seen. That was attractive and I think it fits perfectly with the Pirelli brand.”
