The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team is the top point scorer in the Prada Cup and at 4 nil up against Team INEOS UK, the Italian team is the lead Challenger for the America's Cup Match. The postponement of the Cup due to COVID-19 this morning, along with organiser pronouncements, has led the Italian team to issue this statement:
The Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team is surprised by the statements published by America’s Cup Event (ACE) and by INEOS Team UK.
From day one of the teams' activities in New Zealand, protocols have been put in place, together with ACE and all government bodies, to allow teams and organizers alike to operate in the different COVID-19 alert levels, enabling them to prepare and race behind closed doors, if need be, as happens in the Formula1, Australian Open and other events; the priority in these contexts is clearly the health of the people involved.
The Challenger of Record has confirmed that it is possible to race in total safety and has also offered full support to ACE and local Authorities for the application of the protocol indicated by the AC36 Event COVID-19 Management On Land and On Water Plans for the Covid-19 alert. There is no reason why teams that are allowed to train during this alert level should not be allowed to race, albeit behind closed doors, according to the same protocol.
The weather conditions for the next few days are ideal to carry out top-level racing.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is ready to race against INEOS Team UK on Friday, February 19th, in compliance to the program of the Prada Cup Finals that which must end no later than February 24th. Even more so, now that the government has taken the decision to go down from Level 3 to Alert Level 2, allowing the regattas to take place in full respect of everyone’s safety.
