No racing will take place on Friday, racing confirmed for Saturday and Sunday between INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team. New York Yacht Club American Magic will not race again during the PRADA Cup round robins.
Wednesday 20 January 2021 15:05, UK
The organisers of the 36th America's Cup have announced a new racing schedule for the PRADA Cup Round Robins after the extraordinary events of last weekend, which saw New York Yacht Club American Magic's race boat PATRIOT capsize.
Following an incredible effort to save PATRIOT from sinking and bring her back to shore, Terry Hutchinson announced earlier this week that the American outfit would not be able to race in round robins three and four.
However, the team have every intention of being back on the water for the PRADA Cup semi-finals which begin on January 29.
As a result of this, a new racing schedule has been released by the regatta director for the forthcoming weekend.
INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will compete on Saturday and Sunday in two live races to determine the winner of the PRADA Cup round robins.
The action will be live on Sky Sports Mix from 2am each day and will be repeated later that morning.
After the two live races, there will be 'ghost races' which also need to take place in order to comply with the competition's regulations.
The ghost races will be 'against' New York Yacht Club American Magic to allow the regatta director to award the point to the relevant other competitor.
They will consist of a pre-start sequence and an official start by INEOS TEAM UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli respectively, before being suspended just a few minutes after commencing.
After the first three race days of the PRADA Cup Round Robins, INEOS TEAM UK are at the top of the standings having won all four of their races.
This means that if they win their duel with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on Saturday, they will be named as the winners of the PRADA Cup Round Robins and go straight into the PRADA Cup final.
If that does happen, then the two teams will decide whether they want to take part in the, then redundant race, on Sunday or not.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team are going into the weekend knowing that they must win both races in order to oust INEOS TEAM UK and progress directly into the PRADA Cup final themselves.
The PRADA Cup determines which of the three challengers will take on Emirates Team New Zealand in the 36th America's Cup match in March.
The Round Robins will produce one winner who progresses straight into the final. The remaining two challengers, one of which will be New York Yacht Club American Magic if they successfully return to the water, will compete in a first-to-four points contest. The winner of that moves into the final.
The PRADA Cup final is a first-to-seven-points contest, which starts on February 13. The victor will then prepare for the 36th America's Cup match and the loser's campaign is over.
Watch every moment of the America's Cup challenge, live on Sky Sports. Coverage continues with the fourth day of the PRADA Cup on Saturday at 2am on Sky Sports Mix, with the racing repeated again at 9am.
