American Magic endures 'brutal' elimination from America's Cup by Italy's Luna Rossa

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — American Magic's comeback fell short and it bid farewell to the 37th America's Cup after Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli secured a decisive fifth win in their playoff series on Thursday.

The same Italian team had eliminated the representative of the New York Yacht Club in the same challengers' semifinal three years prior in Auckland by a 4-0 score. This time, after trailing 4-0, the boat skippered by Tom Slingsby had rallied with three straight wins before finally succumbing 5-3.

“It’s brutal. You know, losing just absolutely sucks,” Terry Hutchinson, head of American Magic sailing operations, told The Associated Press. “We had higher expectations for ourselves.”

American boats have won the America’s Cup a record 30 times, but their last title came in 2013.

The Americans faced adversity this time around when experienced helmsman Paul Goodison was unable to race against Luna Rossa after he fell on the boat and cracked some ribs. Lucas Calabrese took his place and performed admirably, according to Slingsby, despite his limited hours in the super foiling yacht.

Hutchinson applauded the effort of his team but said that another exit against an admittedly “well-polished” Luna Rossa was not the plan. He also rued some what-could-have-beens in the series, which included one loss by just two seconds.

“The fact that Tommy and Lucas were able to get the boat to a spot where we were knocking on the door, basically in every race except for one. I mean, in the first day of the regatta, we led both those races ... you’re just kicking yourself," he said.

American Magic needed to win the two races scheduled on Thursday to advance, but Luna Rossa wrapped it up after a flawless and fast regatta that it finished a minute ahead.

“We are super happy. It has been a fantastic journey in this semifinal and we are ready for more,” Luna Rossa port helmsman Francesco Bruni said.

INEOS Britannia awaits the Italians in the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger’s final that will begin on Sept. 26. That will be a rematch of the 2021 challenger's final that Luna Rossa also won. The winner of the first-to-seven-wins series will face defending champion Team Emirates New Zealand in the America’s Cup final next month.

Luna Rossa had been cruising in the series until the Americans got back in it. Luna Rossa aided that American fightback when some rigging broke free on the Italian yacht on Wednesday and left it disabled. When the rigging suddenly came loose a loud pop was heard and the boat crashed off its foils into the waves.

But the Luna Rossa shore crew worked through the night to fix the mainsail and its boat performed perfectly.

Luna Rossa took the lead in the decider when it cut behind American Magic on the first of six legs, picked up speed, and never looked back. The Americans were 700 meters behind when the winner crossed the finish line.

“I would just like to mention American Magic for putting up a hell of a fight. They are a champion team and showed it,” Luna Rossa’s starboard helmsman Jimmy Spithill said. “This victory has to go to the shore team. They worked all night and this morning looked like a bunch of zombies.”

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Joseph Wilson, The Associated Press