paolo ghisoni

N. 3/2000

Paolo Ghisoni

An adventure started with a moderate optimism progressively turned into a national dream. But with a final failing to come up to expectations and custom of a population that besides being of poets and saints has likely in the DNA also navigators. This way for more than 130 very long days; or maybe it's better to say nights, since from Auckland, New Zealand, where the Sail American Cup took place, the images of Luna Rossa arrived 12 hour delayed. The morning sailing races, from a rather complete anonymity, conquered this way an increasing niche of televiewers, till becoming the real cult of the moment. The sailing Italy, those of practicers, or anyhow fond of this discipline, lived almost annoyed the national-popular intrusion leading the Luna Rossa's deeds on the newspapers and news bulletins.

Luna Rossa was discovered thanks to its victories, and we, the Italians, are especially skilled in climbing on the bandwagon once it's working. A lot did the synergy of results and emotions making the final of the Louis Vitton Cup captivating, the race that determined the official challenger of the New Zealand racers, champions on charge. We were in advantage, reached and overhaul. And then, even worse, the tie and final victory. At the best of the nine races, the azure sailing boat embodied the myth of self-control and invincibility on the finishing tape, the lack of which has often been pointed out as the main gap of the Italian debacle in other sporting disciplines. Luna Rossa was able to mark the fall of the United Stated power, unable to qualify for the first time in the history of the finals. And so, for more than an instant we thought the sailing world did not have any secret anymore. That's why the beating took in the finals with the “Black Magic”, the New Zealand holder of the Trophy, has been harder to bear. A sharp defeat, 5 to 0, without either a heart leapt, that hurt the national proud of who in the outlooks already worked things out carefully over next winners, and discovering later conjectured defects. New Zealand seems a little lost island: but it's also a paradise, where, setting apart the rugby, sailing is an everyday occurrence. And, if the group that dominated the Italian boat has been working together since 1987 a reason for so much excellence must be intuited. Symptomatic this regard that in the last race the helmsman in charge Russel Coutts allowed himself the luxury of leaving the helm to his second Dean Braker, twenty-seven years old, of beautiful expectations, allowing him putting the final seal to the defence of America Cup. Only who is clearly stronger and feels so can hazard a move of this kind.

And so talent's programming and the establishment of a winning school; this is the main tactics of the sailing owners. The legend raised in a hurry under the sign Prada meant instead for our crew a race against the clock, hiring foreign expert technicians to fill expected gaps. The remarkable investments allocated by patron Bertelli, they say 90 billions, have without fail changed the image of sketchiness and adrift army that sometimes features some performances of the Italian sport. And till it was possible to weigh heart and advanced means, all, or thereabouts, could go on well. But “Black magic” was not there for a chance. In these 5 years of wait of the official challenger, Black Magic certainly sounded the sea bottom of the Gulf of Auraki and noted all the Aeolus's tantrums in all his directions. Playing at home well then certainly mattered something. The champions on charge, that seem unbeatable today, snatched the victory to Americans after years of vain attempts. Their success finally arrived just after having treasured experiences. So then Luna Rossa departs, by this point of view, from a good base. The main incognita could be a prospective economic disengagement by Bertelli in view of the next official challenge, in 2003. It won't be this way, since that under the sign of continuity and in the conviction to succeed, but also and mainly since the huge return in terms of image and billions, Prada will sponsor again the new adventure in two years. There are still doubts about the new group's unity. Just in the defeat straight, the ebullient Sir of the Italian sailing allowed himself the luxury to criticize heavily the tactic choice of the azure boat, defining it as “self-murder “. Who knows him well, also among the firm's employees, is already used to his outbursts of anger. As a tyrannical father he is convinced that the huge investments justify any kind of intrusions. But it is not hard to imagine that for the good of the internal equilibrium of the Luna Rossa's next team it would be better to forget those instinctive and exhibitionist reactions.