Luna Rossa, canceled regattas: discovering the training of sailors

“No wind, no race”. This is the first law of regattas, and tonight who set the alarm at 4 to enjoy the war of the seas between Luna Rossa and Te Rehutai he had to accept it. The Aukland wind was the undisputed protagonist of the day today, so weak that it did not allow the two boats to take to the field (variable between 5 and 7 knots, it never reached the minimum condition for starting: at least 6.5 knots for 300 consecutive seconds).

Therefore remains the 3 to 3 accrued so far, and now the calendar is shifted by one day. Or at least hopefully. However, there is optimism, according to the weather forecast what happened today should not repeat itself.

The new calendar
Race 7 and race 8 tomorrow, then Tuesday 9 and 10. And if a winner is not already announced, the eventual races 11 and 12 will be staged on Wednesday 17 March. The “beautiful”, however, on Thursday 18.

Luna Rossa, here’s how the crew got ready
Taking part in a sport regatta is not like going for a boat ride to see the Faraglioni of Capri. To do this, it is necessary to have a complete preparation, not just “sailing”. The physical effort is exhausting, the Prada Pirelli Team worked hard to be ready for the appointment.

Before leaving for Auckland, the Italian crew locked themselves up in the “Luna Rossa Base”, located at the Ichnusa dock in Cagliari. Here, inside tensile structures set up for the occasion, our boys lived “in retreat” and trained hard.

The program, drawn up by Gilberto «Gillo» Nobili, Operation Manager and head of athletic training, left nothing to chance. Wake up between 6 and 6.30, then immediately sweat, until 9. Only after the first training session was it time to have breakfast. The working activity continued until about 4.45 pm, with only one stop for lunch. And on the days (two) of double training, back in the gym from 16.30 to 18.30.

To realize how stressful a person’s body is sailor during the race, one thing is enough: his heart beats on average between 85 and 90% of the maximum heart rate possible for the entire duration of the test.

While preparing for the America’s Cup, the Italian crew worked for a long time together, but in the last few weeks they split into groups. A decision made to also do specific jobs, aimed at making the boys perform at their best in their positions aboard Luna Rossa.

“Afterguards have to be light and agile,” Nobili explained, “i grinder instead they must have stronger arms to turn the cuffs. Then, anything can happen on board. Even that an afterguard has to turn the cuffs. And it cannot afford not to be able to maintain the necessary standards ».

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