The first Puig Women’s America’s Cup saw the two top all-female teams in a nail-biting duel of strategy and skill. The Italian team on Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli narrowly triumphed over Athena Pathway, the British team comprising Hannah Mills, Tash Bryant, Hannah Diamond and Saskia Clark who is a member of Yacht Club de Monaco.

The Brits showed admirable tenacity, never giving up and keeping the gap between them narrow despite the Italians solid defence of their positioning. After sailing brilliantly in the qualifiers and semi-finals Athena Pathway made it to the finals where they faced a formidable opponent. From the start, the Italian team skippered by Giulia Conti had the edge, controlling the race and remaining calm under the pressure exerted by the British. Despite several attempts to overtake and impeccable sailing by Saskia Clark and her teammates, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli managed to maintain their lead to the finish to win it by a heart-stopping eight seconds.

Time now for the grand finale of the 37th America’s Cup which sees YCM member Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS Britannia face Emirates Team New Zealand of Matteo de Nora, member of YCM’s Management Committee.