After a dramatic first weekend of Prada Cup racing, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli leads INEOS Team UK four wins to none. The magic number here seven: two more good days for the Italians or four nearly perfect days for the Brits.

The Italians went into this series as the underdogs but with the advantage of several races worth of extra practice due to their involvement in the semi-finals against American Magic. Their team ethos comprises comradery, humility and communication, so having the additional races to lock down their team synchronicity may have been the key to their success this weekend. In the current generation of foiling boats, it's often the first team to make an error loses, and that could prove all the difference for the Italians.

INEOS Team UK scored a ticket straight to the finals by besting Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and winning the Prada Cup's round-robin series. One might've expected them to look stronger in the final, but all the way back to pre-Cup racing in late 2020 they struggled with boat speed and errors and finished last in the America's Cup World Series. One thing the Brits absolutely need to lock down if they have any hope of winning the Cup is their consistency.

Despite the score, leadership from both teams agree that it's still anyone's game and that they'll need to stay focused on the racing ahead of them, not what's already behind them. The next day of racing will be Feb 16 NZDT and then the 18-22 or until a team reaches seven victories.

For recaps of the racing, click here [https://www.americascup.com/en/relive/prada-cup/final

February 2021