It's only the first day, but seen from the beach of Barceloneta, in the Plaza del Mar at 30 degrees in the shade, among the dozens of tourists and bathers gathered around the giant screen installed in the Fan Zone, the preliminary regattas of the America's Cup have provided many emotions.

The first round of applause goes to the Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing, who win the opening match race against the French team Orient Express, who came out weakened in their debut. A few seconds later, the challenge between Luna Rossa against the defenders Emirates Team New Zealand, elicits exclamations of disappointment from a group of Italians with the tricolor tattooed on their cheeks when the Azzurri remain practically still.

"We lost the boat", the words of helmsman James Spithill of the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team. The electrical failure confirmed by helmsman Francesco Bruni, made the boat unmanageable and caused a 20-second stop, impossible to recover. The withdrawal comes as a cold shower.

"It's really difficult to start the preliminary races like this. Fortunately, they don't affect the result," Francesco Bruni told the team. Once the technical problems are solved, in the 40 minutes of time for the next race, the Azzurri will be able to easily win the last challenge against the French of Orient Express.

The third round of applause from the Fan Zone, where English is mostly spoken, goes to the Ineos Britannia team, which gets off to a better start than its American Magic rivals, who nevertheless manage to make the most of the efficiency of the boat on the six-sided circuit of the race course and prevail over the British, sending their fellow countrymen present into raptures. Finally, the liberating applause to the Luna Rossa match race with Orient Express, which marks the redemption of the Italians and gives hope for the next events. While the French team, who also fell into the water 60 seconds after the start, confirms itself as the least competitive of the competition.

(Unioneonline/D)

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