Italians, on Short End of Series, Aren’t Short on Smiles

The Italians are down, 3-1, in the best-of-seven America’s Cup finals.

They are making tactical mistakes, choosing the wrong side of the course and the wrong sails.

They are sailing a slower boat.

They are brimming with confidence.

After all, haven’t they been here before? Il Moro di Venezia got this far by coming back from a similar deficit in the challenger finals against New Zealand. They beat the Kiwis by winning their last four races.

“We all feel this is the position from which we wanted to start,” strategist Tommaso Chieffi said, drawing laughs.

Chieffi’s brother, Enrico, Il Moro’s tactician, said, “(America 3) are in the corner now, no doubt about that.”

More chuckles.

Maybe it’s whistling past the graveyard, but for a crew down to its last race, Il Moro’s Shelter Island compound Thursday was a regular laugh riot.

Navigator Robert Hopkins, recalling the last series against New Zealand, said, “I remember when we were down, 1-3, I said to the same (Italian) TV station we’d win four in a row and we did.

“We’ve been through this before, and that Kiwi boat was tough and had a good afterguard. We’ve been training for this moment. It seems like we rise to the occasion.”

With a lay day today, the Italians face elimination by America 3 Saturday. Il Moro’s crew says it will come out fighting. No surprise there.

“In general, match races are lost,” Hopkins said. “We made the first mistake today. We have to create our own momentum Saturday, ‘cause we’re pretty much stalemated. Maybe we fight better when we’re cornered, like a street cat.”

Although the Italians beat America 3 at the start, Il Moro’s afterguard was outsmarted Thursday, with America 3 taking the left side with a slick jibing maneuver in the prestart. Il Moro might also have used the wrong mainsail Thursday.

“We (made) mistakes, we paid for them,” Tommaso Chieffi said. “Today we probably did put the wrong main up. Basically we didn’t even start, we (already) lost the race. The boats are pretty even, every time one makes mistakes they pay.”

So far, it’s generally been Il Moro footing the bill.

“We need to race better,” Tommaso Chieffi said. “We believe pretty strongly we can win (Saturday’s) race, and if we win two in a row that last race will be tough. We all feel pretty comfortable we can still win this regatta.”

His brother concurred: “Sure, we’re in trouble. To be 1-3 is not a safe position, but we’re not dead yet. We have not (sailed) good enough. We have eventually to sail better to beat them.

“We don’t feel down, we don’t feel up. What’s the saying--when the going gets tough, the tough get going--we have to let everybody see we’re tough.”

Hopkins, munching an ice cream bar, and the smiling Chieffi brothers appeared the picture of ease after Thursday’s race, and if there’s panic in the compound, it’s being kept under wraps like a keel.

Hopkins said the afterguard will discuss the problem starts this week, but said they won’t make a big deal of it.

“On the whole we have a really strong starting record,” Hopkins said. “Besides, those are past. You’re only as good as your next race. There’s no point (in being disappointed). If we keep working, we’ll be OK. We’ve been through a lot together. We want to keep working through Tuesday, and win on Tuesday.”

That’s when the seventh race is scheduled. To be there, the Italians are going to have to be sharper.

“We have not been doing the perfect job we have to do to win the America’s Cup,” Enrico Chieffi said. “We’ll do it from the day after tomorrow.”