It’s race day seven on the final weekend of the Louis Vuitton Cup and it could be a campaign-deciding day for the teams fighting for survival and their place in the semi-finals that start on Saturday 14 September – one week from today.
We have a crucial couple of matches on this five-race day and one of the key match-ups is INEOS Britannia against Alinghi Red Bull Racing with the British coming off a double-defeat day on Thursday, whilst the Swiss are riding high after a crucial win against NYYC American Magic that secured them a vital point in the overall standings.
Straight after, we have NYYC American Magic against Orient Express Racing Team where the French will be desperate to score a point to match the Swiss on two points and potentially take the Louis Vuitton Cup to a race-off.
The stakes simply couldn’t be higher, and we are looking at a shifting wind that is clocking around the compass this morning and may take a while to settle into a steady south-south-westerly ‘Garbi’ breeze. Iain Murray, Race Director, briefed the media this morning, suggesting 8 to 12 knots of breeze filling in and a residual sea-state that should calm through the afternoon.
Five races, five stories to be written in this thrilling Louis Vuitton Cup.
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The Americans will be eyeing a good showing here against the in-form Italians and at the start it’s blowing up to 13 knots with a running swell. An even start sees Luna Rossa tack off to port straight after the start and take the right-hand boundary. Magic tacks to cover and at the first cross it’s Luna Rossa that legs out just in front by a boatlength.
Italians showing great pointing ability and head far left after the first tack, but a slow tack from them allows Magic to re-take the lead and perform a lee-bow tack that doesn’t quite work as again the Italians go into high mode. Advantage back to Luna Rossa. A slow tack and bear-away at the first gate with a 14 second advantage leaves the door open for Magic who bear-away and head to the right (looking downwind) and make immediate gains. At the bottom gate with the boats taking alternate markers, the delta is down to just three seconds to Italy. Close race – good job from the Americans to keep it tight.
The second beat sees nothing to choose between the two boats but tactically Magic comes back with starboard advantage from the right boundary and seizes the lead mid-way to the second gate. Super close, the right boundary seems to pay aligned with the starboard advantage and Luna Rossa seize the lead back again. A huge squeeze-up on the port layline, gasses Magic and Luna are off on the second run with a seven second advantage.
An early gybe cover sees a long port stint with very little to choose between the boats at 40 knots, but as the layline nears, it’s noticeable how much lower the VMG angles are on Luna Rossa and they round the second leeward gate with a 19 second lead. Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni have clearly worked these conditions out and are playing the phases brilliantly with an on-water lead in excess of 350 metres.
At the final windward mark, the Italians come in on the port layline having increased their lead to some 26 seconds – devastating upwind performance from Luna Rossa. No mistake on the final leg as the breeze became readable, Luna Rossa slapped the gybe cover on, made no mistakes and recorded a 22 seconds win. Outstanding racecraft and outright boatspeed from Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli who remain unbeaten by the other Challengers.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt. NYYC American Magic (22 seconds)
One of the matches of the day, crucial for both teams for differing reasons. Before the start INEOS Britannia play their ’15-minute delay card’ in order to change their jib down a code having already had a diver down checking the rudder after a hit with a log in their build up to the race.
At the start, it’s a clean drag race, very even towards the port boundary with Britannia showing her outright speed to claw into a lead to windward. Britannia showing great speed and point in these early stages. Alinghi Red Bull Racing forced to seek clear air, Britannia in control. At the top gate it’s a 12 second advantage to INEOS Britannia who look rapier-fast in these 11-13 knots conditions, and they hold it beautifully down the first run to have a fast exit around the leeward mark with the delta out to 21 seconds. Superb boat-handling by the British around that mark – one-boarding at speeds in excess of 40 knots.
Holding the right boundary up the second beat and demonstrating solid course management, the British show slick boat-handling through the tacks, nail the starboard layline to perfection and round the windward gate with the delta now up to 28 seconds. Britannia lights the afterburners downwind, hitting speeds of 43 knots and looks super-solid through the gybes. Dylan Fletcher and Ben Ainslie are picking the pressure and waves beautifully and at the final leeward gate, the delta is out to 39 seconds.
The Swiss skid around the starboard marker and go straight into a tack but this is all INEOS Britannia now and only a mistake can rob them of a certain victory. Impressive sailing, almost certainly the best they have sailed in this regatta, the British extend again and after again nailing the starboard layline, head off down to the finish line with an unassailable lead of 45 seconds. Zero mistakes from Britannia, they powered down the final run to record a morale-boosting win that stopped the clock with a 53 second delta. Great racing from the British.
INEOS Britannia bt. Alinghi Red Bull Racing (53 seconds)
After their opening race loss against Luna Rossa, NYYC American Magic are really in need of a point-scoring result, whilst Orient Express Racing are looking for a win to get back to equal points with the Swiss and force a potential race-off for a spot in the semi-finals. However technical issues on the French boat see them play their ’15-minute delay card’ as the support crew work feverishly on the traveller system at the stern of the boat. Not the best preparation for a crunch match, but the issue was sorted as the wind blew up to 17 knots and the wind-driven swell increased.
At the start, the French execute a great pre-planned start to leeward but see the Americans hang high and fast to windward to steal into an early lead by the boundary with a lee-bow tack. Early control to Magic who are keen to cover the French hard, well aware of their inherent boatspeed. Slingsby and Goodison bounce the French off the right-hand boundary relentlessly and control the right. At the top mark, Magic rounded with an eight second delta with the French splitting the tactics initially and looking to have made a gain in better pressure on the right (looking downwind). On the first cross, Magic are marginally ahead and gybe cover as the French eat up the distance to windward. At the leeward gate, the Americans round with the delta up to 14 seconds.
The French hang far right initially up the second beat and look to have gained but the Americans come back, cross with ease and head to the right to grab the starboard tack advantage. Orient Express is very much in touch but lose out a bit in the final quarter on their layline having been forced left and take a slow rounding of the second windward gate, trailing by 15 seconds.
Both yachts play the middle left downwind with Magic keeping a nice gybe cover on to extend and at the final leeward gate, executing a nice two-board round-up with a 20 second advantage. With the shifts very readable, NYYC American Magic just keep a loose cover and pick the pressure patches up the final beat, totally in control of the race and looking sharp, and despite feeling something on the rudder upwind and catching some weed on the port foil arm, they round the final gate with a lead of 18 seconds.
The French round and just hold a massive speed build to surf down a wave, whilst the American helms still discuss a rudder issue. The door is ajar for the French to capitalise, but the Americans hold the leeward gybe position and close out the race with a win by 15 seconds. That victory secures NYYC American Magic’s place in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals.
NYYC American Magic bt. Orient Express Racing Team (15 seconds)
This is the penultimate race before Emirates Team New Zealand exits the Louis Vuitton Cup and passes directly into the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, and the Defenders will be keen to put a marker down whilst honing their racecraft. The Swiss come off a heavy defeat to the British and at the start, Emirates Team New Zealand tests out some differing tactics in the pre-start area and end up losing the start to leeward whilst the Swiss nail it to windward and slap an immediate cover on. Truth be told, that was a terrible start by the Kiwi afterguard.
A drag race to the right boundary ensues and sees the Kiwis just able to hold thjeir position to leeward, but this is an uncomfortable opening few minutes by the Defender. The Swiss, however, allow the Kiwis a small amount of leverage to the left as they hit the right boundary hard and on the resultant intersection, it’s Emirates Team New Zealand who make the cross and take control of the race.
It’s a seven second delta at the first windward gate and close down the first run with the Kiwis holding the leeward gybe cover advantage consistently to round the leeward gate with a 13 second lead. A big slide on the rounding from the Kiwis who were right on the edge of control brings the Swiss back into contention as they elect to go far right, but the speed of ‘Taihoro’ keeps the Kiwis in the lead. After a better beat, with the team settling down, the second windward gate sees a small gain to Emirates Team New Zealand who are really using their powered-up mainsail effectively and they lead by 20 seconds.
Effective front-runners, the Kiwis deliver a loose gybe cover on the second downwind leg, picking their lanes and laylines nicely and making no mistake with a two-board round up, having extended the lead at the final leeward gate to 23 seconds. Holding the right initially but then following to cover the Swiss out left, Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge remained super-calm onboard on the final upwind to head for the finish line with a delta of 38 seconds.
Great sailing from the Kiwis. No mistakes on the final downwind, and with an unassailable lead, Emirates Team New Zealand ride the pressure down with ease and stamp a dominant 38 second win on the board. ruthless and efficient performance from the Defenders of the Louis Vuitton 37thAmerica’s Cup.
Emirates Team New Zealand bt. Alinghi Red Bull Racing by 38 seconds
Foto: Ian Roman, Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
