AC40s Practice Racing @Barcelona: Day 2

Photos Alex Carabi / Americas Cup, video and data by Americas Cup media, complete report here

Race Results – RACE PRACTICE DAY TWO

Race 1

1/ Alinghi Red Bull Racing

2/ INEOS Britannia

3/ Emirates Team New Zealand]

4/ Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

5/ Orient Express Racing Team

Race 2

1/ Emirates Team New Zealand

2/ Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

3/ Alinghi Red Bull Racing

4/ INEOS Britannia

5/ Orient Express Racing Team

Race 3

1/ Emirates Team New Zealand

2/ Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

3/ Alinghi Red Bull Racing

4/ Orient Express Racing Team

(INEOS Britannia retired)

Race 4

1/ Emirates Team New Zealand

2/ Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

(Alinghi Red Bull Racing, INEOS Britannia, Orient Express Racing Team DNF)

AC40s DYNAMIC PRACTICE RACING DAY TWO IN PERFECT BARCELONA

Four fleet races. Four high-octane spectacles. Proof beyond doubt that foiling monohulls are changing the perception of the sport of sailing with the pure, one-design AC40s providing the ultimate tactical and technique racing. In perfect conditions out in Barcelona with a building breeze that just climbed the anemometer scale from 8 knots at the start through to a full-blooded 16 knots and a light chop, the professional sailors from the 37th America’s Cup teams, simply couldn’t have wished for more.

It was all-action from the very first start with INEOS Britannia absolutely acing the line, hitting it bang on the gun with pace and power to march into an early advantage. The British have showed flashes of absolute brilliance with a make-shift team co-opted into the AC40 ‘Athena’ having suffered illness within the original starting line-up and trimmers Luke Parkinson and Iain Jensen stepping in to assist the hard-charging Ben Ainslie and Giles Scott on the helms. At the top mark, the British selected the left-hand port gate marker and rounded first with Alinghi Red Bull Racing in second whilst close behind Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Orient Express filed to the starboard, right hand gate.

Calling the wind today was a dark art with plenty of freedom of expression allowed and whilst the right-hand side paid perhaps more often, the middle and playing the shifts, especially towards the top of the course seemed optimal. INEOS Britannia broke first from the starboard gybe downwind, keen to not bang a corner downwind as they did yesterday, and the Swiss were quick to follow with the knowledge that the Kiwis and Italians were flying down the left side of the course.

By the leeward gate, INEOS Britannia were still leading and opted for the port gate but suddenly a tactical call and perfect set-up from Arnaud Psarofaghis and Maxime Bachelin saw the Swiss round fast at the starboard marker (looking down the course) and headed into a click more pressure with fabulous boatspeed and low-riding. With the rest of the fleet underneath them as they tacked for the middle of course, it was clear that the Swiss had gained, and Alinghi Red Bull Racing brought every hour of their intense training to bear with a killer cross to seize the lead and most importantly have clean lanes to tack into.

After rounding the starboard gate, Alinghi Red Bull Racing lit the afterburners and with much better control and power downwind today, most likely after an intense de-brief from yesterday, never looked like relinquishing the lead. INEOS Britannia followed fast, rounding the port gate with Luna Rossa and looked absolutely composed, leaving the fight for the podium between Emirates Team New Zealand who looked absolutely buried in fourth place, and the Italians. The Kiwis were relentless in their downwind work and decided to play the shifts down the middle of the course, keeping the power on and all the pressure on the Italians. Alinghi Red Bull Racing crossed the line to win their first race in the 37th America’s Cup cycle, INEOS Britannia took a very credible second and with a great final gybe, Emirates Team New Zealand took third. Astonishingly good racing and all credit to the young Swiss team who more than deserved their victory.
Alex Carabi / America’s Cup

With their confidence levels sky-high, Alinghi Red Bull Racing nailed the second start, setting up just to windward of Emirates Team New Zealand in a building breeze that was now up at peaks of 16 knots. Peter Burling went into an immediate, and highly effective, high mode that forced the Swiss off and the Kiwis barrelled over to the boundary where the tale of race two was set. On the tack back to port tack, Emirates Team New Zealand were clear ahead and one of the marks of the Kiwis is that they are excellent front-runners. A smooth rounding followed by outstanding and relentless work downwind with the mainsail fanning beautifully on every wave-form saw what one Recon Team Member described as a ‘Masterclass by the Kiwis’ who seemed to have real pace through the chop and just the smoothest flight on either gybe.

Luna Rossa and Alinghi Red Bull Racing trailed down the first run and then at the leeward gate, Peter Burling called for a ‘JK’ around the starboard marker to give them gauge to windward whilst the following yachts took the port marker at the gate. Classy move and no doubt one that’s been practiced relentlessly in the simulator, the Kiwis looked on another level in the breeze. With almost a quarter of a leg lead down the final run, the win was never in doubt with the Italians and Swiss making the podium after a gybing duel. Orient Express Racing were dicing with INEOS Britannia on the final leg, but a big sky-rocket and hobby-horse saw the boat come off its foils and sealed their fate. Great racing.

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complete report here