Salty Start to America’s Cup World Series

Portsmouth, UK (July 25, 2015) – For the online audience that likes the raw language that comes from men in battle, today’s opening races at the America’s Cup World Series provided both performance and profanity as the six cup teams got their first test of foiling races in the AC45fs.

Ben Ainslie, the most decorated Olympic sailor of all time, and the man who is leading the British challenge for the America’s Cup, holds a narrow lead after the first day of racing at the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series in Portsmouth.

In 10-14 knots of wind, Ainslie led his team to a win and a second place finish in the two races held on Saturday afternoon on the waters off Portsmouth.

Nearly 50,000 fans were cheering him on from the venue ashore (with many more stacked along the waterfront outside the ticketed venue). Over 15,000 fans were on some 2,000 boats ringed around the race course area.

“You couldn’t ask for anything better,” Ainslie said. “Fantastic conditions, so many people coming out to support the teams. I’m so happy for Portsmouth and for our team. We have so many people on shore working on our behalf and cheering us on. For them to see this level of support is brilliant.”

Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR team leads Emirates Team New Zealand by a single point, the Kiwis posting a win and a third place finish. Rookie helmsman Peter Burling was pleased with the result.

“It was a great day for us to be able to put together a good start and a run in both races and be in the lead at the bottom mark in both races,” he said. “We’re pretty green in these foiling boats so we’re happy to come out of the day in the shape we’re in.”

The man he replaced at Team New Zealand, Dean Barker, is now the CEO and skipper of SoftBank Team Japan. Barker says the new team, sailing together for the first time in Portsmouth, is undergoing a learning process. Today saw the team finish on equal points for fourth place with Groupama Team France.

“We’re working hard to improve but it takes a certain amount of time,” Barker said. “These other teams have been doing a lot of sailing together in different boats, so we have to work hard on making improvement and eliminating mistakes to get closer to the front of the fleet.”

Oracle Team USA, the defending champion, were in two of the more dramatic clashes on the course. In the first race, they nearly got broadsided by the Kiwi bows at the two teams arrived on opposite gybes at the leeward mark. In the second race, French skipper Franck Cammas of Groupama Team France had the American team pinned at the start, then gained a penalty on the defender that set to the back of the fleet.

The shocker of the day had to be Artemis Racing, which along with Oracle Team USA, has had a relatively seamless transition from the last America’s Cup. With as much or more training as most teams, their final race failed to show it as code zero problems proved terminal.

Racing continues on Sunday, with double points on offer for the two races. First start is 1340 local time in Portsmouth, with a forecast for winds of 17-23 knots.

Provisional Standings (after two races):
1. Land Rover BAR (GBR), Ben Ainslie (GBR), 1-2, 19 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), Peter Burling (NZL), 3-1, 18 points
3. Oracle Team USA (USA), Jimmy Spithill (AUS), 2-4, 16 points
4. Groupama Team France (FRA), Franck Cammas (FRA), 6-3, 13 points
5. SoftBank Team Japan (JPN), Dean Barker (NZL), 4-5, 13 points
6. Artemis Racing (SWE), Nathan Outteridge (AUS), 5-6, 11 points

Note: Scoring awards 10 points for first, 9 points for second, 8 points for third, etc.

America’s Cup website – ACWS Portsmouth – Results – How to watch – Facebook

Note: In USA, online viewing is with smart phone or tablet only (iOS or Android). No computer access available. Click ‘How to watch’ above for details.

Racing recap:
In Race 1 Emirates Team New Zealand took the early lead, but Land Rover BAR overhauled them on Leg 4 and extended away to take the win to a thunderous reception from the crowds onshore. Oracle Team USA came through to take second, powering away from the penultimate mark at 30 knots, while Emirates Team New Zealand finished third.

In Race 2 Land Rover BAR were among the early leaders, but after the first mark Emirates Team New Zealand opted to sail along the shore side and picked up better wind to take a big advantage. Groupama Team France hunted them around the course in second, until Land Rover BAR overtook them at the fifth gate mark, to finish in second. The French team held on for third.