More delays for Women’s America’s Cup
Published on October 10th, 2024
Barcelona, Spain (October 10, 2024) – After a day off, the Puig Women’s America’s Cup returned to the race course today but the America’s Cup representative teams – with four races planned – yielded just one light air race.
It was a difficult day for both the sailors and Race Committee as a forecasted southerly thermal breeze failed to materialize after the fleet had docked out early at 1100 CET in the hope of getting two quick-fire races in when the wind settled.
But when the Race Committee’s wind sampling failed time and again to get above the minimum 7.5 knots, an initial call was made at 11:45 to send the boats back to port to wait for the afternoon breeze. However, almost immediately afterwards a new ‘Gregal’ breeze from the north-east filtered in and the boats were instructed to stay on the racecourse.
With the wind sampling target finally achieved, a race was started that would highlight the difficulty of sailing the AC40 at the minimum wind limit.
Off the start line, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Emirates Team New Zealand looked imperious at opposite ends, with the Kiwis strongest to windward and seizing the early lead. Athena Pathway was late to the start but worked the right side of the course and caught up with the other two at the first upwind gate.
Athena Pathway and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli opted to play the left (looking downwind) side of the run initially and lost out, whilst Emirates Team New Zealand picked up pressure down the right side and streaked into an enormous lead.
But as teams started to drop off the foils due to the light winds and significant swell, the Race Committee shortened both the length of the course and the number of legs to finish at the second windward gate. With the Kiwi crew approaching the leeward gate, they also fell off the foils and never recovered flight again. Sailing on in displacement, all but the French team finished ahead.
The Swiss team best managed the madness, seizing the lead and staying up on their foils almost all the way to the finish. They crossed in displacement over three minutes ahead of Athena Pathway who had recovered from several splashdowns and were able to hold off the fast-charging NYYC American Magic who finished the race in third – their first podium finish of the regatta.
After several hours of waiting for enough wind for fair racing, shortly after 1600 CET the final three races were abandoned and rescheduled for tomorrow morning beginning at 1000 CET.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s win in the only race of the day leap-frogs them into third overall – and above the qualification cut line – ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand who will be rueing a day where they were so close to scoring maximum points.
The Kiwis were not the only team that Mother Nature dealt a poor hand to. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli started the day in the top spot with a four point advantage over Athena Pathway, but tonight are tied for first with the British crew.
Asked how the Swiss sailors had managed to hold their nerve and stay on the foils to close out the win, skipper Nathalie Brugger confessed that she had not fully appreciated they were winning until after the finish. “I thought we were second or third, but we were actually first. But, anyway, we knew how important it was to stay on the foils and we made sure we made our maneuvers only when we had the speed to do it, not necessarily where and when we wanted to do them. We were in a kind of ‘survival mode’ to stay in the air.”
Tash Bryant, port helm of Athena Pathway, said the British crew had known that racing in today’s conditions would be difficult. “We went into the race with the mindset of ‘let’s just sail our own boat’ and we were trying to make sure we didn’t have an absolute major [disaster]. In the end we were happy with how we performed.”
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Jo Aleh said the Kiwi crew was disappointed to have dropped off the podium after holding a big early lead in today’s race, but, nevertheless, happy to still be able to fight tomorrow to make it through to the Semi-Finals.
“That’s the challenge. In these boats and in that wave state it is just super hard to be consistent. To be honest we were surprised for that first lap how well we were going. Before the race it had felt really hard to get the boat going smoothly. So we take a lot of confidence from that first lap and we are looking forward to tomorrow – bring on three more races.
“There are 10 more points available for every race and with the weather here you never really know what it is going to do – so anything is possible. We were worried we would come in and not get another chance, so we are very happy to have everything to go for tomorrow.”
The Group A final three races tomorrow are scheduled for 10:10 am (weather permitting). Once the qualification round of Group A is completed, the Committee will start the four semifinal races between the top six teams (top three from each group). The first semifinal race is expected to start at 14:10. The top two teams will advance to the winner-take-all final race on October 13.
Format: Twelve teams are split into two groups of six for an initial fleet race series in the AC40s. The top three teams from each side after eight races will race together in four fleet races to decide the top-two crews and from there it’s a one-race, winner-takes-all for the title.
Viewing details – Race information – Results – Weather forecast
Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021, the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022. The entry period was from December 1, 2021 until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup could be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the reveal, finally confirming Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup begins October 12, 2024.
Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL):
• INEOS Britannia (GBR)
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI)
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA)
• NYYC American Magic (USA)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)
2023-24 Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40): Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 2 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 22-25, 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain
2024 Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series*
August 29-September 9: Double Round Robin
September 14-19: Semi Finals (Best of 9)
September 26-October 7: Finals (Best of 13)
*Team New Zealand competes in the round robin stage only, but the results of their races were not included in the challenger leaderboard.
2024 America’s Cup
October 12-27: 37th Match (Best of 13)
For competition details, click here.
Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the Youth America’s Cup and Women’s America’s Cup.
Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Event details: www.americascup.com/en/home
Source: ACE, SSN