Barcelona, Spain (October 18, 2024) – Any sense of a momentum shift toward INEOS Britannia after the British team won the two previous races was indisputably erased today as Team New Zealand emphatically won both races today by the largest margins yet. Now at 6-2, the Kiwis are one win away from successfully defending the America’s Cup.
In smoother sea-state conditions, New Zealand looked a different boat, able to employ a consistent ride height and smooth, fast maneuvers whilst their sailing team out-smarted and out-fought the Challenger. It could not have been more decisive.
Right from the outset, Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher, helmsmen of ‘Britannia’ laid their stall out, crossing from the port side with the finest of margins before circling immediately with intent to get on the Kiwi’s tail who had entered the starting box at pace and very much up for the fight.
Sharp turns and fine execution from both teams yielded a fascinating lead-back to the line with the British making the better time-on-distance but New Zealand crucially held the windward position and immediately adopted a high mode with a smaller J3 jib than the British who had set a larger J2.
With a north-westerly breeze filtering off the land, filling and shifting wildly and delivering pressure between 8-14 knots, this was a day for the ‘wind-whisperers’ and it was Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge onboard ‘Taihoro’ who maintained constant dialogue with their trim team of Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney up the first beat, who read it best.
Determined to hold the right, the Kiwis defended hard, first tacking on the bow of Britannia and forcing them left before ignoring the British and heading hard right into a big left shift that secured a lead that was almost insurmountable by the first mark.
Over six legs, New Zealand sailed supremely – with the boat performing immaculately in the flat water – and just extended away whilst never giving INEOS Britannia any kind of positional leverage to get back into the race. At each turning gate the Kiwis gained and by the finish they crossed the line one minute and 13 seconds ahead to take the scoreline to 5-2 after a commanding performance.
With the conditions staying challenging and both boats equalized on the same jib codes, the eighth race was again all about reading the shifts. After a pre-start where New Zealand maintained a leeward position throughout, angling for a chance of shutting out the British at the starboard end of the line, Burling nailed the final approach to the line – starting just one metre back at a speed of 38 knots.
Britannia, to windward, was first to tack away, but the Kiwis ignored the chance to immediately cover, clicking into more pressure and digging into it before tacking back to the right side. The gain was immediate and by the first gate, New Zealand were 15 seconds up and looking imperious.
Throughout the eight legs, INEOS Britannia could only hope to make gambler’s gains, choosing the left side on the third upwind and narrowing the Kiwi’s lead to 23 seconds, but a masterful seventh leg, the last upwind, saw the Kiwis nail two shifts and round the final windward gate with an advantage out to some 50 seconds.
From there, it was just pure execution and tactical positioning that allowed New Zealand to gybe consistently on the pressure builds and come across the finish line on the port layline to record a resounding 55-second victory and take the scoreline to 6-2, one race win away from completing a successful defense of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.
“Hugely satisfying in that offshore breeze, the four of us were reading it very similarly to one another so the comms were rolling very smoothly,” noted starboard trimmer Maloney. “We’ve had a few days in those conditions, one this year and a few last year in October, and we definitely learnt a lot from those days, but I think today we were all just seeing it well and very similarly to one another and that made for really fun sailing.”
Asked whether it had been a pressured day off yesterday, Maloney added: “Honestly nothing different to normal over the last 24 hours, just the same processes and we knew that the boats were evenly matched and that we weren’t going to win every race in this America’s Cup.
“It was unfortunate that we lost a couple the other day, but I think we did really well just to stick to our processes and prepare well for today for the different conditions and go out and execute two good races.”
Talking specifically about the technique that the Flight Controllers used in the tricky off-axis swell, Maloney noted how the “swell conditions coming from behind on the upwind certainly requires a different technique and both Blair (Tuke) and I were feeling it quite well and we were flying the boat really well and it was just real satisfying that all the pieces of the puzzle came together today in just a great day for the team.”
Sir Ben Ainslie, skipper and Team Principal of INEOS Britannia, rued a day of shift and pressure reads on a tricky course.
“I think really it’s just coming off the line and getting the first shift. In that first race we felt we had a good position off the start but they just lifted away from us in a big right hander and did a really nice job from there to protect once in the lead and put themselves in a nice position with the shifts and pressure.
“In the second, it was a roll reversal, we were on the windward side before we saw some nice pressure on the right, tacked off and they went all the way out left found some more pressure and sailed into the lead. That was the story of the day. It was really all about the shifts and pressure.”
Asked what his message was to the team after a difficult day, Ainslie noted how the message would remain the same. “It’s the game of the Cup, it’s the first to win seven, and we’ve got to win five more, so we’ve just got to keep going.
“It’s going to be different conditions tomorrow and of course the pressure is on, we’ve got to win every race from now on in, but why not? I’ve always believed that pressure is a privilege, that’s why we’re here. We wanted to be racing in the Cup. I would prefer to be 6-2 up rather than 6-2 behind – but anything is possible.”
Tomorrow’s forecast is looking super-light and possibly unfit for racing.
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 – https://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2024/10/18/british-on-verge-of-americas-cup-defeat/
