Emirates Team New Zealand leads INEOS Britannia off the start of Race 8 at the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona. Ian Roman/America’s Cup
On Race Day 4 of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand faced some simple yet critical mistakes that ultimately worked against them, bringing the series to a close at 4-2 ahead of Thursday’s reserve day. However, on the water off Barcelona today, the Kiwi squad swiftly silenced the British momentum with two commanding victories, positioning themselves just one race away from defending their title for a third consecutive time.
For the first time in this America’s Cup Match, the winds blew from offshore (northwest), creating a unique racecourse that featured smooth waters and the capriciousness of an offshore wind flow. The conditions, influenced by the high hills outside of Barcelona and the bustle of a city with six million residents, meant that ten-degree shifts and sporadic gusts became crucial, rewarding those who could stay ahead and take advantage of the shifts.
As we’ve seen throughout the Match, the initial crosses hinged on the starts. Yet again, Emirates Team New Zealand executed their starts flawlessly, leading both races from start to finish. In the first race of the day (Race 7), INEOS Britannia secured a port entry and just managed to squeeze past the Kiwis as they came in from the starboard end, immediately jumping into pursuit. Pulling off an impressively tight figure-eight maneuver, INEOS shifted roles and applied pressure as New Zealand deftly led them towards the bottom right corner of the starting box. INEOS made an early turn back to the line, giving Emirates Team New Zealand ample opportunity to launch from the weather end with significant open space. Starboard helmsman Peter Burling was well aware of the upcoming right shift, and they capitalized on it when it arrived.
INEOS Britannia was staring down Taihoro‘s transom through both races on Day 5 of the America’s Cup in Barcelona. Ricardo Pinto/America’s Cup
“The pre-start was all about getting to the first shift,” Burling reflected following the races. “And INEOS made it straightforward for us.”
How straightforward was it, exactly? Data from the boats indicated that as the Kiwis began, the breeze hitting their bow was at approximately 288 degrees true. A mere twenty seconds later, the true wind had risen to 311 degrees, and Taihoro swiftly pushed INEOS downwind. As the British team came off their left-boundary tack, the New Zealanders placed a strong cover on them, forcing their opponents back to the left, resulting in a lead that grew from 60 meters to 240 at their subsequent intersection.
While INEOS detected a favorable shift at the top of the beat that allowed them to close the gap, the Kiwis crossed into the first gate without issue, subsequently harnessing shifts and puffs down the run to extend their lead.
“These boats go quick,” commented INEOS coach Xabi Fernandez post-racing. “So if you choose the right side, you arrive quickly, and if you go the wrong side, you also arrive just as fast; thus, the shifts were critically important today.”
—INEOS Britannia Coach Xabi Fernandez
Despite INEOS’s attempts to create some distance, the gap continued to widen, allowing Emirates Team New Zealand to lock into a puff that propelled them upwind, often at a speed of over 10 knots, extending their advantage to over 700 meters.
“These boats go quick,” noted INEOS coach Xabi Fernandez after racing. “So if you go the right side, you get there fast, and if you go to the wrong side, you also get there fast, so the shifts were super important today.”
As they approached the final windward gate, the Kiwis jibed onto a puff that led them down the center of the course, nearly doubling their lead. A couple of jibes later, they crossed the finish line with the British far behind, trailing by more than half a mile.
To assert that Emirates Team New Zealand made it look effortless would be an understatement; however, the precision and consistency of their performance throughout the race were evident. Burling credited his four teammates who powered the pedals for 27 minutes, ensuring that they had the energy needed for constant sail adjustments amidst fluctuating wind speeds.
Unable to out-speed or out-sail the Defender when behind, INEOS Britannia now has only one option left, says trimmer Leigh McMillan, “to take it to them.” Ricardo Pinto/America’s Cup
“It was a shifty, dynamic offshore day, and one thing that really impressed me was the strength of our power train,” Burling shared, acknowledging the team responsible for generating the necessary wattage to keep the boat stable and fast during every turn. “Our application of power continues to improve, which made everything easier today.”
With their first victory secured, the Kiwis promptly set to work for the pre-start of the next race, entering on port, crossing clear, and jibe back toward the line as the British sailed past them, positioning themselves further back. This strategic move provided Team New Zealand with an opportunity to command the charge into the start and dictate the race from there.
“It was gratifying to see them sail past us, and for them to attempt to push us back to the line,” said Emirates Team New Zealand trimmer Andy Maloney after the racing concluded. “We did well to defend against that push and took the lead from a strategically tight leeward position.”
This advantageous position set the stage for the next critical advance. INEOS’s clearing tack left them trailing by 140 meters after just two minutes of racing. As they entered the downwind leg, the British faced rudder control issues, which trimmer Leigh McMillan later described as “distracting” but ultimately inconsequential.
“We managed it as best as we could,” he stated, “but it didn’t impact the race’s outcome.”
One mishap had INEOS’s speedo dipping to 27 knots, while the Kiwis powered away at an exhilarating 44 knots, quickly doubling their lead to 400 meters.
Throughout the racing, the distance between the two boats never dropped below 300 meters. On the third leg (downwind), Team New Zealand captured a puff that sent them racing down the center of the course, allowing their lead to balloon beyond 700 meters.
Emirates Team New Zealand’s Peter Burling says INEOS gifted both starts, which gave them the runway they needed to sail the course as they wished. Ricardo Pinto/America’s Cup
By sailing the course to their liking, the Kiwis secured yet another point on the scoreboard, and that was all she wrote for the day.
“Our primary challenge was that they executed the critical first shift perfectly,” reflected McMillan. “We started strong in the pre-starts and demonstrated that we’d significantly improved there, but once they gained control, it became nearly impossible to surpass them. It was frustrating.”
Clearly, the British challengers know what they must do if Saturday’s light-wind forecast allows the Match to proceed, McMillan stated: “We have to win every race, and the only way to achieve that is by genuinely challenging them. We’re prepared for that.”
And so are the defenders, along with the throngs of black-shirted fans who are flocking to Barcelona’s waterfront. They can almost taste the victory, and it’s just one race away.