Youth America’s Cup: Day 1 – USA and ITA Lead After Two Races in Youth America’s Cup
by America’s Cup/Sail-World, 17 Sep 10:35 PDT
Luna Rossa – AC40 – Youth America’s Cup – Day 1 – September 17, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
The teams from the USA and Italy are currently tied at the top of the points standings after two races in the Unicredit Youth America’s Cup, held off the coast of Barcelona.
Competitors faced challenging conditions with significant swells of up to one meter and initially light winds while sailing in Group A, which included six teams from America’s Cup syndicates. Organizers aimed to complete four fleet races on Day 1, but worsening weather and diminishing daylight brought racing to a close around 1700hrs UTC.
The large swells resulted from a mistral wind further up the Mediterranean. Similar or more challenging conditions are expected for the Semi-Finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup, which resumes tomorrow, Wednesday.
Race Summaries:
Racing commenced at approximately 1538hrs UTC.
Points after 2 Races: 1. USA (2, 1) 17pts; 2. ITA (1, 2) 17pts; 3. GBR (4, 3) 8pts; 4. NZL (3, 4) 8pts; 5. SUI (5, DNS) 6pts; 6. FRA (DNS, DNS) 4pts
Race 2 Results: 1. USA 12m 45sec; 2. ITA +22sec; 3. GBR +2m 39sec; 4. 3m 50sec DNS: FRA & SUI. SUI requested a 5min delay for repairs but could not make them in time. NZL led at the start and rounded Mark 1 first but fell back to 4th after a nosedive halfway through Leg 2. This race was shortened to five legs.
Race 1 Results: 1. ITA 18m 01sec; 2. USA +1m 03sec; 3. NZL +1m 24sec; 4. GBR +3m 09sec; 5. SUI +3m 14sec. FRA was disqualified. NZL was penalized for being over the starting line. Wind conditions were at 16.3kts.
The Unicredit Youth America’s Cup experienced a three-hour delay due to significant swells of one meter and initially light winds. As the breeze picked up, the sea conditions worsened. By the final race, winds reached 18kts, creating a confused seaway, with the leading boat in Race 2 averaging 29.93kts throughout the course.
Youth America’s Cup wind limits and course regulations differ from those of the America’s Cup, notably a lower limit of 7.5 knots to initiate racing and an upper limit of 17 knots, prioritizing safety for the AC40 fleet. Races are subject to a shortened time limit of 30 minutes, with the time limit for reaching the first mark reduced to 10 minutes.
Each fleet race is targeted to last 20 minutes, and boats must be in the starting-box area within 2 minutes and 10 seconds to avoid penalties set at 75 meters. The start-line distance will be extended to 0.25 nautical miles for fleet races, with course legs measuring approximately 1 nautical mile, depending on conditions.
In Barcelona today, the wind is forecasted to start from the east and gradually shift to a south-easterly direction, which previously allowed for evenly balanced racing in the Round Robins with consistent pressure and shifts across the course.
These conditions might create numerous passing opportunities for the AC40s, especially in fleet racing, requiring youth sailors to remain vigilant outside of their boats for pressure and shifts. Wind speeds are projected to increase with the official forecast predicting 6-10 knots; however, the local ‘Xaloc’ wind in Barcelona can sometimes exceed expectations.
Weather Outlook:
The America’s Cup Weather Partner, PredictWind, has launched a dedicated Race Weather Center, providing fans with thorough daily weather updates, live webcams, and historical weather records delivered by meteorologists.
Provisional Race Day 12 Forecast: To be updated.
Tuesday, September 17
Forecast for Tuesday, September 17 – Youth America’s Cup Day 1
Early afternoon conditions are expected to feature light, variable winds with a South-East flow of 5 to 10 knots later on. Waves of 1 meter coming from the East will have a 5-second interval. Overcast skies with temperatures reaching up to 24°C are anticipated.
Conditions should worsen by the end of the day and into the night, with moderate to strong Easterly winds and a chance of rain.
