Emirates Team New Zealand Secures Two Victories on America’s Cup Race Day 1
by Emirates Team New Zealand 12 Oct 12:42 PDT
Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, Race Day 1 – October 12, 2024 © Ian Roman / America’s Cup
The atmosphere was electric as Emirates Team New Zealand welcomed over 300 family members at the Barcelona base to send off the sailing team at midday.
Ngati Whatua Orakei enhanced the event with a vigorous haka while the Emirates Team New Zealand AC75, ‘Taihoro’, departed the dock, escorted by ‘Te Kawau’, a traditional Maori waka (canoe).
After a brief delay awaiting the wind to strengthen over the minimum 6.5-knot limit, Mel Roberts from the Race Committee boat announced, ‘The wind limit has been reached. This America’s Cup is officially underway!’
America’s Cup Race Reports
Race 1:
The clouds begin to clear, the wind sampling is finalized, and the inaugural race of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match has commenced. From the port end, Emirates Team New Zealand initiates at 2 minutes and 10 seconds, while INEOS Britannia, having come off the foils, is late and must tack to the right boundary for the start.
Emirates Team New Zealand tacks underneath IB, leading them into the starting area with just over a minute remaining. They head towards the right boundary and complete a tack. INEOS Britannia opts for a wider approach before tacking back toward the starting line. Emirates Team New Zealand targets the port end of the line and hits the mark perfectly. INEOS Britannia remains on the windward side, and both boats engage in a drag race towards the left boundary. Emirates Team New Zealand is first to tack, appearing poised to cross, prompting INEOS Britannia to tack below and get caught in disturbed air.
A drag race now unfolds to the right side, with Emirates Team New Zealand pulling ahead. INEOS Britannia is the first to tack before reaching the right boundary, while Emirates Team New Zealand continues further before tacking back. Both boats head towards the mid-course on starboard tack, then as INEOS Britannia tacks, Emirates Team New Zealand powers ahead, heading toward the starboard layline.
At the first gate, Emirates Team New Zealand rounds the port marker and bears away with a 24-second lead. INEOS Britannia follows and immediately gybes, closely monitored by Emirates Team New Zealand, who tacks on the right boundary. Having found good breeze to the left, INEOS Britannia reduces the distance before gybing on the left boundary. They appear fast down this leg and have gained 100 meters. Emirates Team New Zealand gybes to cover INEOS Britannia’s line on starboard gybe, then again cover as INEOS moves back to the left boundary. Emirates Team New Zealand maintains coverage and proceeds to position on the port layline toward the leeward gate.
Prior to the marker, Emirates Team New Zealand gybes and takes the port marker, rounding with a 15-second delta advantage.
INEOS Britannia tacks immediately around the leeward gate, while Emirates Team New Zealand covers their move, defending the right side of the course. They engage in a drag race up the course on starboard tack before INEOS Britannia tacks back to the right, staying closely covered by Emirates Team New Zealand. A prolonged port tack to the right boundary sees Emirates Team New Zealand making gains. INEOS Britannia is forced to tack away and remains covered. A long starboard tack ensues, trailing INEOS Britannia back towards the left boundary, leading to INEOS tacking while covered by Emirates Team New Zealand with the second gate in their sights.
Emirates Team New Zealand bears away at the port marker as the Race Committee extends the legs to 1.85 nautical miles, now leading by 36 seconds. INEOS Britannia approaches on the port layline, bearing away at the starboard marker while splitting tactics going downwind initially. Emirates Team New Zealand gybes to cover early, bouncing off the left boundary and extending their lead to over 600 meters with two legs remaining after the next leeward gate.
Emirates Team New Zealand gybes on the puffs along the course and approaches the leeward gate, gybing onto the port layline and rounding the starboard marker (looking downwind) to head up with a 40-second lead. Noticing that INEOS Britannia went for the port marker and is heading right, Emirates Team New Zealand tacks early to cover, then continues to cover as they go up to the right boundary and back to the left boundary. Classic match-racing occurs, as Emirates Team New Zealand denies INEOS Britannia any advantage.
The upwind situation remains tight, with no one taking clear advantage as it’s boundary to boundary while Emirates Team New Zealand continues to cover INEOS Britannia’s every move. At the last windward gate, light winds emerge, and both boats approach from the port layline. Emirates Team New Zealand bears away for the final downwind run at the starboard marker, leading by 56 seconds. Winds are light now, and both teams must connect the puffs and stay alert to INEOS Britannia’s rounding at the starboard marker, prompting Emirates Team New Zealand to immediately gybe to cover and power down the course on starboard gybe.
Emirates Team New Zealand navigates through challenging downrange gybes and enters the finish line off the starboard layline, skillfully maneuvering the puffs down the right side of the course to finish strong and secure the opening victory of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. The finish delta was clocked at 41 seconds.
After crossing the finish line, Helmsman Nathan Outteridge commented:
“It was a dynamic race, and we learned a lot about sailing the boat in these conditions. It was beneficial for us to get a clear start and take control after that first cross. There’s still much to learn in the days ahead, but we’re thrilled to start with a win in the first race.”
“This is what we’ve been preparing for over three years, a long time spent observing others race. Securing a fantastic start was gratifying, and now we must keep our focus on the next race.”
Race 2:
At 2 minutes 10 seconds, INEOS Britannia pushes hard and attempts to cross. Emirates Team New Zealand arrives on time, gybing to follow INEOS Britannia, who tacks and trails Emirates Team New Zealand before they aggressively return on starboard tack, following INEOS Britannia to the right boundary. Emirates Team New Zealand tacks high on the line with 20 seconds remaining and then engages aggressively on INEOS’s line. Starting at the starboard end, Emirates Team New Zealand immediately tacks right. INEOS Britannia launches with more speed and retains the advantage.
IB heads towards the left boundary, tacking while Emirates Team New Zealand sails out right. At the first cross, INEOS Britannia is forced to duck. They then steer right, while Emirates Team New Zealand continues left before tacking back. Upon returning, INEOS Britannia is on starboard, but Emirates Team New Zealand finds a lift, allowing them to cross closely ahead.
At the top gate, Emirates Team New Zealand accurately identifies the starboard layline and rounds the port marker with an 11-second lead as INEOS Britannia adopts different tactics and rounds at the starboard marker. Emirates Team New Zealand immediately gybes to cover INEOS Britannia, who has picked up speed down to the left, which allows IB to lead while crossing ahead. INEOS Britannia appears rapid downwind. Both boats engage in split tactics as they race from boundary to boundary, but on the gybe back, Emirates Team New Zealand takes advantage of the starboard side and reclaims the lead.
Entering the first leeward gate, both teams aim for the starboard marker, with Emirates Team New Zealand rounding after a gybe at reduced speed while INEOS Britannia follows and tacks immediately. Emirates Team New Zealand sails left to the boundary before tacking and following INEOS Britannia across the course. INEOS Britannia tacks on the right boundary while Emirates Team New Zealand crosses, opting for a decisive leebow tack that forces INEOS Britannia to immediately tack right; it’s essential to choose the right puffs.
Emirates Team New Zealand moves far left before tacking as INEOS tacks right. At the cross, INEOS Britannia has gained, but Emirates Team New Zealand stays ahead and heads right. At the second windward mark, Emirates Team New Zealand chooses to come in on the starboard layline and rounds the starboard marker, heading left down the run. INEOS Britannia rounds the port marker, implementing split tactics while going right in parallel. Emirates Team New Zealand notices the move and gybes to cover; wind builds to the right and INEOS Britannia catches it first. A gybe at the boundary by INEOS Britannia brings them close to Emirates Team New Zealand, but ETNZ crosses and sails right for the breeze.
Emirates Team New Zealand gybes at the right boundary while IB stays to the left of the course. As they come together, Emirates gains, forcing a gybe on INEOS Britannia’s bow. Approaching the leeward gate, it’s neck-and-neck as ETNZ rounds at the starboard marker while INEOS gybes to the port marker with a 10-second delta.
Emirates Team New Zealand bears away at the port marker, leading by 28 seconds, while INEOS sails left down the run pursuing split strategies. Emirates Team New Zealand gybes at the right boundary to cover INEOS’s bear-away, gaining on good breeze and extending the lead to over 450 meters with legs reduced to 1.1 nautical miles and two legs left.
Initially, Emirates Team New Zealand heads left on the third beat before tacking to cover INEOS Britannia on the right. As they come back, Emirates Team New Zealand has pulled ahead and tacks on INEOS’s bow, forcing an unfavored tack to the right for INEOS. INEOS goes hard right and catches fresh breeze, while Emirates Team New Zealand covers and also heads right with their lead expanding to 250 meters as the windward gate nears and the Race Committee shortens the legs to 1.2 nautical miles.
Emirates Team New Zealand rounds the leeward gate swiftly, immediately tacking on the starboard marker while INEOS rounds at the port marker, 32 seconds behind. An exemplary match-racing maneuver from Emirates Team New Zealand allows no room for leverage as they smartly cover INEOS when they tack back toward mid-course. INEOS tacks right, yet Emirates Team New Zealand dominates leg 7 and rounds the final windward gate, departing from the starboard layline to bear away at the port marker for the final run with a lead of 33 seconds.
INEOS Britannia rounds the starboard marker and splits tactics. In response, Emirates Team New Zealand gybes off the right boundary to cover, sailing alongside INEOS Britannia’s line and then gybing for a lengthy starboard run down to the starboard layline followed by one last gybe to the finish. Emirates Team New Zealand triumphs with a score of 2-0 in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, with a final delta of 27 seconds.
Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper Peter Burling expressed satisfaction with the challenging first day, saying, “It was quite shifty, especially with all the clouds, making it difficult to predict the breeze. However, our crew did excellently in communicating and making smart decisions. It was definitely tight in that last race, so it feels great to take another win.”
