Cup Spy: America’s Cup Match – Kiwis Take Two – Day 1
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 12 Oct 13:06 PDT
13 October 2024
INEOS Britannia and Emirates Team NZ – America’s Cup Match – Race 1 – Final – October 12, 2024 © Ian Roman / America’s Cup
Emirates Team NZ clinched victories in both races on Day 1 by 41 seconds and 27 seconds, even while sailing with a jib that may have been too small as the breeze weakened towards the race conclusions.
In the Women’s America’s Cup, the Italian crew showed dominance, leading from the start. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli won’t leave Barcelona with the America’s Cup but will take home the next best thing for a rebuilding team—trophies for the Youth America’s Cup and Women’s America’s Cup.
Most were delighted to witness the Women’s Final—a single race, sudden-death matchup—begin on time and conclude normally, without any foiling mishaps, contrasting sharply with yesterday’s marathon event lasting nearly nine hours.
Despite ongoing debate about whether the Defender, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, should have fielded a team during the Round Robin phase of the Louis Vuitton Cup or Challenger Selections Series, commentators entered the America’s Cup’s opening day still uncertain about who would prevail.
The results of today’s races closely mirrored the sole matchup between the two teams from the Louis Vuitton Cup.
In Match 21 on Day 6, under slightly lighter wind conditions than today, Emirates Team New Zealand triumphed over INEOS Britannia by 3 minutes and 2 seconds—a deceivingly large margin, given they were less than 33 seconds apart after the first four legs; however, the discrepancy grew after the Brits struggled to maintain their foils on the final two legs.
Initially, today’s races were closer. Double Olympic Gold medalist Giles Scott remarked that “it was challenging to be behind today,” pointing out that the lead boat could always capitalize on wind shifts and pressure to its advantage while the trailing boat had few options but to take chances on the opposite side of the course rather than linger in the lead boat’s wake.
Scott noted that the Kiwis sailed exceptionally well upwind, which was both accurate and intriguing, as it appeared the New Zealanders were using a smaller jib—a strategy they often employ. Their approach makes sense for faster upwind sailing, improving their chances of reaching the first mark first, after which they can focus on maintaining an advantage downwind, repeating this for each of the three or four laps.
This strategy held up even during the second race, where the wind softened, which should have benefitted the Brits. By that point, the Kiwis had established a 30-second lead and could tactically manage shifts and pressure variations.
Later, the Brits admitted they switched to a smaller jib between races—opting for a J2—while the Kiwis notably went down to a J3. However, this is within their unique jib code set, meaning there’s no direct size correlation as in one-design classes.
The Brits stumbled unintentionally at the start of Race 1, entering the starboard end of the start line 30 seconds late due to a battery issue.
This caught the Kiwis off guard as they sped to the port end of the start box 10 seconds ahead of the starboard-approaching boat, only to notice the Brits loitering near the starboard boundary, which opened up some tactical possibilities.
The Kiwis immediately employed typical match racing tactics, attempting to prevent their opponents from entering and drawing a penalty against them.
However, in AC75s, executing this strategy is easier said than done, and in the end, the Brits’ late entry hardly mattered.
While the Brits appeared slightly rattled, they did launch well — but the Kiwis executed even better, gaining a small advantage as they approached the port boundary.
Oddly, the starboard side of the course proved advantageous during the first race, while the opposite side became significantly more fruitful in the second—both upwind and down.
Nothing has changed since the Louis Vuitton Cup’s later stages, where the boat first around Mark 1 has consistently gone on to win.
Despite all the hyperbolic commentary on the racing being “tight,” the last genuine lead change occurred on Day 1 of the Semi-Finals, with Luna Rossa overtaking American Magic on Leg 3. There were two others in the same series—one involving a boat losing its foils and Luna Rossa dealing with a traveler malfunction.
Significant analysis will be undertaken overnight by the Brackley boffins on how the Brits can rebound, similar to the four recoveries made by the Italians in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final.
Their best shot lies in adopting a fundamental strategy—securing an early lead and maintaining it.
In AC75s, successfully living in a competitor’s rig exhaust is not feasible.
The British skipper mostly outmaneuvered his counterpart during the starting sequences of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, and Ben Ainslie must regain this proficiency by Sunday.
Returning from a 4-0 deficit in a first-to-seven series is a tall order.
Race Summaries – 37th America’s Cup – Day 1
Race 1: Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) (Port Startbox Entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start: 1450hrs CET/1250hrs UTC
Start: Racing commenced with Emirates Team NZ crossing the start line first. The wind is gradually increasing.
Mark 1: 03m 47sec NZL lead GBR margin 24secs. NZL ahead by 200 metres, GBR sailing faster. NZL on J2 jib, GBR on J1
Mark 2: 07m 36sec NZL lead GBR margin 15secs. NZL leading by 170 metres on Leg 3
Mark 3: 12m 34sec NZL lead GBR margin 36secs
Mark 4: 16m 37sec NZL lead GBR margin 40secs. Current wind is 9kts. NZL indicated they expected stronger winds at the race start, which is why they opted for a smaller jib. The wind is now within 0.5kts of their forecasted strength. Brits narrowing the NZL lead to 300metres.
Mark 5: 22m 34secs NZL lead GBR margin 56secs. On-water lead extending to 600 metres.
Finish: 27m 01secs NZL lead GBR margin 41secs. On the water, the margin was 420 metres.
Key Statistics Finals Match 1:
Race Winner: Emirates Team NZ; Time: 27m 01sec; Margin: 41; Distance: 420metres;
Top Speed: 40.3kts (NZL) 41.3kts (GBR); Average: 32.2kts (NZL) 32.3kts (GBR);
Upwind Speed: 30.7kt (NZL) 29.06kts (GBR); Downwind Speed: 34.0kts (NZL) 35.8kts (GBR);
Average VMG: 22.5kts (NZL) 21.8kts (GBR);
Distance Sailed: 26,881mtrs (NZL) 27,450mtrs (GBR);
Tacks: 14 (NZL) 15 (GBR); Gybes 13 (NZL) 12 (GBR); Total Tacks/Gybes 27 (NZL) 27 (GBR)
Final – Match 2: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start: Time TBD UTC
Start:
Mark 1: 03m 50sec NZL led GBR margin 11sec
Mark 2: 07m 19sec NZL led GBR margin 09sec
Mark 3: 11m 55sec NZL led GBR margin 14sec
Mark 4: 15m 22sec NZL led GBR margin 10sec
Mark 5: 19m 30sec NZL led GBR margin 28sec
Mark 6: 22m 19sec NZL led GBR margin 32sec
Mark 7: 25m 56sec NZL led GBR margin 33sec
Finish: 28m 23sec NZL led GBR margin 27sec
Live Race Coverage – Louis Vuitton America’s Cup – Day 1 of the 37th Match – October 12, 2024.
Virtual Eye
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For pre-match details like weather and crew lists, visit www.sail-world.com/news/280452/Cup-Spy-Day-27-Preview-and-weather
