Cup Spy – America’s Cup Match: Day 4 – Brits Strike Back in Battle of Barcelona
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 16 Oct 13:46 PDT
16 October 2024
A pleased Giles Scott – Head of Sailing – INEOS Britannia – Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, Race Day 4 – October 16, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
INEOS Britannia made history with a significant victory, marking the first time a British yacht has triumphed in America’s Cup racing in 90 years.
The previous win was by Endeavour (Sir T.O.M Sopwith) in the 1934 America’s Cup, featuring J Class yachts. Much like today’s match, Endeavour secured two wins and nearly clinched a third to claim the America’s Cup.
Wednesday was pivotal for INEOS Britannia to maintain its status as a formidable contender in the America’s Cup. Officials ashore were openly discussing a potential race schedule should the Emirates Team NZ machine continue to chalk up wins.
As noted in Cup Spy’s pre-race analysis, it was clear post-Monday’s Race 4 that the British had a chance for a surprise victory, and today they achieved just that.
Historically, among the last 18 races by the top three competitors—Luna Rossa, Emirates Team NZ, and INEOS Britannia—lead positions at the marks hadn’t shifted, with the leading boat at the first mark consistently winning. The British had previously been trailing behind at the critical first mark by notable margins of 11-24 seconds, allowing the America’s Cup Defender to dominate.
However, this pattern changed on Monday when the British dead-heated with the Kiwis at the first mark, signaling their ongoing improvement in the America’s Cup Series.
Tuesday’s no-race day featured a fresh breeze and considerable swell, prompting the British to train in challenging conditions, reaping significant rewards.
Emirates Team New Zealand stumbled in the pre-start for Race 5, misjudging their gybe and getting caught in a wind hole while also facing rough seas. This left ETNZ nearly stationary with just a minute to go.
By the time the Kiwis crossed into the race, the wind at their end was dropping, while the British were sailing at 30 knots through a similar wind hole but maintaining their momentum, while the Kiwis struggled.
This practically sealed ETNZ’s fate as they could not recover and capitalize on the light breeze that persisted during the race. INEOS’s goal was to stay airborne and break free from the start box’s drag to reach better winds along the course.
With the breeze picking up for the second start to about 10 knots, the risk of a start repeat from Race 5 was negligible.
Both teams encountered issues with their race computers supplied onboard. The British seemed to rectify their system—initially offline during Race 5—allowing them a nearly flawless start in Race 6.
Emirates Team New Zealand attempted to control the Race 6 start but failed, with the Brits delivering the finishing blow in the crucial last seconds, accelerating through the windward mark at 44 knots and entering the start box effectively before heading towards the left end of the line. They crossed at full speed while ETNZ chose to distance themselves from the British by opting for a split tack start.
INEOS Britannia took advantage of their strong start to quickly reach the port boundary. During the first cross of the two AC75s, although typically the give-way boat, INEOS had ample space to clear ETNZ comfortably, signifying a turning point as long as they maintained their edge at Mark 1, which they rounded with a slim 6-second lead—the closest the Kiwis would get that race.
While Emirates Team New Zealand pressed hard, they couldn’t overtake despite trailing by just 7 seconds for the final three legs. The British achieved a 16-second lead mid-race but faced difficulty with the seaway that forced their bow to plunge into the head sea, slowing them down as they tacked.
The Kiwis, facing no such struggle, relieved the pressure on the Brits during a poor rounding at the bottom gate, causing their rudder to wash out briefly.
According to the British team’s debrief, there was no need for a pep talk before the race; everyone knew their responsibilities, as stated by Giles Scott, Head of Sailing—and they executed flawlessly.
“With two wins, we are back in contention,” he added.
No racing will occur Thursday, with two races set for Friday and at least one over the weekend.
Full Replay of America’s Cup Day 4, Races 5 and 6
Inside Tack:
Pre-Race Analysis: The Battle of Barcelona
Today requires the resilience that embodies the British spirit, which has been evident in wartime throughout history, helping the world’s leading seafaring nation emerge from numerous tight situations.
The Battle of Barcelona is the latest chapter.
Indeed, the score stands at 4-0 in favor of the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and many see the outcome as a foregone conclusion.
However, a statistical look at the racing since the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals began, including Race 4, indicates that 85 leads have been maintained without any mark changes around the first mark, across 15 races. In the LV Finals, only Race 7 featured a lead change after Luna Rossa led until a main traveler support structure failure.
The numbers become even more striking when including the Round Robin competitions among the LV Finalists and Emirates Team New Zealand—adding another 14 legs without any lead changes—bringing the no-change count to 99 marks. This supports the notion that once a boat rounds the first mark first, it almost certainly wins.
Only one race in that analysis has seen a lead change, particularly in the opening match between Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand at Race 2 of the Round Robin when the Italians led at Mark 2, and the Kiwis took the lead at Mark 3 on their way to victory.
We believe these three teams are closely matched in speed, highlighting a fair contrast in the AC75 class.
For Kiwi fans, this suggests watching the first mark rounding is enough before heading off to bed, knowing the likely outcome. It’s also time to contact your favorite bookmaker to wager on the results.
While the race graphics may display lead changes, the statistics show these are often temporary, with final positions reflecting the standings at Mark 1.
What does this mean for INEOS Britannia?
Clearly, they must aim to round Mark 1 first. They almost achieved this in Race 4, where they finished neck and neck. A small gap of just two or three seconds is enough, as statistically, results will not vary.
As illustrated in the graphic, there aren’t major speed differentials among the boats. However, the Brits struggle slightly with speed at the bow during tacks/gybes but remain sufficiently above the threshold to foiling at 25-26 knots.
Though exploiting wind shifts looks simple on video, footage from the stern cameras on the AC75s shows limited visibility and challenges in spotting wind shifts and those essential 1-2 knot pressure cells.
One must sympathize with the crew’s pressure to think accurately at high speeds and amid tight circumstances.
History indicates that the British have consistently overcome substantial obstacles. Will the Battle of Barcelona prove to be another such moment?
Race 5: Emirates Team New Zealand (Port Startbox entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Scheduled Start: 1410hrs CET
Emirates Team NZ compromised their pre-start sequence, failing to regain their foils before the race commenced. GBR expanded their lead to 1.6km before NZL managed to establish themselves on their foils, but it was ultimately too late for a comeback.
Start:
Mark 1: 05m 41sec GBR led NZL margin 2m 15sec
Mark 2: 08m 58sec GBR led NZL margin 1m 59sec
Mark 3: 13m 15sec GBR led NZL margin 1m 37sec
Mark 4: 16m 26sec GBR led NZL margin
Mark 5: 20m 36sec GBR led NZL margin 1m 28sec
Finish: 24m 15sec GBR led NZL margin 1m 18sec
Race 6: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Emirates Team New Zealand (Starboard Startbox Entry) Scheduled Start: 15:15hrs CET
Start:
Mark 1: 03m 26sec GBR led NZL margin 06sec
Mark 2: 06m 35sec GBR led NZL margin 09sec
Mark 3: 10m 53sec GBR led NZL margin 09sec
Mark 4: 14m 09sec GBR led NZL margin 16sec
Mark 5: 18m 10sec GBR led NZL margin 13sec
Mark 6: 21m 31sec GBR led NZL margin 07sec
Mark 7: 25m 23sec GBR led NZL margin 07sec
Finish: 28m 13sec GBR led NZL margin 07sec
Live Coverage
Weather Forecast:
The America’s Cup Weather Partner, PredictWind, has established a dedicated Race Weather Center for fans to access detailed daily weather reports, live webcams, and historical weather data conducted by professional meteorologists.
Current Forecast for Race Day 30:
Forecasts for Wednesday by Arnaud Monges, former America’s Cup Team Meteorologist
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
In the morning, Barcelona will experience light winds, while a significant southward gradient will be noticeable further offshore. This southern flow is expected to arrive in Barcelona by midday/early afternoon, progressively establishing winds of 8 to 12 knots from 200°. Thus, expect a possible race start delay.
Waves of one meter from the Southeast with 5-second intervals will occur due to the stronger offshore winds. The waves will not align with the wind.
The sky will be partly cloudy today, with more sunshine expected in the afternoon and temperatures reaching up to 24°C.
Course Location:
America’s Cup Race Schedule – Races 5 & 6: Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Race 5: Emirates Team New Zealand (Port Startbox entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start: 1410hrs CET
Race 6: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Emirates Team New Zealand (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start: 15:15hrs CET
Virtual Eye
Post-races, you can replay key moments or entire races using Virtual Eye from ARL. This tool is utilized by Inside Tack to highlight various points using actual AC75 tracks.
To access Virtual Eye’s America’s Cup coverage, click here and select “Watch Previous” to choose the race you want to observe. Virtual Eye offers a 3D environment where you can zoom in, out, and navigate like you would in a helicopter.
INEOS Britannia Dockwalk
Crew Lists
Onboard video
Race 5:
Race 6:
Additional Images:
