Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup
by Mark Jardine 18 Oct 05:50 PDT
18 October 2024
Dock out on Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup – October 18, 2024 © David Maynard / www.alleycatphotographer.com
Emirates Team New Zealand was sailing smoothly, building a commanding 4-0 lead in the America’s Cup Match, but on Wednesday, they faced a setback as INEOS Britannia secured victories in both races.
With a score of 4-2, Friday became a crucial day. The Kiwis were ahead in score, yet the British team had the momentum.
Race 7: INEOS Britannia vs. Emirates Team New Zealand
With a fluctuating 11-knot breeze, the race started promptly, with INEOS Britannia entering the start area perfectly timed on port, while Emirates Team New Zealand performed a gybe from their starboard entry.
After a few maneuvers, the British team trailed the Kiwi boat, choosing to tack into the line ahead, which gave INEOS Britannia an initial 20-meter lead off the line, but Emirates Team New Zealand quickly found a way to regain the lead.
When the British boat tacked, the Kiwis tacked right on them, forcing them to tack away while they continued towards the right boundary, where Emirates Team New Zealand caught a major right-hand wind shift, extending their lead to 200 meters.
INEOS Britannia narrowed the gap at the first windward gate, trailing by just 12 seconds, as both teams opted for different buoys. Despite the Race Committee resetting the course axis, significant bias remained as the wind shifted consistently to the right.
During the downwind leg, the teams managed the shifts, with the Kiwis extending their lead by a second at the first leeward gate, again rounding different buoys.
The right side had significantly more wind than the left, with an eight-knot difference, benefiting Emirates Team New Zealand early on.
The communication among the sailors was particularly fascinating, especially with Nathan Outteridge calling the wind direction on the Kiwi boat. His legendary ability to read the wind was crucial in the changing and gusty conditions. Emirates Team New Zealand extended their lead to 24 seconds at the second windward gate, then to 29 seconds by the second leeward gate.
As their lead increased on the third upwind leg, the onboard discussions among Emirates Team New Zealand’s Burling, Outteridge, Blair Tuke, and Andy Maloney were continuous. With input from everyone, decisions were made based on the overall situation. Their strategy paid off as they led by 53 seconds at the final windward gate.
The Kiwis made no mistakes during the last downwind leg, winning by 1 minute and 13 seconds and extending their match lead to 5-2.
An interesting remark on the final leg was Nathan Outteridge saying, “Sorry about the tone on the first upwind,” to which Peter Burling quickly responded, “That’s all good.” They were acutely aware of the pressure but delivered excellently, averaging a remarkable 1.3 knots faster VMG.
Ben Ainslie remarked after the finish, “We seemed to have the start line positioned well, but the breeze picked up significantly on the right, and they defended that effectively to build a lead and managed the pressure and shifts. It was a tough race for us, but we’ll keep pushing and aim to secure a win in the next race.”
Race 8: Emirates Team New Zealand vs. INEOS Britannia
To follow…
