Cup Spy – America’s Cup Match: Day 5 – Barcelona Battle Nearly Concluded
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 18 Oct 15:19 PDT
19 October 2024
© Ian Roman / America’s Cup
Emirates Team New Zealand secured victories in both races today, moving closer to Match Point, as they only need to win once more to defend the America’s Cup successfully. The Challenger INEOS Britannia must clinch the next five races without a single loss.
Achieving that would be a Herculean feat.
The wind today blew “over Barcelona and some hills, stirring up a lot of turbulence, with wind speeds fluctuating and changing direction,” noted Giles Scott, Head of Sailing for INEOS Britannia.
“It was a highly challenging day with both teams grappling with numerous variables,” he added.
The city layout disrupted the NW wind flow, causing significant inconsistencies along the course, with wind speeds at 7 kts at the course’s middle and exceeding 14 kts near the boundaries.
However, data from both AC75s showed an even more chaotic situation, with wind shifting 45° from 275° to 320°, according to the boat stats. Wind speeds fluctuated from 7 kts to 17 kts, while boat speeds ranged from 20 kts to 46 kts. The vast wind strength variability complicated sail selection, with jibs being out of range at both extremes, necessitating precise trimming.
According to one British coach, the shifts and pressure were relatively easy to identify, and the Kiwis capitalized on them in both races.
The British claimed today was unprecedented in all their previous experience in Barcelona. Both races ended nearly as soon as Emirates Team New Zealand seized the first shift—passing after Mark 1 proved impossible, and the top three boats in the regatta have now completed over 112 legs after rounding the first mark without any lead changes.
Such statistics render the racing exceedingly one-sided, a point that today’s races underscored.
Emirates Team New Zealand had a rocky start, but their positioning to windward of INEOS Britannia gave them an edge. Despite an initial deficit, the Kiwis caught a favorable wind shift within 30 seconds of the start, pulling ahead of the British, who completely missed it.
At the first cross, the Kiwis tacked and covered the Brits, holding a solid 50-meter lead just one minute post-start as they cruised toward the starboard boundary.
The Brits had no choice but to switch to the other tack, with both boats heading for opposite boundaries. The Kiwis discovered another wind shift, and when they converged again, they led by over 230 meters. However, the wind swung favorably for the Brits from the left side of the course, narrowing their deficit to just 55 meters or less than two boat lengths.
For the trailing boat, the remainder of the race became a lost cause; as Giles Scott commented, “no one would take a split into a known loss.”
Emirates Team New Zealand persevered and won the first race by 73 seconds or 1100 meters.
The start of Race 8, the second contest of the day, unfolded quite differently, with Emirates Team New Zealand positioned leeward. They were reported to be within a meter of the start line at launch, traveling at 37 kts, while the Brits were windward and matching their speed.
This time, the Brits moved towards the starboard boundary while Emirates Team New Zealand sailed for the opposite side, again catching a favorable shift to bounce off the boundary and return with a 140-meter lead after less than two minutes of racing. This lead increased by an additional 10 meters before Mark 1, and then it was another case of ‘Goodnight Nurse’ as the Kiwis went on to win by 55 seconds, over 1,000 meters.
If INEOS Britannia can manage to win five consecutive races, it would represent the most significant comeback in America’s Cup history by a wide margin. Had the Brits managed to latch onto the breaks that Emirates Team New Zealand found early in the racing, the outcome of the 37th America’s Cup could have been drastically different. But even more so than previous race days, today featured no passing lanes, meaning once behind, there was no route back.
“Both starts were incredibly close,” said ETNZ skipper Peter Burling post-racing. “Both times we secured the side we aimed for, which was gratifying. We controlled the race’s early intersections and effectively ended the races from that point.”
“I believe it’s fantastic for the team to execute two completely different starts under various conditions and end up on the favorable side both times.”
“Prior to today, it felt like we had strong positions in several starts but let them slip. So being able to execute two good starts today was really satisfying.”
Emirates Team New Zealand stands with six wins, on the verge of a rare three-peat in the America’s Cup. “For us, nothing changes from this point. We realize that the final win is always the toughest; it looks like we may have a tricky light wind forecast for the upcoming days as well.
“We’re prepared for a lengthy battle. We anticipate it to be a challenging contest, and I’m sure that’s what we’ll encounter. However, we are genuinely looking forward to it.”
For the British, Giles Scott shared similar thoughts. “As far as we are concerned, we have five races to win, and we are ready for it.”
Full Replay America’s Cup Day 5, Races 7 and 8
Race Summaries and Mark Roundings:
Race 7: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Emirates Team New Zealand (Starboard Startbox Entry) vs Start: 14:10hrs CET
INEOS Britannia won the start, sailing faster and ahead of Emirates Team NZ. However, the Kiwis tacked towards the right side of the six-leg course, which initially didn’t pay off but proved beneficial about a third of the way up the leg, forcing the Brits to follow once the Kiwis consolidated their lead. A significant hill upwind created considerable effects on both direction and speed—recording 7 kts in the middle and up to 14 kts on the right.
Start: GBR won the start. NZL tacked immediately for the starboard boundary, caught a “Kiwi Puff,” and locked in the race.
Mark 1: 03m 54sec NZL led GBR margin 12sec
Mark 2: 07m 20sec NZL led GBR margin 13sec
Mark 3: 12m 00sec NZL led GBR margin 24sec
Mark 4: 16m 08sec NZL led GBR margin 29sec
Mark 5: 21m 02sec NZL led GBR margin 53sec
Finish: 24m 49sec NZL led GBR margin 73sec
Race 8: Emirates Team New Zealand (Port Startbox entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start: 1515hrs CET
Start: NZL won the start, nearly touching the startline. GBR tacked for the starboard boundary 20 seconds later, while NZL continued to the other boundary, seized a “Kiwi Puff,” resulting in race over.
Mark 1: 03m 45sec NZL led GBR margin 15sec
Mark 2: 06m 36sec NZL led GBR margin 25sec
Mark 3: 10m 32sec NZL led GBR margin 41sec
Mark 4: 13m 32sec NZL led GBR margin 36sec
Mark 5: 17m 31sec NZL led GBR margin 23sec
Mark 6: 20m 25sec NZL led GBR margin 27sec
Mark 7: 23m 57sec NZL led GBR margin 50sec
Finish: 26m 37sec NZL led GBR margin 55sec
Boat Performance Data
Race 7 – Boat speed
Race 7: Wind Speed
Race 8: Boat Speed
Race 8: Wind Speed
Virtual Eye
After the racing, you can replay the critical moments or the complete race using Virtual Eye from ARL. This tool is utilized by Inside Tack to illustrate various points using the actual tracks of the AC75s.
You can access the Virtual Eye America’s Cup coverage by clicking here, then selecting “Watch Previous” to choose your desired race. Virtual Eye features a 3D view, allowing you to zoom in, out, and navigate around just like in a helicopter.
INEOS Britannia Dockwalk
From the Fan Zone:
Crew Lists
Onboard video
Race 7:
Race 8:
Inside Tack:
Additional Images:
