American Magic keeps its hopes alive with a victory in Race 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
By New York Yacht Club American Magic
September 16, 2024, 11:52 PDT
On Monday, September 16th, in Barcelona, Spain, NYYC American Magic achieved a significant victory on the third day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals, surprising the Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and narrowing the series deficit to 4-1.
In a must-win situation, American Magic had to claim victory in every remaining race to sustain their campaign, as a defeat would have concluded their aspirations for the 37th America’s Cup. With their situation critical, this win was essential in keeping their chances alive.
The race unfolded like a thriller from the start, where both teams showed similar performance and closely shadowed one another up the first leg to the windward gate, where Luna Rossa rounded first, 17 seconds ahead. With the southerly wind peaking at about nine knots and a course featuring areas of lighter winds, American Magic had opportunities to gain ground.
Early in the second upwind leg, American Magic located more breeze on the right side of the course, leveling with their rival at the first cross, prompting Luna Rossa to relinquish the lead by dipping behind Patriot’s stern and receiving a penalty for being too close. When the boats approached again, the Italians crossed on port and incurred a second penalty for the illegal maneuver.
At the second windward mark, it was incredibly close, with only three seconds separating Luna Rossa’s rounding of the right mark from American Magic’s rounding of the left. On the second downwind leg, both boats were evenly matched, but the Americans took the lead as they neared the leeward gate. Despite Luna Rossa’s aggressive attempt to cut inside, which they executed poorly, American helmsmen Tom Slingsby and Lucas Calabrese skillfully avoided a penalty. The Italian team lost their foils, allowing American Magic to finish the race uncontested and secure their first point in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals.
Afterward, Tom Slingsby, helmsman of NYYC American Magic, commented on the day by saying, “It was a good race. The start was tight. The boat felt excellent. We’ve made some adjustments, and in these light conditions that were previously challenging for us, the boat has never felt better. That’s exciting, and we’ll be even faster on Wednesday. The first win is often the hardest, and now we’re on a roll. In the four previous races they’ve won, the combined time difference was just 50 seconds, while we just beat them by a lap. So, yes, we are confident.”
Today’s victory was pivotal for American Magic. They must win every remaining race to maintain their quest for the 37th America’s Cup, with no margin for mistakes in this high-stakes competition.