Should the British Begin to Dream?
by Mark Jardine 17 Sep 12:00 PDT
Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs. INEOS Britannia on Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals Day 2 – 15th September 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup
I recall in 1996 when England hosted the football European Championship. Comedians David Baddiel and Frank Skinner teamed up with the band the Lightning Seeds to release the song ‘Three Lions’, featuring the refrain, “It’s coming home.”
The song contains the line, “Thirty years of hurt, never stopped me dreaming,” referencing the England team’s failure to win a major tournament since the 1966 World Cup. Now, 28 years later, the situation remains unchanged… tough luck for England football fans!
That time frame seems trivial compared to the America’s Cup, which left British shores back in 1851. The trophy has often returned to the UK but a British team has never won it. Will 2024 be the year that changes, or is it too early to start dreaming?
With substantial support from Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS, the British team enlisted the Formula One expertise of the Mercedes team (also backed by INEOS) to construct an AC75 capable of winning the America’s Cup.
The journey has not been without its challenges and disappointments, including a lackluster performance in the 36th America’s Cup in Auckland, a fire involving their LEQ12 prototype, and a disastrous rudder failure.
Just prior to the start of racing, it was revealed that Dylan Fletcher would join Ben Ainslie as co-helm, a choice many expected to be filled by Giles Scott. Was there tension within the team, or did data suggest Fletcher was the better option for the AC75?
When competition began, the atmosphere in the INEOS Britannia camp was notably cautious, with boatspeed being the main focus. This concern was evident in the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, the first occasion the teams raced against one another in Barcelona. The British team achieved hard-fought victories over the Swiss and French teams but succumbed to defeats by the Italians, Americans, and the defending champions, New Zealand.
As the Round Robin series progressed, the situation improved and the British team secured results, although they encountered several boat-handling and tactical misjudgments that could have been costly. The objective was to avoid being the team eliminated at this early stage. Winning the Round Robins and earning the right to choose their Semi-Finals opponent felt ambitious.
However, fortunes can shift quickly in sports.
The co-helm pairing of Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher began to click, each contributing unique strengths. Ainslie is known for his quick thinking on the course, capable of making bold, immediate decisions. Fletcher, with a robust background in 49er and Moth sailing, offers exceptional wind-reading skills and technical insight. As Ben openly admits, Dylan’s persistence in joining INEOS Britannia might have been a tactical breakthrough.
At the same time, the boat, RB3, discovered a newfound speed. When I visited the INEOS Britannia base just before the Preliminary Regatta, the boat had been in the shed for a few days while others practiced on the water. Coach Robbie Wilson mentioned that he believed some modifications would be effective, while others may not, but importantly, those that didn’t work could be easily reversed if necessary.
The pivotal moment for the British team’s fortunes occurred on Day 7 of the Round Robins. They secured victories first against Alinghi Red Bull Racing and then achieved a triumph over the previously unbeaten Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
It appeared that Luna Rossa was a sure bet to top the group before the last day of the Round Robins, but a technical complication led the Italians to forfeit their race against Alinghi, which necessitated a sail-off between the two teams, a contest that the British team won.
Entering the Semi Finals, things seemed to be progressing smoothly with a 4-0 lead, until Day Three, when INEOS Britannia’s vulnerability was starkly revealed in lighter winds. We observed RB3 struggling to stay on the foils at around the 6.5-knot lower wind limit, enabling Alinghi to take their first race.
Notably, we also saw Luna Rossa face a similar struggle against American Magic, but this incident stemmed from an aggressive maneuver that involved gybing inside the US team at the leeward gate, which typically increases the likelihood of complications.
This had happened to the British team before, and it seems the boat is better suited for stronger winds, yet the trend suggests winds will likely lighten as the America’s Cup nears—not strengthen.
Developments in the America’s Cup world unfold rapidly, and should INEOS Britannia advance to the Louis Vuitton Cup final as early as Wednesday, they could take time to optimize the boat for light wind tacks and gybes. They are undoubtedly analyzing their processes, approach speeds, as well as foil deployment and retrieval timing while observing how rival teams handle maneuvers in lighter conditions.
Listening to discussions regarding other boats was fascinating; teams often bore away slightly to gain speed or sought patches of stronger wind for tacks. This is standard practice in classes like the Moth and complements Dylan Fletcher’s foiling racecraft.
While I recognize that the America’s Cup may not hold the same profile as football, and it’s unlikely we’ll have comedians and pop stars composing chants for stadiums, winning the Auld Mug would be a monumental achievement for Britain. I might be getting ahead of myself—contending against Luna Rossa and the defenders Emirates Team New Zealand pose significant challenges—but I admit my hopes have been lifted!
Mark Jardine
Managing Editor, Sail-World.com and YachtsandYachting.com
