Light winds halt racing as INEOS Britannia suffers first loss in Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
by INEOS Britannia 16 Sep 11:44 PDT
16 September 2024
INEOS Britannia and Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI) – Day 3 – Semi-Finals – Louis Vuitton Cup – Day 12 – September 16, 2024 – Barcelona © Ian Roman / America’s Cup
INEOS Britannia is set for a tougher challenge against Alinghi Red Bull Racing for a spot in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final after losing a race to the Swiss team before racing was called off due to light winds. This marked the British team led by Ben Ainslie’s first defeat in the Semis after winning all their races against Alinghi on Saturday and Sunday.
INEOS Britannia’s result mirrored that of the other Semi-Final matchup, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli also suffering their first loss to New York Yacht Club American Magic. Both pairings were scheduled for a second race on Monday, but with the wind not meeting the minimum required for racing, the remainder of the schedule was abandoned. INEOS Britannia will next compete against Alinghi Red Bull Racing on Wednesday.
INEOS Britannia Team Principal and Skipper Ben Ainslie commented: “Competing in such light conditions is always challenging. It’s disappointing, but we made a few errors in our maneuvers, so we’ll evaluate how to improve in those scenarios. As we often say, it’s not over until you secure those five wins. We are aware that we can perform better and optimize the setup of our boat, which is a positive, but in sports, especially in the America’s Cup, you can never take anything for granted.”
In uncertain conditions, the race between the British and Swiss teams finally began after three false starts. The light breeze coupled with residual swell from the previous day’s winds created difficult conditions, threatening to pull the boats underwater whenever they slowed to tack or gybe. INEOS Britannia experienced a brief touch down during their pre-start and entered the starting box slightly late. Alinghi Red Bull Racing missed the opportunity, returning too early to start their run towards the line. Ben Ainslie and his team perfectly timed their start at the left end, while the Swiss were too close to the line. They were penalized for the early start, giving INEOS Britannia the lead.
However, the conditions remained unstable, making it impossible to cover the opponent’s movements. Neither team could afford unnecessary tacks. The British crew focused on their strategy up the first leg, rounding gate one with a 17-second advantage. INEOS Britannia built that lead to 1 minute and 10 seconds by the second leg, with the Swiss rounding the right mark of gate two. At that point, the British crew found themselves tacking at the boundary in very light winds and lost their foiling. Alinghi took advantage, moving ahead by 500 meters by the time Britannia regained speed.
The breeze remained marginally steadier for a painfully brief time, allowing Ainslie and his crew to close the gap on the Swiss. However, as the wind dropped again, a second touchdown during a tack ended their race. The Swiss reached gate three and most of the way down the fourth leg before also losing their foiling and resorting to displacement mode. Following that, Alinghi was racing against the 45-minute time limit to complete the race, with neither boat able to achieve foiling again. The Swiss boat ultimately crossed the finish line with 3 minutes and 38 seconds to spare, earning their first point in the series.
The Semi-Finals will continue on Wednesday, September 18.
