Courageous Concord Pacific Racing narrowly misses semi-finals in Barcelona
by Concord Pacific Racing 23 Sep 14:41 PDT
23 September 2024
Concord Pacific Racing Youth Team Canada, Jajo Team Dutchsail Youth Netherlands – UniCredit Youth America’s Cup – Barcelona © David Maynard / www.alleycatphotographer.com
Concord Pacific Racing’s Youth Team demonstrated remarkable spirit and resilience but narrowly fell short of qualifying for the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup semi-finals, finishing the qualifying series in fourth place today.
Entering the final qualifying day in fifth place, Canada aimed for two strong results to break into the top three. With fierce determination, the Canadians gave their all, pushing their limits, but two OCS (On Course Side) penalties were detrimental.
Despite these challenges, the team maintained composure and fought back into contention with a third-place finish in Race 7. However, as Spain finished second, the Canadians faced an uphill battle—needing a win in the final race while hoping Spain would come last to secure a semi-finals berth.
The Canadians nearly achieved a perfect start in the last race, positioning themselves for a final surge. Unfortunately, a minor miscalculation at the start line led to yet another OCS, putting them at a disadvantage once more. Despite a strong recovery to finish third, it wasn’t sufficient, as Spain clinched their semi-finals spot with a dominant victory on home waters.
“We’re definitely disappointed about not advancing, but we aimed to be competitive. We didn’t realize just how competitive we could be, and I’m very proud of our entire team,” remarked Youth Captain Andrew Wood.
“I believe everyone surpassed expectations, and in the end, we were incredibly close. We knew we had to push hard today and unfortunately, we were OCS in both starts, yet we performed well, so we’re grateful for the experience.”
Head Coach Kyle Martin commended the team’s resolve: “I’m very pleased with their performance today. We executed our strategies and aimed high on both starts, but were a bit unlucky with the OCS penalties,” Martin stated.
“Nevertheless, we quickly overcame them and executed some excellent races. I’m extremely proud of how the team improved throughout the week, handled the boat adeptly, and communicated effectively. Who knows where we could have placed if we had one or two more days to enhance our skills, but I’m very satisfied with the team’s overall performance.”
For the Canadians, this marked an admirable effort in their inaugural participation at the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup; their tactical sailing and judicious decision-making garnered admiration from peers and supporters alike. While there may be some disappointment with the result, this experience has established a strong groundwork for future endeavors.
Reflecting on their journey, Wood stated: “I’m incredibly proud of the entire team. We acquired a simulator nearly a year ago and dedicated countless hours to it. Everyone worked diligently—there were no issues with commitment; in fact, quite the opposite. The improvement we’ve achieved is astonishing and motivates our future. I hope we all continue with this level of sailing moving forward.”
Wood added, “It’s been amazing. These boats were fantastic to sail—it’s the most enjoyable sailing I’ve ever experienced. Racing alongside many friends from prior classes and Olympic categories made it even more enjoyable. Being part of the America’s Cup overall has been a truly wonderful experience.”
While the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup semi-finals proceed, the focus for the Canadians shifts to the inaugural Puig Women’s America’s Cup, commencing on October 5. Stay tuned for an exciting campaign aimed at rallying support for the women’s team because, after 173 years… it’s time.
Catch all the action live on Sail-World.com.
Final Group B Standings:
Artemis Swedish Challenge | 62 points
Sail Team BCN | 45 points
Andoo Team Australia | 43 points
Concord Pacific Racing | 31 points
Jajo Team Dutchsail | 28 points
Team Germany | 17 points
