Cup Spy – Day 16: Louis Vuitton Cup’s Light Winds Postpone Start
by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 28 Sep 03:44 PDT
27 September 2024
Luna Rossa and INEOS Britannia – Finals Louis Vuitton Cup – Day 15 – September 26, 2024 – Barcelona © Ian Roman / America’s Cup
Live Updates for Louis Vuitton Cup Finals Day 2:
Racing is postponed due to light winds. INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will compete in two scheduled races for Finals Day 2, set for Saturday, September 28. Currently, there is a slight breeze from the ESE at around 5 knots, insufficient for racing.
The winners from the Semi-Finals, Royal Yacht Squadron’s INEOS Britannia and Circolo della Vela Sicilia’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, will meet again for two races on Finals Day 2, Saturday, September 28.
An onshore flow from the East-South-East at approximately 5 knots is predicted to strengthen in the afternoon, reaching up to 10 knots.
Weather Forecast:
America’s Cup Weather Partner PredictWind has established a dedicated Race Weather Center that gives fans access to daily weather breakdowns, live webcam feeds, and historical weather data, all written by meteorologists.
Preliminary Forecast for Race Day 16, Saturday, September 28, 2024:
From Arnaud Monges, former America’s Cup Team Meteorologist:
Saturday 28th:
The day will begin with a north-west offshore wind that will diminish by midday. In the early afternoon, a soft onshore breeze from the East-South-East of around 5 knots is anticipated to increase to 10 knots later in the day. As the wind speed rises, expect a shift in wind direction towards the South-East and eventually South.
The sea will remain calm, with a height of 0.6 meters from the East at 5-second intervals.
It will be a sunny day, though cooler than the previous day, with maximum temperatures only reaching 22°C due to a cold air mass moving in from the North.
Sunday 29th:
In the afternoon, a South-West wind of 10 to 15 knots combined with clear skies should create excellent racing conditions.
Louis Vuitton Cup Race Schedule, Match-ups, and Start Box Entries:
Louis Vuitton Finals Match 3: GBR vs ITA Start: 14:10hrs CET (12:10hrs UTC) Entry: Port: TBA Starboard: TBA
Louis Vuitton Finals Match 4: ITA vs GBR Start: 15:15hrs (CET) (13:15hrs UTC) Entry: Port: TBA Starboard TBA
Live coverage for Saturday’s races:
Pre-race Commentary:
The Finals will be conducted similarly to the America’s Cup, with 13 races scheduled and the winner being the first to achieve 7 points. Generally, this means the first team to win seven races, although the International Jury may impose point penalties for any infringements, whether on or off the water, which are not addressed by the Racing Rules overseen by the Umpiring team.
Two races are on the agenda for each day. The same wind limits will be enforced as in the previous rounds of the Louis Vuitton Cup, with a minimum of 6.5 knots and a maximum of 21 knots, measured at both the top and bottom of the course (start line) using recording devices stationed at each gate. The total wind data is averaged over 30-second intervals during a five-minute period leading up to the start from the 9th to the 4th minute. If the wind complies with the allowed limits, the Course Director will communicate via radio (heard in the TV commentary) alerting teams that racing will commence.
If the green light is given, the race will proceed regardless of any changes in wind conditions, notwithstanding wind limits. Once approved, the only parameters for the race are that teams must reach the first leg within 12 minutes, followed by a total race time limit of 45 minutes. The number of legs, leg lengths, and compass directions can all be adjusted by the race committee during the event.
So far, no race has exceeded a duration of 25 minutes.
The race director has the authority to halt racing (even if the wind is within the specified limits) if deemed that the sea state is unsafe. He also possesses the discretion to cancel a race for safety reasons, a choice he nearly had to exercise during the lightning strikes on Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup. However, Emirates Team NZ’s decision to withdraw from their match and sail across the 100-meter boundary line, leading to their disqualification and the immediate awarding of the race to Luna Rossa, prevented any safety-related intervention by the Race Director.
Our coverage includes weather updates, live streaming, real-time images from the racecourse, mark rounding statistics, timings, margins, and additional commentary.
Course Location:
Weather Information – Louis Vuitton Cup – Finals – Day 2
To Be Announced
Crew Lists
To Be Announced
Virtual Eye
You can replay highlights or the entire race using Virtual Eye from ARL, either now or after the racing concludes.
Access the Virtual Eye America’s Cup coverage by clicking here, then selecting “Watch Previous,” followed by the race you want to view. This 3D viewer allows you to zoom in, out, and navigate just like a helicopter view.
