Cup Spy – Day 19: Louis Vuitton Cup – Finals Day 5 – From Misfortune to Revival
by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World NZ 1 Oct 07:35 PDT
1 October 2024
Luna Rossa – deep in a nosedive – Finals Louis Vuitton Cup – Race 7 – Day 19, October 1, 2024 – Barcelona © America’s Cup
Sail-World’s coverage of Day 19 of the Louis Vuitton Cup – Finals Race Day 5 – October 1, 2024.
The peculiar Final Series of the Louis Vuitton Cup took another turn in Matches 7 and 8, involving the breakdown and recovery of the Italian challenger Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
Race Summaries:
Final – Match 7: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start 1410hrs CET 1210hrs UTC.
Mark 1: 03m 29secs GBR led ITA by 1 sec.
ITA retired due to aerodynamic fairing damage following a nosedive at 44kts, just 10 secs after rounding Mark 1.
After rounding Mark 1, Luna Rossa encountered a significant structural issue around the jib traveller, impacting deck fairings. The crew ceased racing yet remained on course to compel the British to continue. The incident unfolded with Luna Rossa’s abrupt nosedive shortly after rounding the first mark, seeming to be caused by a rudder issue or overpowering at a relatively low-speed bear away. The silver AC75 drove its bow deeply into the water, halted while traveling at 44kts, lifted out onto its stern, and then came to a stop.
In slow motion, Luna Rossa came into the bear away level, appearing to accelerate normally, but then tripped over the foils, plunging the bow into the water. It plowed through at a constant angle before buoyancy in the bow lifted the boat back to level and stopped it.
The incident was akin to American Magic’s nosedive on June 6, where a large fairing cover piece broke away.
To view a replay of Luna Rossa’s nosedive, click here.
Today, several fairing panels covering the jib traveller trench detached, but the damage was less severe than that suffered by Emirates Team New Zealand during their nosedive and capsize in the 2017 America’s Cup in Bermuda, when carbon fairings scattered across the Great Sound.
Initial assessments, which turned out to be correct, suggested the nosedive merely lifted the deck fairings without causing structural damage underneath.
Italy withdrew, and the race was awarded to INEOS Britannia.
A few minutes later, the Italians were optimistic about their chances in Race 8. Co-helmsman Francesco Bruni, who was at the helm during the incident, stated it was not a rudder issue but a balance problem between sails and foils that caused the boat to trip.
Following temporary repairs by the shore crew, the aerodynamic fairing was patched, and a test sail was conducted prior to their participation in Race 8, which saw its start delayed due to exceeding the 21kt wind limit multiple times.
Final – Match 8: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Port Startbox Entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start 1515hrs CET 1315hrs UTC.
The start was repeatedly delayed as they waited for the winds to fall below the maximum of 21kt.
INEOS Britannia made it easier for Luna Rossa by encroaching over the port boundary while returning in the pre-start. This relegated the Brits to 75 meters behind, allowing the Italians to extend their lead to 136 meters midway through Leg 1.
Mark 1: 03m 23secs ITA led GBR by 12secs.
Mark 2: 06m 13secs ITA led GBR by 6secs, after ITA reduced speed on the turn.
Mark 3: 10m 09secs ITA led GBR by 7secs.
Mark 4: 13m 03secs ITA led GBR by 7secs. ITA lost distance on the rounding. Both boats navigated opposite sides of the course going upwind, with ITA choosing the favored starboard side.
Mark 5: 17m 10secs ITA led GBR by 9secs.
Mark 6: 19m 50secs ITA led GBR by 12secs.
Mark 7: 23m 43secs ITA led GBR by 16secs or 355 meters.
Finish: 26m 32secs ITA led GBR by 16secs or 300 meters, with winds gusting to 24kts on the final downward leg.
You can watch today’s racing live here:
Weather Forecast:
America’s Cup Weather Partner PredictWind has established a dedicated Race Weather Center allowing fans to access thorough daily weather breakdowns, live webcams, and historical weather data reported by meteorologists.
Provisional Forecast Race Day 19:
Tuesday, October 1, 2024
Light winds in the morning will shift to a South-Westerly by midday, quickly building to 14 to 18 knots for racing. The wind direction is expected to stabilize at 220°, with gusts reaching up to 23 knots.
As a result of the wind, afternoon waves may rise to one meter from the South-West with a short 3-second period.
Clear skies in the morning will turn cloudy in the afternoon, with temperatures reaching 25°C.
Wednesday, October 2, 2024
Wind patterns will alter on Wednesday, with forecasts indicating East-South-East winds of 8 to 12 knots.
Sea state will be about 1 meter coming from the East-South-East at a 4-second period.
The sky will stay overcast, and temperatures will drop a few degrees. Rain is anticipated later in the day and into the night.
By Arnaud Monges, former America’s Cup Team Meteorologist reporting for PredictWind
Course Location:
While awaiting coverage to begin, you can check the following:
Virtual Eye
After the races, you can replay key moments or the entire race using Virtual Eye from ARL. Examine the start of yesterday’s race to see Luna Rossa’s mistake that allowed the Brits to gain a significant lead and maintain it throughout.
Access the Virtual Eye America’s Cup coverage directly by clicking here, selecting “Watch Previous,” and choosing the race you wish to view. Virtual Eye offers a 3D viewer, allowing you to zoom in, out, around, and up and down as if you were in a helicopter.
Inside tact – INEOS Britannia
Proposed Match Schedule:
Final – Match 7: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start 1410hrs CET 1210hrs UTC.
Final – Match 8: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Port Startbox Entry) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start 1515hrs CET 1315hrs UTC.
Crew Lists To be announced.
