INEOS Britannia Claims Two Race Victories to Lead 6-4 in Louis Vuitton Cup Final
by America’s Cup Media 2 Oct 11:22 PDT
2 October 2024
In sports, momentum can be frustratingly elusive, but once it takes hold, it can become overwhelming. In today’s contest in Barcelona, the intense rivalry between INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli saw the British team excel as they clinched two victories, taking a 6-4 lead in this series, which is decided by the first team to reach seven points.
The British crew is now just one victory away from securing the Louis Vuitton Cup and gaining the top Challenger position to advance to the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match against the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.
Demonstrating their full capabilities throughout the day, the British team fought hard against a determined Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli crew that pushed through every maneuver to apply maximum pressure on their opponents.
It was a classic confrontation between two exceptional teams, deserving of such a prestigious sporting event. The action captivated the crowds on the Barcelona shore, who cheered, waved flags, and supported their sailors, while viewers worldwide tuned in to watch this thrilling contest.
Under dark clouds threatening rain, and with the mistral to the north dictating an easterly breeze of 16-19 knots accompanied by significant swells, INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli faced off in the day’s first race, each eager to seize the advantage early.
A near-collision in the pre-start box on the final approaches to the line, which Luna Rossa skillfully avoided, led to a split-tack start, with Britannia taking the port end of the line just eight meters back. Luna Rossa headed right and established an early positional edge when both boats tacked and met mid-course, but in those conditions, the Italians opted not to cover as INEOS Britannia ducked and veered right.
On the next crossing, the dynamics reversed, with Britannia holding the right-of-way. At the first windward gate, both boats performed impressive tack-bear-away maneuvers (one of the most challenging maneuvers in these foiling AC75 yachts) with the Italians achieving a two-second lead.
Down the first run, Britannia’s larger jib (J4 compared to Luna Rossa’s J5) proved advantageous; an early puff of pressure on the right side of the course helped the British take a narrow lead, which grew as Luna Rossa struggled with an unsuccessful first gybe along the left boundary.
After navigating the first leeward gate, Luna Rossa briefly lost their rudder immersion, causing the hull to touch the water, and by the time they regained momentum, Britannia had extended their lead by another 100 meters. Despite Luna Rossa’s strong comeback over the remaining five legs, the British maintained their advantage as both yachts minimized maneuvers in the increasingly challenging sea state. INEOS Britannia crossed the finish line with a 23-second victory margin, bringing the Louis Vuitton Cup Final score to 5-4.
The second race featured last-minute decisions regarding headsail selection from both teams. When they aligned, both had chosen the J4, leading to a fierce contest where even minor errors would result in significant consequences.
As they headed back to the start line, INEOS Britannia positioned themselves leeward with Luna Rossa tight beside them. Both boats had time to spare, and in the final five seconds before the start, they veered away to the port end of the line, with Britannia having the advantage – which proved crucial as both boats oriented into the wind for take-off.
As these two sailing titans approached the first boundary, INEOS Britannia, in the leeward position, slowly edged ahead, forcing Luna Rossa to tack away first. The race unfolded with minimal mistakes from either team, who navigated the challenging sea state with great skill, showcasing an elite match race across eight legs. Luna Rossa consistently played the role of aggressor from behind, keeping the British lead marginal while looking for any chance to capitalize.
They took advantage when INEOS Britannia briefly cavitated their rudder and lost control while rounding the second leeward gate. The resulting distance lost allowed the Italians to surge back into the contest, igniting an exhilarating tack-for-tack struggle during the first half of the fifth leg, with INEOS Britannia eventually breaking away to the right boundary, having identified increased pressure at the top of the course. A favorable wind shift slightly extended the British lead, which never exceeded ten seconds, making the rest of the race dependent on maneuver execution – particularly during the downwind gybes.
With an equitable pressure across the course, touching 21 knots at times, both teams strategically picked their moments to maneuver. As the finish line drew near, it was crucial to keep these flying AC75s operating at peak performance.
INEOS Britannia survived a poor initial gybe on the last downwind leg while striving to guard their narrow nine-second lead (a small margin at 50 knots). They successfully executed a final gybe on the starboard lay line, riding over significant waves to avoid touching down, crossing the line and extending their series lead to 6-4.
Dylan Fletcher, the port helm for INEOS Britannia, remarked, “It was an amazing performance by the team today. The stalemate had been frustrating, with many races close to ours, so breaking it feels great, especially with such a solid performance against them. The sea state was much rougher than during the warm-up, with the mistral causing short metre waves and a strong breeze, making it a challenging day for the pilots.”
When asked about their approach to the upcoming races, Fletcher stated, “We’ll conduct our debrief as always, focusing on one race at a time. We must win every race until reaching seven points, so we’re looking forward to Friday.”
Francesco Bruni, the port helm for Luna Rossa, expressed optimism about the team’s current position, saying, “We are well aware of where we stand. It’s not ideal, but sports is about accepting loss. Today, we lost on the water; no breakdowns, just a few areas where we didn’t perform well. The racing was very close and in tough conditions, but I believe we still have a strong chance. We don’t feel pressure; we just need to sail our best now.”
Elaborating on the pressure, which co-helm Jimmy Spithill has labeled a “privilege,” Bruni added, “There will certainly be some pressure, but I don’t feel it that much because of Jimmy’s presence. I’m truly relaxed. We didn’t make significant errors today; just small mistakes here and there. Losing two points isn’t the end of the world. We know we can win and simply need to perform better next time. We have no more chances. Jimmy has orchestrated bigger comebacks before, but we all must rally behind him—he can’t do it alone.”
The British team celebrated modestly onshore, choosing to keep expectations grounded, yet a growing sense of destiny surrounds Port Vell as this might be the first time since 1964 that Great Britain has a boat in an America’s Cup Match. While INEOS Britannia stands at the brink of making history in this Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, they are acutely aware that Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is an opponent that will never back down.
As the saying goes: ‘It ain’t over till it’s over,’ and following a maintenance day for the teams tomorrow, the racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final resumes on Friday, October 4, with two races scheduled.
