"Like driving a Ferrari on ice" - that's how Luna Rossa helmsman Jimmy Spithill described sailing in today's conditions off Barcelona. The upper wind limit of 21 knots was exceeded more than once on this first day of racing in the final round of the Louis Vuitton Cup. With top speeds of over 52 knots in challenging swell, the spectators were treated to a spectacular show. The boats and their crews performed at the limit.
"It's an incredible challenge. You have to be really focussed to keep the boat going. It's a real beast," said Ben Ainslie back on land. While his team mainly had to contend with winds at the lower end at the start of the challenger series, today they were also unable to cope with the conditions at the upper end, at least in the first race.
"Luna Rossa" confident, "Britannia" without a chance
A large part of the race was already decided at the start when Jimmy Spithill brought the Italian AC75 across the start line with a clear lead and to windward of the British boat, forcing "Britannia" to make an early tack.
The lead only increased throughout the race. The Brits seemed extraordinarily sluggish, especially in the manoeuvres, losing valuable metres every time and never really being able to break out of the Italian downwinds. At the finish, this meant a gap of 46 seconds to "Luna Rossa", whose crew sailed a confident race, although the rough conditions were also noticeable on their boat.
Start-to-finish victory: Brits as if they had changed in the second race
In the second race, the British team presented a completely different picture. Namely the one you would expect from the extraordinary design with the distinctive bustle on the underside of the hull: high speeds combined with high control in the most demanding conditions. While Ainslie attributes the improvement solely to an increase in sailing performance, it stands to reason that the technical team also used the time between races to make some adjustments.
As is so often the case in America's Cup races, the foundation for victory was once again laid right at the start, which the British were able to win this time. The second tack on the first cross in particular was perfect, leaving Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli no choice but to tack away immediately. From then on, Ben Ainslie's team dominated the action, capitalising on a few wind shifts and extending their lead. In the end, "Britannia" crossed the finish line 18 seconds ahead of "Luna Rossa".
America's cuppers struggle with cavitation and waves
"I think when both boats were in the lead, they controlled the race well, and in situations like that it's always a bit difficult for the boat behind," confirmed the most successful Olympic sailor in the sport's history. They had sailed at the limit the whole day, every foil had cavitated. There had also hardly been any training time in similar conditions. "Every now and then you realise where you are and what you're doing, and you enjoy it for a nanosecond, but then you have to concentrate on what you're doing again pretty quickly."
The 1:1 draw after the first day of racing confirms the general expectation for this duel and arouses anticipation for the remaining races. Tomorrow, however, the schedule provides for a day off before the Saturday from 2 pm will return to the track for two more races. Both teams want to use the time to make possible modifications and prepare for the conditions at the weekend. According to the current forecast, the teams are expecting the other extreme. Winds at the lower limit will demand everything from the Cuppers and their sailors on the way to the America's Cup match from 12 October against the defenders from Emirates Team New Zealand.
