America's Cup: The prelude to the Louis Vuitton Cup - first regatta with AC75 foils ahead
Tatjana Pokorny
· 18.08.2024
The third and final pre-regatta before the Louis Vuitton Cup - the challenger series to the 37th America's Cup - will take place in Barcelona from 22 to 25 August. With no impact on the challengers' points accounts, the preliminary showdown between the teams in the 37th America's Cup is eagerly awaited. The Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta still raises more questions than there are answers. One thing is certain: the first officially sailed regatta with the new AC75 Cup rockets is also likely to be the first spectacle on course for the America's Cup.
All six America's Cup teams on board for the pre-game
All five challengers and the Cup defenders from New Zealand are getting ready for this: Team Ineos Britannia is the Challenger of Record with skipper Sir Ben Ainslie. Patrizio Bertelli's Italian team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will start the Prelude as co-favourites. Ernesto Bertarelli's Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing wants to fly just as high as Team NYYC American Magic. As David, the French Orient Express Recing Team would like to cause surprises in the battle with the Cup Goliaths. Then there are the Kiwi defenders from Emirates Team New Zealand.
The first duel in this 37th America's Cup cycle will be contested by Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Team Orient Express Racing at the start of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta on Thursday at 2 pm. The Swiss are favourites based on their training results. Helmsman Arnaud Psarofaghis and his co-pilot Maxime Bachelin will be relying on the strong manoeuvrability of their "BoatOne". With their pilots Quentin Delapierre and Kevin Peponnet, the French are entering the race with a fast new build that is expected to be particularly strong in the wind.
Of blockbusters, cyclists and celebrity duels
The first blockbuster between the finalists of the last America's Cup edition is set to take place in the second duel: Emirates Team New Zealand meets Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. These two teams have also set standards in the training sessions so far. With the unveiling of their AC75 designs, it was already clear that both teams have taken significant steps forward in their development.
Both also have a similar speed profile in a variety of conditions. The foiling experts Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge will be steering for the New Zealanders. For the Italians, the experienced Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni are expected to set the course. However, the Azzurri could also pull other aces out of their sleeve to steer with the newly crowned and now two-time Nacra 17 Olympic champion Ruggero Tita or the young Opti and foiling high-flyer Marco Gradoni.
The third duel between the British and the Americans follows. One of the questions: Can the US racers, working in a prone position facing aft, match the performance of the Brits in the more conventional setup? How fast will "Britannia" really be in the third Ainslie attempt under the British flag?
Which of the two different hull profiles will be the more successful: the low-sided profile of the Americans or the muscular aero profile of the "Britannia"? Will Sir Ben Ainslie ask Dylan Fletcher-Scott or Giles Scott to co-pilot him for the first dance with the prominent US helmsmen Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison?
What will the America's Cup teams unveil?
In the last race of the opening day of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, the Italians and French will be challenged for the second time. Will the strength of manoeuvre attested to the Azzurri play a decisive role? All the America's Cup teams are hoping for a successful start to the assault on the summit for which they have been researching, testing, training and fighting for years.
None of the teams want to experience a bad regatta in this preliminary phase of the challenger series, which could potentially undermine team morale. On the other hand, experts reckon that not all teams will unpack their entire "armoury" at this stage in order to avoid being completely exposed.
The teams themselves will be following the first sabre-rattling, which will last until the final of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta on 25 August, with just as much interest as the fans. The performance of the new AC75 foilers in all specific wind ranges will certainly be studied and analysed in detail. The performance analysts and coaching groups of the six Cup teams will be working overtime to understand every aspect of the yachts and the tactics of the competition.
"Primer Plato" on course for the America's Cup
The Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta is likely to reveal previously unknown profiles and nuances that have not yet been seen in the teams' testing and training sessions in recent weeks. What is known so far is that the relative speeds of the six AC75 spoilers are quite close to each other. No outstanding leader has yet emerged across all conditions. This raises the question of whether any team will want to rise above the others this early in the game.
The starts and the ability to organise tactically good and error-free races will be of enormous importance. For spectators, the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta should be as much a pleasure as a delicious appetiser. An interesting "hors d'œuvre" for the French or a "primer plato", as the Spanish say.
On days two and three of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, the results will probably reveal the first performance patterns. At the end of Saturday (24 August) - after three intensive days of racing - the teams could be close together in the rankings. Super Sunday (25 August) will see New Zealand and the USA, Italy against Switzerland and France's match against Great Britain decide the top positions ahead of the grand final: The two best boats in the round robin main round will then compete against each other in a single knockout race.
The sailing action always starts at 2 pm
From 22 August to the final on 25 August, the races always start at 2 pm. They last until 4.30 or 5 pm, depending on the race schedule. German fans can follow the races via America's Cup Homepage, in the Youtube channel of the America's Cup, on the Cup Facebook page or on Servus TV with German-language commentary.
If you are an America's Cup fan in Barcelona, you have countless opportunities to be part of the Cup party, which will last for more than two months. One event summit will follow the next: the series of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger round (29 August to 7 October), the Unicredit Youth America's Cup (17 to 26 September), the historic first Puig Women's America's Cup (5 to 13 October) and the 37th America's Cup duel (12 to 27 October at the latest) will continue until late October.
The team headquarters are located around Port Vell. There are spectator areas and fan zones on site. The America's Cup Race Village has been set up along the Moll de la Fusta. It is open daily from 12 noon and closes between 10 and 11 pm, depending on the race. Admission is free. However, there are controls on visitor numbers to prevent overcrowding.
Experience the races on the water
Although the Race Village does not offer a direct view of the race course like the Plaça del Mar and Bogatell fan zones, it does have a large event stage and many XXL screens on which the races are broadcast live. There will also be exhibitions and hands-on activities. Live experiences on the water or special tours with a view of the headquarters of the six Cup teams from the water are organised via the America's Cup, for example. with the authorised organiser Las Golondrinas offered.
Fan info! If you want to follow the Cup spectacle in Barcelona on the water, take a look here. Don't forget: At the last America's Cup in Spanish waters in 2007, the boats were travelling at ten knots off Valencia, this time at up to 50 knots - watch out for yourselves and the others on the water! The overview and safety instructions:
