Louis Vuitton Cup – Round Robin – Barcelona

The Round Robin stage of the Louis Vuitton Cup has just concluded in thrilling style at the end of nine days of races during which the teams met each other twice.

 

English unstoppable

After a final day of drama and suspense Ineos Britannia pulled off a surprise victory having given their all despite the pressure as they raced neck and neck with Luna Rossa to secure top spot.  After beating the French Orient Express Racing Team, they emerged the winner in the final match race against the Italians thanks to the brilliance of Sir Ben Ainslie at the helm. By bringing Ineos Britannia into the starboard end of the line, the Challenger of Sir Jim Ratcliffe from Yacht Club de Monaco had control of the windward position as well as the starboard advantage.

French bow out

Unbridled delight for some, disappointment for others as the ninth day of racing saw the French Orient Express Racing team eliminated. Even a win against Ineos Britannia would not have been enough as in the following match the Swiss on Alinghi won a third point against the Italians on Luna Rossa. In the end, after two weeks of confrontations the French only won one race. The Italians, English, Americans and Swiss go through to the semi-finals.

Strong position in Semi Finals

Finishing first among the Challengers, Ineos Britannia is in a strong position as they can choose their opponent and side of entry for their first race. This decision will be revealed at the press conference on Friday 13 September before the start of the Semi Final races.

At the end of the Semi Final event, two Challengers will go through to the final for the prestigious Louis Vuitton Cup. The winner will earn the right to challenge the Defender Emirates Team New Zealand run by Matteo de Nora, member of YCM’s Management Committee, at the 37th America’s Cup Louis Vuitton.