37th America’s Cup – Barcelona

Emirates Team New Zealand, headed by Matteo De Nora, a member of the Monaco Yacht Club’s Board of Directors, came away as winners of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta after a day that was always going to be a tricky. A Mistral wind emerged out of the north of the Mediterranean and pushed down the coast, causing a build in the sea state of up to 1.1m and breeze out of the east at 10-13 knots.

Emirates Team New Zealand had already qualified for the final, but their first race was against American Magic who were back from their rudder damaged sustained during racing yesterday. A match up that has been highly anticipated.

In the end, like so many races we have seen in the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, the race was decided at the start and by the first cross, unfortunately for Emirates Team New Zealand after starting to windward of American Magic and tacking off to the right-hand side of the course, the American’s hooked into a nice left-hand shift and the Kiwis struggled to make inroads from there, as helmsman Nathan Outteridge explained: “American Magic sailed really well, they had a good start and we were pretty keen to get out to the right side of the course but unfortunately they got a nice left shift off the line so it’s pretty hard to catch up to them after that. They seemed to be nicely in phase with the wind and we missed a couple of shifts, so that’s racing.”

But the match of the day was always going to focus on the final top two qualifiers race for the regatta, a familiar rematch between Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli who finished the round robin equal on 4 points each.

 

America’s cup race report –  Louis Vuitton preliminary regatta final:

The match of the regatta. The final. The big one. Both teams come into this with a lot to prove and it’s Nathan Outteridge steering ‘Taihoro’ from the port pod who dials into the starting box just a couple of seconds late and make an easy cross of Jimmy Spithill who comes in 4 seconds late. The Kiwis head out to the right of the box and the Italians sail low and trail them out. Kiwis are first to gybe back, and the Italians ignore and continue going deep in the box, but a penalty is called on the Italians for a close encounter on the way back.

The Italians look rattled and, on the lead back, try a time-on-distance to the starboard end of the line. The Kiwis appear to like the port end of the line and hit the line bang on time before both boats tack to port and head towards the right boundary. After the Italians manage to wash off their penalty Emirates Team New Zealand immediately slap on a tight cover with an early lead of some 100 metres which extends swiftly to 200 metres as the wind-shadow effect take hold. Both teams battling to stay on the foils with deep exits out of the tacks.

At the first windward mark it’s a 22 second lead to Emirates Team New Zealand who look vastly different in performance terms to their earlier race against NYYC American Magic. Down the first run, the Kiwis keep a good gybe cover but are showing some deep VMG angles with a lead now out, in distance terms, to almost 400 metres. A neat layline call out to the left (looking downwind) brings ‘Taihoro’ into the starboard marker at the first leeward gate whilst Luna Rossa is forced to do one more gybe to get to the port marker but the delta is down to just 16 seconds. Split tactics sees the Italians head right upwind whilst the Kiwis go to the left boundary before tacking back. The conditions are super-tough with a big swell and a very patchy breeze but Emirates Team New Zealand makes the cross back and puts the cover immediately on to which the Italians respond by tacking off to the right again.

The Kiwis are sailing well with a modicum of windward cant and all the way up the second beat are keeping very close with the Italians, tacking on their wind at every opportunity. Luna Rossa are struggling to make incremental gains but in the final quarter of the leg it’s nevertheless desperately close when Emirates Team New Zealand set up to take the starboard marker with a leading delta of 19 seconds as both boats head to the left initially.

A poor gybe by the Kiwis brings the race closer with the on-water distance at just 165 metres but they slap the gybe cover on relentlessly with both boats very evenly matched. In the final quarter of the leg, Emirates Team New Zealand sets up on the starboard layline to round the port marker ahead, just, by six seconds. Luna Rossa go for an immediate JK rounding to split tactics whilst Emirates Team New Zealand sails to the right boundary. As the boats come back, it’s Emirates Team New Zealand with the starboard advantage but they elect to tack right under the bow of Luna Rossa and bounce them off to the left side. Impressive move and very much something of a signature of the Kiwis.

On the next comeback it’s still nerve-wrackingly close and the Italians get a 75 metre penalty as they ducked in from behind and broke the virtual boat boundary. A further penalty on the Italians was incurred on the very next tack with the Kiwis luffing from leeward and the Italians failing to keep clear. Nip and tuck now but it’s the Kiwis who round the final windward mark with an 11 second lead. Amazing racing.

With just over a mile to run and both boats trundling down the course at 38 knots, it’s Emirates Team New Zealand with all the aces and keeping a very close gybe cover as the lead hovers around 250 metres. Emirates Team New Zealand spot pressure out to the right of the course and head to the boundary whilst also minimising the manoeuvres. It’s a brilliant call from the Kiwis and they bring ‘Taihoro’ home to win the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta with a winning delta of 34 seconds that belies just how close this racing was. Two top teams, really performing at the very top of their games. A pleasure to watch.

Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (34 seconds) 

While the team were happy to take the win, there is still a long way to go in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup as Skipper Peter Burling summarised the day:

“It definitely wasn’t our prettiest work, we made it pretty hard for ourselves but absolutely stoked to walk away with that one because if you can make that many mistakes and still win a yacht race. It’s been a bit of a tough day for us to be honest with that first race against American Magic but really happy to take the win.”

Portside helmsman Nathan Outteridge agreed: “We made that one a lot harder for ourselves than we should have with a few unforced errors. But it was awesome to see such a tight tactical race. We sort of tacked in the wrong spot and fell foul for almost a penalty there, but it was good action a good battle and obviously lots for us to review. So worthwhile day and we will take the win.”

Now it’s time for the Louis Vuitton Cup, which will be held in Barcelona from 29 August to 7 October.