WHO WILL WIN THE PRADA ACWS AUCKLAND TODAY?
In just two days the PRADA America’s Cup World Series has revealed as much about the relative performances of the teams and their boats as it has illustrated some of the key characteristics of high speed, high stakes racing in the world’s fastest monohulls. And as we learn more about the boats, the teams and the event, the road to the America’s Cup presented by PRADA in March is coming into focus.
The ability of a team to rise up onto their foils before their competitor is clearly crucial, but so too is avoiding a touchdown or a wheelie through a tack or a gybe. The price that is paid for coming off the pace is high and no lead, whatever the team, is safe until the finish line has been crossed. In two days, none of the four teams has escaped unscathed.
For some teams the slip-ups have threatened to be more than simply frustrating. In yesterday’s race American Magic came close to a capsize when a tack went wrong, a mistake that cost them the lead and eventually the race. Terry Hutchinson observes that “all the teams are learning. We are pushing all things forward. These were a pretty good couple of days of sailing. On my view yesterday, we were faster downwind. I think that all the boat are fast. I
For some teams the slip-ups have threatened to be more than simply frustrating. In yesterday’s race American Magic came close to a capsize when a tack went wrong, a mistake that cost them the lead and eventually the race. Emirates Team New Zealand had two frights in one race when they came precariously close to hitting one of the windward gate marks at speed before then performing a wheelie through a gybe when the rudder appeared to stall out. No one is excluded from the very real possibility of tripping up.
Yet success is not just about keeping these potent AC75s under control. In just two days we have seen examples of classic close quarters match racing in the pre-start, tacking duels up the beat, luffing matches around marks, multiple lead changes and races where the distance between the boats is measured in just a few seconds.
In the build up to the event, few dared to hope for such an explosive and engaging start to a new era of America’s Cup Racing. But now it is here and the new game is coming into play.
When it comes to the rankings, American Magic share the top of the points table with Emirates Team New Zealand, both having won three of their four races. Today will see them go head to head with the Defenders in the second race of the day.
American Magic has shown that they can take the racing to the Defenders and win. Among the Challengers they are the boat to beat, but the margins are small both on the water and on the points table.
The event so far has been raced in similar wind strengths on both days allowing the teams to foil all the way around the course. But today, conditions look set to force teams to change gear. “Today’s forecast is for 9-13 knots from around 005-010 degrees,” said regatta director Iain Murray. “It’s lighter than the previous two days, but the weather models suggest that the strength will be consistent while the wind direction may swing to the right later in the day.”
The bottom line is that today is crunch time, the final day of the PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland with the winner defined by the overall points. If there is a two way tie between two teams then it will be broken in favour of the winner of the last match between the tied competitors.
The PRADA ACWS Auckland prize giving will be held on the Race Village's main Stage (Te Wero Island) approximately one hour after the end of the last race and will be followed by the Press Conference at the PRADA Media Centre which will be streamed live on americascup.com
Tomorrow, Sunday is the PRADA Christmas Race, a knockout series where teams will be paired depending on their final ranking today.