BACK MAGIC
The sight of a completely re-vamped Patriot, flying around Pensacola Bay at 18 knots is perhaps one of the most significant signs that the race for the 37th America’s Cup is well and truly on.
Flying the flag of the New York Yacht Club, the most storied yacht club in the long history of the Cup, Patriot looks stunning in the late summer morning Florida breeze and the team seem to have found their rhythm quickly getting used to a plethora of changes and upgrades.
Gone are the running backstays, so too the boom and an increased mast rake is something for the sail designers and engineers to adjust to. But the sailors were more than up to the task, with Olympic Gold medallist Paul Goodison steering and Skipper Terry Hutchinson pushing the boat through a near 30-mile day over 16 legs and even nailing two foil to foil gybes – with impressive, co-ordinated crew-work from the crew especially for a first sail in what is essentially a new boat demanding a new style of sailing.
Through hard-won experience gained at AC36 in Auckland, NYYC American Magic is a class act all over, with an outstanding shore crew and technical team more than up to the task of implementing and refining the new systems that have been put onboard but as Flight Controller Andrew Campbell said afterwards: “We’re always on the back foot, we’re always late as far as we can tell. Time is never on your side in the America’s Cup so we’re doing everything we can to make every hour of everyday count.”
Patriot is back. The Magic of the America’s Cup is off and running.
On-Water RECON Unit Notes
Patriot sailed up/down wind approximately 16 legs combined, traveling approximately 28.2 miles at an average speed of 11k/2hrs24min. The north breeze had approximately 20 degree oscillations. The wind direction (approx 035/5-9k) made it possible to use the entire length of the bay. Patriot seemed to complete tacks on foil but would then quickly fall off. The mast seemed to have more rake as mentioned in the interview.
Sails: AM-M9 (2 hours 30 minutes), J1-6 (2 hours 15m) - (The J2 went up for 10 minutes for inspection, it was not sailed on)
Tacks: 7 completed – 6 touch downs, 1 touch & go
Gybes: 4 completed – 2 foiling, 2 touchdowns
Wind Strength: 5 knots
Sea State: Less than 1 foot
Dock-out: 0835 Dock-In: 1158