MIRROR MIRROR
In stark contrast to weather across the pond in America or down under in New Zealand, Europe is proving to be a somewhat tricky winter training venue for the America’s Cup teams. The Bay of Palma today was millpond still, a shimmering mirrored seascape that promised a little but delivered precisely nothing in terms of breeze for the INEOS Britannia team whose shore team and sailors took full marks for effort.
The angular, muscular ‘T6’ emerged menacingly from the shed well before first light, up for a thrash but alas it was to be a day behind the chase boat with Flight Controllers Iain Jensen and Bleddyn Mon ticking off a check list of tiny tweaks and foil protocols. It was the kind of day that gets data analysts excited but elicits little joy in the hearts and minds of those used to flying on the ragged edge of science wearing drysuits and getting hosed down by spray.
But the thing about this British America’s Cup team is the spirit and culture that’s almost impossible to hide. There’s a genuine air of enjoyment and togetherness in their work and it shines through in interview and in the background of recon videos capturing the team as they set the boat up. Body language is positive. A ‘commitment to the commitment’ to quote that famous Conner phrase is more than evident and even on the dullest of days for the sailors, lessons were learnt, data was gathered and processes refined all round. Iain Jensen summed it up beautifully saying: “We knew that it was going to be a light day but we were hoping to get a couple of hours in, with these boats they're so new and so complicated that even when you don't get to go sailing there's things you can look at so it wasn't a day that was completely wasted but for sure it would have been nicer to be able to sheet on and go for a yacht.”
And it was interesting to watch the tow-testing once the straight-line foil data runs had been completed as Jensen & Mon started playing with tiny tweaks and for the first time you could really see the micro-line between flight, trim and splashdown. Minor alterations on the foil cant system had big effect on the side-to-side angle whilst the game seemed to be to dive from high flight to semi-skim just above the waterline and see how few adjustments could be made. Good to watch and Jensen expanded a mite further saying: “yeah just trying to work on the control system a little bit and see how the boat is reacting to different things and there's a lot of different areas where we can make improvements so we're just trying to tick the things off where we can with the weather that we've got at the time.”
That weather isn’t looking crash-hot for the next few days but INEOS Britannia will keep at it because as Jensen says: “well the boat is ready to sail and we've got a big test list so it's just going to be weather dependant. I'm sure the guys in the planning meeting tonight could look at the forecast and see if there's anything we can get out of the next couple days.”
Fingers crossed for more breeze. That’s sailing, unfortunately.
On Water Recon Notes: Despite a 0700 roll out of the British LEQ12 lit only by the team base floodlights and in temperatures just four degrees above freezing there was no pay-off for the INEOS Britannia syndicate in terms of sailing hours accumulated, as the weather forecast of a mid-morning breeze on Palma Bay failed to come good – meaning only tow-testing was possible.
0915 saw the first of four initial sail-less towing runs that took place on a mirror flat sea with the T6 test boat’s silver hull breaking free of the water at around 10 knots each time and top speeds of between 18 and 20 knots. A half hour break was followed by a fifth towing run with the same speed characteristics.
Sails were brought on board at 1030 with the mainsail hoist completed at 1112 and the jib connected but not hoisted by 1124. An hour long wait then ensued as the crew of Giles Scott, Leigh McMillan, Iain Jensen, and Bleddyn Mon crossed their fingers for the 10 knots of north easterly breeze to materialise.
That was all in vain however and sails were dropped and packed away at 1247 with a bow tow attached for two more towing runs – where the sailors seemed to be experimenting with getting the hull in skimming mode and then rapid switching to high flight – before the team docked in at 1330.
Dock out: 0903 Dock-in: 1330
Conditions: (Maximum 5 knots of wind all day. Super flat sea state (AM). Mirror flat sea state (PM). Cloudy with sunny spells 8C in the afternoon.
Onboard Today
Helms: Giles Scott / Leigh McMillan
Crew: Iain Jensen / Bleddyn Mon
Recon Notes: Mon subbed in for Parkinson during the day.
Sails Used:
Mainsail (MN1-1S): Hoisted but not used
Total Tacks: N/A
Total Gybes: N/A
Recon Notes: 7 towed no-sails foiling runs only.
Take-off speed: 10 knots (under tow)