SURFACE SKIMMING TESTING ON LUNA ROSSA
A busy Tuesday for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in Cagliari as they continue to find the optimal set-up both upwind and downwind for their new foil port foil configuration whilst also assessing the new flow fence that the team have applied to the upper part of the outer wing at the midsection of the starboard foil.
For sure, and highly noticeable, the asymmetric set-up of the foils is producing different flying styles side-to-side with the Flight Controllers seemingly able to bring the LEQ12 closer to the surface both upwind and downwind when flying on the new, slender port foil to provide the much-desired end-plating effect that is very much ‘a la mode’ in 2023. Similar to other teams running LEQ12 programmes either with adapted AC40s or via new-build LEQ12s, Luna Rossa are running wide cant angles in the flatter water to sink the hull down close to the surface when foiling and allowing the outboard wingtip to break the surface.
On a day that combined straight-line cant sweeps and minor pitch adjustments with full-on racecourse training, the Italians came ashore surprised at the velocity of the mid-afternoon sea-breeze that hit 16 knots in the gusts but pleased with the data gained.
Umberto Molineris, the ever-present Flight Controller & Trimmer for the team came to the interview full of his usual enthusiasm and gave a terrific interview covering the day and talking through just what is being demanded in his role as the programme moves forward: “I think, all the teams are looking for a nice sealing on the water - the goal is not to touch it but for sure to be much closer if possible.” That’s the Flight Controller’s mantra of the 37th America’s Cup.
INTERVIEW: UMBERTO MOLINERIS, FLIGHT CONTROLLER/TRIMMER, LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI
On Water Recon Unit Notes: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli rolled out the LEQ12 at 11:00 and was craned in shortly after as dock-out was scheduled for 12:10. Both wings were equipped with dots along chord on different span parts, perhaps sensors or simply useful markings for footage reference.
Once the usual shore crew checks and sailor checks for sail trim controls were completed, the LEQ12 was docked out to fully hoist the M1 mainsail paired to a J1.5 jib as the SSE sea-breeze was still filling in the Bay not exceeding 7-9kn. In this light air the LEQ12 was towed up by Chase 2 and within the first 30 minutes flight, a series of tacks was observed, perhaps material for a filming crew onboard Chase1.
After the tacks, the LEQ12 was observed bearing away towards Cagliari for a long downwind run before completing one gybe, trimming back up and finally coming to a stop. During the day, the LEQ12 seemed to be sailing with slightly larger cant angles, especially on the starboard wing which seemed to be piercing the water surface more, perhaps part of the testing considering the latest modifications on the outboard spans.
The sea-breeze filled in and the recon anemometer displayed 12-14kn with an increasingly choppy sea-state, hence the J1.5 was lowered to hoist the J2. Then, by help of a light initial pull by Chase2, the LEQ12 was up and foiling while the racecourse was laid out.
A time-on-distance practice was observed, and 4 legs followed with Chase1 interfering with the LEQ12 inducing some match-race decisions. The LEQ12 crossed the finish line before Chase1 and came to a stop, the sailors debriefed, and the flight trimmers rotated and swapped pods. 15 minutes later, the LEQ12 was foiling again and when entering the starting box, a nosedive was recorded, several checks on the jib track followed but it seemed to be all clear.
The sea-breeze increased further to 14-16 knots and the team packed up the J2 to hoist the J4 at 14:15. A couple of minutes later the LEQ12 stood up on its foils and sailed around the course for approximately 5 laps with the Chase Boat interference before stopping to rehoist the J2 as the breeze decreased again to 11-13kn.
The last foiling stint lasted approximately another 25 minutes and saw the LEQ12 to round some marks by itself before sailing freely when these were collected by Chase2. Some final tacks were observed before bearing away for a longer run towards Cagliari and calling it a day with an approximate total foiling time of 108 out of 215 minutes with 32 tacks, 28 gybes [Michele Melis AC Recon].
Dock out: 1210 Dock-in: 1540
Conditions: 12:10 SSE 7-9kn / 13:05 SSE 10-12kn / 14:10 SSE 14-16kn / 14:50 SSE 10-12kn
Weather AM: 28°c @ 1100, sunny.
Weather PM: 26°C @ 1500, sunny/cloudy.
Sea State: Chop
Onboard Today:
Helms: Marco Gradoni / Francesco Bruni
Crew: Umberto Molineris / Andrea Tesei / Vittorio Bissaro (rotating)
Sails Used:
Mainsail M1 (MN1-1S): 3 hours 25 minutes
J1 (J1.5-1-A): 45 minutes
J2 (J2-1-A): 1 hour 20 minutes
J4 (J2-1-A): 35 minutes
Total Tacks: 32 - 27 foil-to-foil, 3 touch & go, 2 touchdowns.
Total Gybes: 28 – 25 foil-to-foil, 2 touch & go, 1 touchdown.