JEDDAH PRE-PRACTICE DAY OBSERVATIONS
Ahead of the planned Official Practice Racing later this week, the Race Officials at the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Jeddah, presented by NEOM, went through a three-race practice session to test race management systems and controls with perfect, glamour conditions filtering down from the north-west, delivering a solid 13-15 knot breeze, blue skies, 32 degree heat and some decent swell that tested the sailors to the limit.
“Never win the practice race” is the usual mantra in competition sailing but to watch the fleet of AC40s hammering around the Red Sea in pitch-perfect conditions, offering zero quarter, this was as competitive as it could get.
In free practice before the racing flights begun, Orient Express Racing capsized just off the entrance to the Obhur Creek and sadly had to tow back to base but for the five boats left, it was a chance to establish an early pecking order and for all the teams to check back in on each other having not raced since September in Vilanova at the first Preliminary Regatta.
What we saw on the water was a step-on in technique from all the teams with everyone showing flashes of speed, all the teams at times leading races and all the sailors making mistakes in the warm waters of the Red Sea. Maintaining a 100% flight time and avoiding splash-downs through the manoeuvres was paramount but not easy and Jeddah proved to be an unexpected test on Monday afternoon.
Picking the right side of the beat upwind was tricky. The right, nearest the shore, was a false dawn that appeared to be favoured with the pressure and a wind bend but the tack back onto starboard and out into the Red Sea was a tough angle. Those that hung out left and came back either on the boundary or up the middle, appeared to fare better.
Downwind, the phenomenon was reversed and with the Committee Boat and leeward gate set inshore, the starboard gate at the windward mark more often was favoured with a bear-away towards inshore and a judged gybe down onto port. Fascinating tactics and interesting to see the sailors take alternate sides to try things – this was practice after all.
Iain Murray and his team on the Race Committee did a sterling job with perfect courses and the autonomous marks holding station. It was a practice day for the overall management of the regatta but it felt like a whole lot more.
The official Practice Race starts at 1.30pm (local time in Jeddah) on Tuesday 28th November with another three races scheduled.
Weather Conditions: Top end North to NW 13-15 knots, more in the gusts, 0.7-1.0 metre swells. Difficult conditions, rewarding technique and difficult ride height calls on the auto-pilot
Pre-Practice Race 1 Observations: Alinghi Red Bull Racing held a big lead off the start, tacking onto port and heading up the coastline. Impressively front running until a big incident at the second top mark, post a final tack into the layline almost saw them capsize. Pressure applied from American Magic and Luna Rossa with Emirates Team New Zealand recovering after a splashdown on the first run. Orient Express capsized before start and did not compete. INEOS lost distance around the course from the pack. At the finish American Magic, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa all finished as a pack. High technique from the Italians – very good tacks. Clear pecking order being established early. Kiwis had the ability to come back from second last – impressive.
Practice Race 2 Observations: Emirates Team New Zealand start well and front-run for two laps with INEOS Britannia the closest, giving chase. A big mistake at the second leeward mark saw the AC40 sky-rocket and the rest of the fleet pass. INEOS Britannia sailed through to leeward and seized the lead on the final lap with Luna Rossa, Alinghi Red Bull Racing and American Magic all giving chase. INEOS Britannia leads around the final mark but selects the port gate whilst the rest of the fleet take the starboard gate to take advantage of building airflow down the coast. INEOS Britannia far out right (looking down the course) gybes onto a poor angle whilst Luna Rossa leads the pack downwind at pace and crosses the British at the half-way mark to the finish line. A really poor, off-foil final gybe saw Luna Rossa lose the lead, INEOS Britannia held their nerve, came inshore, gybed and sailed through to take the win. Alinghi Red Bull Racing second.
Practice Race 3 Observations: Packed start line with Emirates Team New Zealand the ‘meat in a sandwich’ between American Magic to leeward and Alinghi Red Bull Racing to windward. Somehow the Kiwis keep their lane and by the boundary tacked beneath American Magic with pace and put the squeeze on. Once ahead, it was demonstration front-running over three laps from Burling and Outteridge with few mistakes, building a big lead that enabled them to sail their own race and concentrate on technique. Luna Rossa charged through the pack to finish second whilst American Magic and Alinghi Red Bull Racing fought it out for the final podium position.
(Magnus Wheatley)