BUSY SCHEDULE ON DAY SIX OF THE LOUIS VUITTON CUP

The first race of the day, potentially in the lightest winds, will see NYYC American Magic take on INEOS Britannia with both teams looking to build real momentum in their campaigns and begin to plan for the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final stage. For Orient Express Racing Team, keen to avoid a potential sudden-death play-off race against the Swiss, they have a tricky day in store against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Emirates Team New Zealand but imagine what a win in either race would mean to their campaign?

The Swiss, who secured a brilliant, high-pressure, win against the French on Tuesday and are equally determined to avoid any play-off scenario, have a race against NYYC American Magic today where a point would be highly significant and a huge momentum booster. All to play for, day six of the Louis Vuitton Cup could well be the day where the odds change, and the form book goes out of the window. We shall see.

Iain Murray, Race Director, briefed on the weather situation this morning and is expecting 8 to 14 knots from the south-west with a slight sea state.

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NYYC American Magic (Port Entry) vs. INEOS Britannia

Almost certainly one of the highlight matches of the day, where sail selection is crucial in a building breeze, and at the start, having had the command and control position and forcing American Magic to the starboard end of the line, INEOS Britannia fall off the foils in the light breeze, However, the British re-gain flight just in time and start on port tack, ducking the transom of Magic and head to the right side of the course.

After some desperately close racing, bouncing up the right side of the course, Magic emerges with a slender lead at the first gate, to round with a 20 second advantage. In the Garbi conditions, the right side of the course (looking upwind) appears to be paying and down the first run, that’s exactly where both boats head, gybing down the boundary edge. Magic extends out to 29 seconds and is playing the shifts and the pressure-builds well. The second beat ends up being effectively a series of drag races with Magic covering from the middle and the British playing the left side of the course, attempting to keep in some new pressure.

At the second windward mark, Britannia nails a wonderful port tack layline and cuts the deficit to just 16 seconds – great sailing from Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher on the British boat. Downwind it’s tight and both boats are gybe for gybe all the way down to the leeward gate and onto the layline with Magic rounding and holding a tenuous lead of just nine seconds and the British elect to split initial tactics up the final windward leg. A brilliant tussle ensues up the final beat, but the decisive move of the race was on the final rounding of the last mark with American Magic splashing down hard after riding too high on the exit of the bear-away. The advantage now shifted to Britannia who stole into a lead of some 80 metres with the finishing line in sight but a poor gybe in the middle of the course brought Magic right back into it and allowed the Americans to cross on the starboard layline and sail across the finish line some 13 seconds ahead. A win’s a win, but that was super-close, all the way around.

NYYC American Magic bt. INEOS Britannia (13 seconds)

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Port Entry) vs. Orient Express Racing Team

With proven light air speed, this is a race that the French will be eyeing with interest but a boundary penalty at the start and then being caught high on the line by a tactically brilliant Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli saw the Italians steal into an immediate lead. The wind had other ideas though and on a drag race on port to the right boundary, Orient Express closed down the gap whilst the Italians covered tenaciously as they bounced up the boundary. At the first windward gate, Luna Rossa held a 10 second advantage which they extended on the first downwind leg, through good pressure spotting and a remarkably accurate final layline, to lead by 27 seconds into the second beat to windward.

In the conditions, with the J1 set, Luna Rossa moded well through the variance in the breeze whilst keeping their tacks and gybes smooth and consistent. No mistake from Italy, at the second windward mark, the lead was up to 37 seconds and for the French it was a tough ask competing against such an outstanding package. With the wind just increasing a couple of knots, Luna Rossa was revelling, and they rounded the second leeward gate, well in control, with a 40 second delta.

A bread-and-butter final beat with just a loose cover executed form mid-course, saw Luna Rossa set off down the final run to the finish with an unassailable lead of 37 seconds. The Italians kept it professional and gybe-covered from afar, clicking into pressure to the left boundary and coming in on the port layline to win by an impressive one minute and two seconds.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt. Orient Express Racing Team (62 seconds)   

INEOS Britannia (Port Entry) vs. Emirates Team New Zealand

After narrow defeat to the Americans, INEOS Britannia are looking for a real speed test here against the Defenders. At the start both boats dip the line with the Kiwis holding the windward station and going into super-high mode. A drag race ensued to the left boundary where at the first tack, Emirates Team New Zealand cleverly go first and send a huge amount of wing-wash back onto the British just as they were tacking. The result saw the British off the foils and struggling to speed-build, handing a significant advantage to the Kiwis. At the first gate, Emirates Team New Zealand led by 24 seconds, with the British in catch-up mode. A good run by the British sees them round the leeward gate just 15 seconds down and split the tactics initially upwind by heading hard right hunting pressure.

Close cover up the right boundary sees the Kiwis extend as they connect up the pressure phases and shifts as the British struggle to get going tactically. At the second windward mark, the lead was out to 33 seconds after a perfect beat from the Kiwis. The Race Committee, recognising a drop in the breeze, shortens the remaining legs to just 1.2 nautical miles and for the sailors it is all about trying to maximise VMG.

INEOS Britannia are in touch but at the final leeward gate, Emirates Team New Zealand rounds up with a lead of 27 seconds as Britannia has a very loose manoeuvre coming into the starboard marker and falling off the foils. Game over for the British, by the final windward mark, the Kiwis bore-away for the run to the finish with a delta of two minutes and 13 seconds. Zero mistakes on the final run from Pete Burling and Nathan Outteridge who were sailing supremely in synch with Andy Maloney and Blair Tuke to record a three minute and two second win. A race to forget for INEOS Britannia.  

Emirates Team New Zealand bt. INEOS Britannia by (242 seconds)

Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Port Entry) vs. NYYC American Magic

A race that could have wide-ranging consequences, the Swiss, having seen the close race between American Magic and INEOS Britannia will be looking for a result. After a short wind delay, the start got underway with American Magic scoring an entry penalty having entered the box before their scheduled 2-minute marker and copping a 75 metre penalty once racing begins. Alinghi Red Bull Racing starts at the port end of the line whilst Magic is up at the starboard end before tacking off smartly to the right boundary. The Swiss cover initially before sailing in good breeze and splitting to the left side of the course. It looks risky but the Swiss make a port tack cross right on the layline to the windward gate to round with a 10 second advantage.

On the first downwind, the Swiss keep a tight gybe cover on and let their inherent boatspeed bring them to the leeward gate, extending their lead to a 14 second delta. Fantastic close covering ensued up the second beat with the Swiss not wanting to let Magic out of their sight or gain any kind of leverage, and at the second gate the delta was out to 23 seconds. Great sailing from Arnaud Psarofaghis and Maxime Bachelin to shut down the poosibility of any passing lanes. On the second downwind leg, Magic looks to be struggling for power through the gybes, touching down on two and not looking as slick as usual. Alinghi Red Bull Racing extends, capitalising on the American Magic issues and rounds up into the final beat with a 42 second lead. This could be massive for the Swiss.

With the wind speeds so variable up the course, it was a nervous beat for the Swiss but with the lead out to more than 500 metres, it was all about just staying on the foils and getting round the final windward mark. The young Swiss crew did a supreme job and nailed the port layline perfectly to round with a one-minute lead and just 1.35 nautical miles left to run. Outstanding sailing, gybing like demons on the pressure patches and making no mistakes, Alinghi Red Bull Racing bring it home with a winning margin of 38 seconds. A sensational result for the Swiss – that could well secure them a semi-final berth in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing bt. NYYC American Magic by 38 seconds  

Orient Express Racing Team (Port Entry) vs. Emirates Team New Zealand

The two most visually similar yachts in the Louis Vuitton Cup, sister ships off the same Emirates Team New Zealand design board, produced initially a mis-match of a race with Orient Express off the foils in the pre-start and gifting Emirates Team New Zealand an uncontested start. With just 6.5 knots of true wind speed – right on the lower end of the wind scale – the French struggled to speed-build to get back up and flying. When they did, the Kiwis were away off into an almost 700 metre lead and climbing.

However, what looked like game-over was anything but as the Kiwis feel off the foils on a tack out by the port boundary and then struggled back up. The French stormed into the lead in the ultimate game of snakes and ladders as the Kiwis struggled in just 5 knots of wind. At the top gate, Orient Express led by 21 seconds and were being hunted hard by the Kiwis as the Race Committee shortened the course leg lengths to just 1.1 nautical miles. On the water, the French lead was up to over 450 metres but the final gybe into the first leeward mark saw the French fall into displacement agonisingly whilst the Kiwis ate up the distance and seized the lead, sailing around Orient Express, high on their foils.

A racing lifeline had been thrown to Emirates Team New Zealand and from there they made no mistake building out to a massive lead over the next two legs so that by the final windward gate they were more than a leg ahead of the French. The Kiwis closed out the race, bringing ‘Taihoro’ downwind at pace, picking the shifts and pressure perfectly to record the win. Two classy wins from two today for Emirates Team New Zealand.

Emirates Team New Zealand bt. Orient Express Racing Team

(Magnus Wheatley reporting from Barcelona)