GAME ON FOR DAY ONE OF THE LOUIS VUITTON CUP SEMI-FINALS

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli selected the port entry in their match, the first start of the day, against NYYC American Magic and yesterday at the free-to-enter Race Village on the Moll de la Fusta the match-ups, variables, weather conditions, crew configurations and latest tech were debated at length, long into the evening. The disparity of opinions expressed is, for sure, a marker of just how close all four of these teams are, with very few predicting a whitewash to any team – we shall see.

Racing gets underway at 14:00 CET here in Barcelona and the weather is very much the focus with this morning's northerly ‘drainage’ wind, the 'Tramuntana’ expected to dramatically shift to a southerly direction in the early afternoon, settling at an expected south-easterly ‘Xaloc’ breeze in the region 8-12 knots. If that happens then it will be perfect conditions for the AC75s but there are several weather models showing more west (Garbi) in the predictions and some suggesting gust brackets in the mid-to-upper teens.

The sailors will be out early and looking at their rig and sail set-ups intently with some very difficult jib calls to make as it’s expected that all the teams will run with their biggest mainsail skins. Select a jib that’s too big for the conditions could be a serious error if the wind builds but look like genius if the lower end of the scale comes through.

Decisions, decisions.

What we know for certain is that all the semi-finalist teams will come out at the peak, for now, of their development cycle. With the series being a first-to-five, there is simply no room for error and so what we will see today is the AC75 yachts in their optimum configurations. Sand-bagging days are a thing of the past. It’s all on and it’s game-on on race day one of the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals.

Strap in, this could get exciting.

CHECK BACK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES FROM THE RACECOURSE, STARTING AT 14:00 CET.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Port Entry) vs. NYYC American Magic

A match-up with so many big, fundamental questions to be answered about both teams, with fireworks expected between the two, but before the start, American Magic play their one and only 15-minute delay card for this Semi-Final due to a suspected cyclor issue onboard.

When racing got underway, a fired-up Luna Rossa mistimed their final approaches and were forced to trail behind Magic who absolutely nailed their time-on-distance to the line. A bail out to tack to the right boundary piled the pressure on the Italians and Magic face-covered immediately and all the advantage was with the Americans.

Luna Rossa are gassed continually, struggling to shake the Magic cover but a long port tack over to the right boundary in the final quarter brings the Italians close on the starboard layline. At the top mark, Magic held a slender three second lead and the Italians split the tactics initially by executing a fine tack and bear away around the starboard marker. Magic makes the first cross and again the two boats split boundaries with the Americans gaining significantly in the final approaches to the leeward mark, which they round with a 20 second lead. Wow.

Up the second beat, the course became more readable and one sided (right) and with American Magic enjoying a comfortable distance lead, covered tenaciously and funnelled the wing-wash aft onto the Italians. Luna Rossa just can’t get going in this race and allow their undoubted boatspeed to come through. Great positional tactics from Tom Slingsby and Lucas Calabrese who lead at the second windward mark by 16 seconds.

A shaky, near splashdown, rounding by Magic tightens things up as the Italians slingshot around and close the gauge. A gybing duel down the middle of the course sees Luna Rossa come right back into the race and on a drag race to the left boundary, Luna Rossa eat up the distance and force the Americans to gybe away early.

Magic keep the lead (just) to round the leeward gate from a low angle with a four second lead. Luna Rossa round up hard on the leeward gate and tack away quickly to the right boundary. Too close to call now, and crucially the Italians have got away from their opponent's dirty air upwind and are putting the pedal to the floor now.

At the first cross upwind, it’s a big gain to Luna Rossa and Magic are forced to duck. Luna Rossa sail into increased pressure and a nice left windshift out to the left of the course and it’s another huge gain. The Americans look deflated and out of time ahead of the final run to the finish and the Italians round the windward mark with a 22 second lead.

No mistakes down the run, Luna Rossa looks a different boat once in the lead, and - despite late gains from the Americans - Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni bring the silver boat across the line with a seven second winning delta. First blood to Italy and 1-0 in the semi-finals.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt. NYYC American Magic (7 seconds)  

Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Port Entry) vs. INEOS Britannia

The Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia, hand picked Alinghi Red Bull Racing after a lot of internal debate and now it’s judgement day. At the start, and with the breeze filling to 11 knots, there’s immediate circling at the starboard end of the line before Britannia splits and makes a run for the right boundary, and then goes deep in the box for the lead back.  

Alinghi Red Bull Racing elects to tack round and sets up to take the starboard end of the line. At the gun, the Swiss nail it and both boats drag race to the left boundary. The Swiss face-slam on the British bow and another drag race ensues to the right boundary with the British living surprisingly well in the wing-wash. At the tack back onto starboard, Britannia sits underneath and closes the gauge but it’s still very much advantage to the Swiss. Great racing, very tight and at the top mark, and after a brilliant layline call it’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing that rounds with an 11 second delta.

Britannia immediately split tactics, electing to take the left side down the run and with their impressive downwind speed, close the gap considerably a gain that is almost immediately exaggerated by a poor Swiss gybe. The Swiss can’t live with the downwind speed and the British steal into the lead and make considerable gains. By the first leeward mark, INEOS Britannia were motoring and round the starboard marker with the delta up to 28 seconds – devastating boatspeed and tactics from the British.

Up the second beat to windward, Alinghi Red Bull Racing had no answer for Britannia's speed and the British stretched out to over 400 metres in the lead. At the second windward mark, Britannia was in total control and the delta was up to 42 seconds with the Swiss praying for a miracle. Life was about to get tougher for the Swiss, as the wind came off a few knots, with a poor exit after the first gybe at the left boundary causing them to fall off the foils – increasing the distance to over 1,000 metres.

Tough day at the office for the Swiss and the British were ruthless, rounding the final leeward mark at pace with a one minute and 24 second lead. Britannia played the shifts from right to left up the final beat with the afterguard interpretting the conditions beautifully they bore away at the final windward mark with an unassailable lead of one  minute and 21 seconds. Bringing it home down the final run with real pace and no mistakes, INEOS Britannia takes their first win by 2 minute and 5 seconds to go 1-0 up in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals. Devastating performance by the British.  

INEOS Britannia bt. Alinghi Red Bull Racing (125 seconds)

NYYC American Magic (Port Entry) vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

After what was a tough loss in the first race, American Magic will need to reset whilst Luna Rossa will be looking for a better start to allow their inherent speed to come through. American Magic cross from the port entry and go far right in the start-box before gybing back and causing Luna Rossa to do a very tight gybe in the corner. The Italians recover and then take a windward position but it’s advantage to Magic who nail the port end of the line for the drag race to the left boundary.

Magic attempts the squeeze and it’s Luna Rossa that tacks first which the Americans initially ignore before tacking back at the boundary and another long drag race ensues out to the right side of the course. A big right-hand shift brings Luna Rossa in close but Magic crosses and slam-covers immediately. Tight race up the first beat, but it’s a brilliant call by Slingsby and Calabrese who nail the port layline to perfection and secure a 10 second advantage at the first bear-away. Split tactics initially down the first run produce a small gain to the Americans but with the wind dropping in the second half of the run, both teams are looking for reduced manoeuvres and accurate layline calls.

The race turns around at the final approaches to the first leeward gate with Magic falling off their foils briefly on the final small gybe around the starboard marker. Luna Rossa need no further encouragement, close down the distance and take the lead up the second beat. But it’s still close as Magic dips the Italian stern on the first cross. With the two boats going boundary to boundary, when they come back, it’s Luna Rossa that is forced to dip and this is becoming a thrilling race with the feeling that one good piece of pressure or windshift call will decide this.

Having at first played the left boundary – both boats are going boundary to boundary at the moment – Magic comes back across, near to the port layline, but a pressure system to the right massively favours the Italians on the starboard layline and they round with a 20 second leading delta.  

Luna Rossa hold steady on a long port gybe as the two boats play the left side of the course, riding a pressure system down the course before it dies at the final leeward gate. It’s a 14 second lead and the Race Committee shorten the legs to 1.2 nautical miles to compensate for the dropping windspeed. Keeping it tight, Luna Rossa maintain a loose cover whilst working the right side of the course and minimising manoeuvres.

Magic keeps the racing tight, waiting for an opportunity and at the final windward mark, Luna Rossa bears away with a 13 second advantage. A new pressure system down the left side of the course tightens things up further with Magic clicking into it first and the boats are drag racing down the course with very little to choose between them. Luna Rossa keep a close gybe cover on, staying to leeward and with the runway to finish line in sight, it’s Luna Rossa that soaks down and records an 18 second win to go 2-0 in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals. Terrific racing.  

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt. NYYC American Magic (18 seconds)

INEOS Britannia (Port Entry) vs. Alinghi Red Bull Racing

With the racing touch and go due to the falling breeze and a small delay to the start time, both boats elected for their biggest J1 jibs. This could well be a race of attrition and a test of staying airborne and with just 2 minutes 30 seconds to go before the start, Alinghi Red Bull Racing falls off the foils and is stuck in displacement. A boundary penalty is incurred by the Swiss and the British have an unopposed start if they can just keep Britannia flying. With a minute to go, the Swiss get airborne, still with a penalty whilst Britannia almost fall off the foils, but just managed to keep it going on their final approaches. At the starting gun, Britannia starts cleanly at the port end of the line whilst the Swiss go for a port tack start and duck the stern to head right. Britannia steals an early lead as Alinghi Red Bull racing clear their 75-metre penalty and this first beat is about pressure spotting now. Both boats are almost going reach to reach across the course to stay in flight and do everything they can to minimise manoeuvres. Britannia is being sailed beautifully and stretches into a commanding lead to bear-away at the top mark with a 1 minute and 18 second lead that equates to some 850 metres of distance.

INEOS Britannia’s flight control team of Bleddyn Mon and Leigh McMillan ride Britannia super-high downwind, right on the edge whilst Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher nail the shifts and layline to head up the second beat with a 1 minute 22 second lead. Race Management shift the course as the breeze goes more south westerly and it’s a tough second beat with the wind lightening at the top of the course. INEOS Britannia sail a nice starboard layline in the final quarter and maintain their lead, bearing-away with the delta now up to 1 minute and 20 seconds – still a considerable distance margin in excess of 1100 metres. INEOS Britannia really sailing well and offering up zero opportunities to the Swiss, they fly down the second run to enter the final beat with a 1 minute and 34 second lead – big gain again on the downwind where Britannia looks to have a real edge.

Picking the shifts well up the final beat, the British keep the manoeuvres down as the Race Committee lengthen the final run to the finish to 1.4 nautical miles. No mistakes from the Britannia afterguard, and with a lead up to 1 minute 39 seconds, it was all about picking the pressure on the final downwind which they executed to perfection and crossed to go 2-0 up in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals. The final delta was 1 minute and 37 seconds. Ruthless sailing from Ben Ainslie’s team.

INEOS Britannia bt. Alinghi Red Bull Racing by 1 minute and 37 seconds