BARCELONA DELIVERING ITS SUNDAY BEST ON DAY TWO OF THE LOUIS VUITTON CUP SEMI-FINALS

After yesterday’s opening four races, INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli are riding a wave of momentum, having both scored two race wins, and will be looking to capitalise again today in an attempt to move to match point on Monday.

For Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic, today is vital for their overall campaigns, and the simple truth is that they must score race wins to engender belief within their organisations, from top-to-bottom, that they can take these semi-finals to a thrilling conclusion.

The messaging that emerged during the evening and overnight out of all the teams was that yesterday was one of the hardest racetracks that the crews have faced since being in Barcelona. Reading the pressure patches, picking the correct side of the course, nailing the laylines and latching on to the optimal shifts, required every ounce of these outstanding sailors' feel and knowledge.

Furthermore, with the course experiencing different pressures of wind from top to bottom, moding the boat and keeping the AC75s in even flight, especially through the manoeuvres, required skill, smoothness and flight control dexterity.

We can expect more of the same testing conditions today.

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

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

This is the race that could well be the momentum indicator in this side of the Semi-Final. American Magic need to chalk a win. Badly. Luna Rossa meanwhile want an improved on-water performance, but the same results as yesterday. At the start, Magic is bang on the button entering the box at 47 knots before circling aggressively with Luna Rossa. On the lead back, the Italians come from deep to take the leeward position as the Americans stay high. Luna Rossa get an immediate slingshot off the line with unbelievable speed and soon force the Americans to tack away.

Luna Rossa follows Magic to the right boundary and at the first engagement are clear ahead and able to tack right on the face of Magic, but the Americans manage to live on their hip just out of the wing-wash. At the top mark, Luna Rossa nail an unbelievably good port layline and round with a handy 13 second lead as Magic splits the early downwind tactics heading to the right before gybing, whilst the Italians go left and bounce-gybe off the boundary.

Luna Rossa look impressive and polished in the breeze, nailing the gybes and exiting low with speed. At the first leeward gate, Luna Rossa go for a one board rounding, 15 seconds ahead, as the Americans come round with a poor rounding, ventilating on two foils, skidding, and losing distance. 

Luna Rossa are in total control up the second beat, keeping a cover from a distance of almost 400 metres and at the second windward mark, they stretch the lead to 30 seconds. In this consistent pressure there are no passing lanes for Magic and at the second leeward mark at the end of leg four, Luna Rossa go for a two-board rounding, making no mistake and enjoy a lead of 23 seconds at the start of the final windward leg.

Boundary to boundary tactics from both boats appear to have little effect with both teams sailing hard, although in clear air the Italians look to have the edge and at the final windward mark Luna Rossa bear away with a 32 second lead and a distance of almost 600 metres on the water. No mistakes down the final run, and at speeds in excess of 41 knots, Luna Rossa bring their AC75 across the line, after nailing the final layline to record another win – by a delta of 26 seconds. It’s 3-0 to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, now two more race wins away from the Louis Vuitton Cup Final.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt. NYYC American Magic (26 seconds)
3-0 to Luna Rossa

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

Can the Swiss come back? That’s the question – but what can they do against a charging INEOS Britannia that appears to have speed to burn both upwind and downwind? Britannia comes flying in on two boards from the port side and makes the cross, before heading straight into a circle which the Swiss follow before falling off the foils.

Britannia sails her own pre-start and sets up from deep, coming in high on starboard to hunt down the Swiss. However an out-of-control Alinghi Red Bull Racing, having just got back on the foils and stuffing the bow in with the traveller and mainsail pinned on port gybe, very nearly collides with Britannia. Cool reactions from Sir Ben Ainslie who executes a slam gybe away and then settles his team to make a brilliant start. The British protested the incident immediately but the Swiss are languishing around the starting area, on the foils and then off again, and so by the time they get away, the British are off up the course unopposed. At the top mark, Britannia is one minute and 19 seconds ahead with a lead of 1,600 metres and gaining.

At the first leeward mark, the British double-board rounded in a breeze topping 14 knots and set off upwind with a one minute 31 second lead and in total control of the race. The Race committee lengthened the course legs to 1.9 nautical miles as INEOS Britannia rounded the second windward mark at 45 knots with the lead now at one minute and 40 seconds.

This is tough to watch for the Swiss and the on-water delta is now at 1,800 metres. The British keep it smooth, bouncing down the left boundary and round the final leeward mark, having called a magnificent port layline from a quarter of the way back down the run, with a one minute and 47 seconds delta as the Race Committee lengthened the course again, now up to 2 nautical miles per leg.

Britannia looked potent in the light and even faster in a breeze and is gaining on every leg with the British sailors continuing to push the boat hard. Around the final mark and it’s a two minute and 02 second lead and the final delta, after no mistakes down the last run, is a commanding two minute and 20 seconds. Another top-rate performance from the British and they go 3-0 up in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final.

INEOS Britannia bt. Alinghi Red Bull Racing (140 seconds)
INEOS Britannia 3-0   

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

After the opening race loss today, American Magic need to bounce-back hard, otherwise the last-chance saloon beckons, whilst for Luna Rossa they are looking to close out another two-point day and move to match-point in their side of the Semi-Final.

At the start, the Italians come in from the port side on the button at two minutes and 10 seconds and make the cross to go out to the far right. Magic comes in and gybes to follow. On the lead back, both boats start from deep with Luna Rossa happy to be to leeward and at the gun it’s an even start, but Luna Rossa puts the pedal down to jump into an immediate lead. Magic hangs tough to windward but falls steadily into Luna Rossa as the boundary approaches.

Both boats tack in sync but it’s Luna Rossa that has the command position. It’s a tight drag race to the right boundary but at the tack back, Luna Rossa has the lead and tacks right on Magic’s wind. The Americans try to live in the dirty-air but are eventulaly forced to tack away to the right boundary, whilst Luna Rossa keep on to the port layline and nails it.

At the first windward mark, Luna Rossa bear-away at 48 knots with a six second delta and Magic split gybe tactics on the first downwind, going right as the Italians bounce off the left boundary. When they come back to cross in the middle of the course, it’s tight and a drag race on starboard gybe sees the delta closing visually but it ends up as an increased 11 second advantage to the Italians. A poor rounding by Luna Rossa might prove costly here as Magic rounds cleanly on the port marker and heads immediately right.

Luna Rossa come across from the left boundary to cover and maintain their lead, but this is tight, and boat-handling is everything. Luna Rossa appear to gain, having held to the right side and then covering well. At the second windward mark, the Italian lead is still 11 seconds and the Americans again split tactics initially downwind, hoping to capitalise on any mistake from Luna Rossa. In the 17-knot conditions, both boats are minimising gybe manoeuvres and it’s an early starboard layline call that the Italians make, flying down to the final leeward gate at speeds up to 48 knots, to double-board round with an eight second lead.

American Magic are really making a race of this and the Italians know it. A brief dis-engagement into the final quarter of the beat sees Luna Rossa gain, coming in from the right, and a cover tack recognises just how close this race has become with the Italians not wanting Magic to get right. At the final windward mark, Luna Rossa round with the delta now down to just 3 seconds – all on for the final run and again Magic splits the tactics – can they do it?

A gybe on the right boundary for Magic whilst Luna Rossa comes in from the left, sees the Italians just cross by a boat length but crucially, Magic holds on to the left boundary, staying on port gybe before coming back with the starboard advantage. Could this be crucial? Luna Rossa gybes in from the left boundary and comes across on port, this is it – do or die, Magic needs to close the distance and then make the call but Luna Rossa hold fast, make the cross by a quarter of a boatlength and dial down to the finish line to win by just two seconds.

That’s 4-0 to Luna Rossa – an outstanding day for the Italians in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-fFnals.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt. NYYC American Magic (2 seconds)
Luna Rossa 4-0 in the series

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

The Swiss have their backs to the wall in this Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final so for the final race of the day, desperately need to get something. INEOS Britannia, however, look in no mood to lengthen this series and at the start. In winds above 17 knots, both boats are cautious with two boards down in the pre-start and it’s Britannia doing the chasing on the Swiss stern but dis-engaged on a timed-run back to the line. The British clearly had a plan to take the windward station and at the gun, slingshot forward with an initial 2 knots of boatspeed and height.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing are first to tack on the boundary and the British respond with a brilliantly executed lee-bow tack and immediate high-mode. The Swiss are forced to tack away but it’s tack for tack in the opening exchanges up this left boundary before Britannia splits to let their inherent boatspeed do the talking. An immediate gain, and Britannia continues to slam the cover tack on when the two come together for a long port tack drag towards the starboard layline. At the first windward mark, Britannia bears away at 49.6 knots with a 15 second lead. Britannia is revelling in the breeze, enjoying superb straight-line speed and sensibly both boats spare their cyclors and keep manoeuvres to a minimum.  At the first leeward gate, Britannia is out to a lead of 21 seconds and double-board rounds for safety.

Both boats head to the left boundary initially and then take a long port tack to the right boundary where Britannia shows her power and pointing ability, easily getting onto the Swiss line and gaining again. Two more tacks and the British are on the port layline and round at 50.2 knots with a 36 second lead. This is a dominant performance from the British and they make no mistake down the second run, playing the middle of the course and again keeping their gybe manoeuvres down. The Swiss simply have no answer and execute a loose gybe at the left boundary initially. By the final leeward mark, Britannia is stretching away, and the delta is out to 41 seconds and just two legs left to run. Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher, helms on Britannia make no mistakes up the final windward leg, sailing almost unopposed in conditions they love, and round the last gate cautiously with a 48 second lead – a gain on every leg of the course so far. With the wind gusting above 18 knots, the final run was a procession and INEOS Britannia closed out the race, winning with a 48 second delta and secure a 4-0 scoreline in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals. Brilliant sailing from the British – again.  

INEOS Britannia bt. Alinghi Red Bull Racing by 48 seconds (INEOS Britannia 4-0)