INVITED TEAMS TAKE THE SPOTLIGHT IN THE UNICREDIT YOUTH AMERICA’S CUP

This is going to be a key proving-ground, with the Invited Teams all eager to impress and maybe get themselves onto the radar of one of the America’s Cup teams – who are all watching closely, keen to identify the emerging foiling talent and the stars of tomorrow. Helmsmen naturally are in the spotlight but the word in Barcelona is that the trimmers are prized just as equally, so the pressure to perform is on all round.

Names to watch out for today include Bart Lambriex, for JAJO DutchSail, the sailor who is nigh on unbeatable in the 49er class having won three world championships in the last four years. Other big names to watch out for are Cole Tapper, the match-race ace, sailing for Andoo Team Australia and Martin Wizner for the Spanish home team, Sail Team BCN, who flew through the junior ranks and is now eyeing an Olympic campaign in the 49er. Chatting dockside, the sailors all rate Andrew Wood and his Canadian Concord Pacific Racing Team, whilst AC Team Germany can never be discounted with Paul Farien and Maru Scheel, the only female helm, in charge.

The team with the most time on the water are the Swedish Challenge who had the benefit of an AC40 to train on out of their home base in Belfast, Northern Ireland before transferring to Badalona to begin their work-up to the event with NYYC American Magic and Athena Pathway. Oscar Engström and Hannu Seifert get the nod in the driving seat and could well be hard to catch. We shall see – it’s all about performing under pressure – and when it matters most.

Conditions today see an easterly ‘Llevant’ airflow combining with a slight 0.5 metre swell also from the east. The breeze is expected to be in the six to10 knots range so we should see ideal conditions for some tight fleet racing across a fairly even racetrack with the sailors needing to look outside of the boat for the incoming shifts and pressure patches.

CHECK BACK HERE FOR LIVE UPDATES FROM THE RACECOURSE WITH THE FIRST FLEET RACE DUE TO START AT 1410 CET

 

RACE 1

After a short wind delay, waiting for the afternoon easterly breeze to fill to above the 7.5 knot lower-limit consistently, racing got underway on a shorter course of just two laps (four legs) with the Race Committee keen to get the planned four races in today and keep the regatta on schedule.

With all the boats on the biggest J1 jibs (the AC40 has three codes of jibs - J1, J2 and J3), the fleet lined up for the first start at 14:19 with all the fleet avoiding wing-wash on their final approaches and trying to stay on the foils. Sweden are off the foils before the start, out to the left hand side where it’s light and Canada and Germany both score boundary penalties as they try to get up and stay up on the foils.

At the start, Canada and Australia make good starts down at the port end of the line but Canada has two penalties to expend - frustrating as they made the first cross on Australia. Sweden, having started late, make gains out to the left boundary as Australia falls off the foils, and manage to stay airborne through the boundary tack to march into a good lead as they sail up the course.

Australia get back up whilst heading for the right boundary but fall off the foils on the tack and are forced to build speed again. Spain take full advantage of the Australian’s fall and fly into second place. At the windward mark, after a neat touch & go tack on the final approaches, it’s Sweden with a 300 metre lead, followed by Spain and Australia (some way down the course).

On the first downwind it’s all about trying to stay airborne through the manoeuvres whilst sailing high and wide angles. Sweden do well initially whilst Spain fall on their first gybe, but on the final approaches to the first leeward gate after going for a tack around rather than a gybe, Sweden fall into displacement themselves. All the fleet now in displacement but breeze is coming.

The Race Committee call for the course to be shortened to just three legs as Sweden sits in displacement around the leeward mark, desperate to build the speed needed to regain flight. Sweden are the only team on the final leg with everyone else in displacement. Whilst the Swedish will the wind to come, they can see up at the top of the course both Canada and Germany beginning to foil and starting to close up.

Australia pop to flight too and with Canada and Germany, head to the leeward gate at pace with the Spanish team now in their sights. Australia fall off the foils on a final gybe to the gate allowing the Germans to sail through but Germany fall to displacement on their final approaches. Canada steals inside the Germans at the leeward gate and into third place and heads to the right where the pressure appears to be coming from. Spain are up and foiling and pass the Swedish who have spent the whole of leg three in displacements - cruel fortune.

Spain now just need to nail a tack on the port layline to secure the win and after a nervy moment, just manage to keep the speed and rise back onto the foils. Brilliant sailing, never-say-die stuff as Martin Wizner and Conrad Konitzer bring it across the line to the delight of the local fans.

Behind the Spanish, more drama unfolds with a huge right-hand shift that brings Sweden back into contention, still in displacement, whilst the Canadians and Germans come in from the left on foils.Canada nail the final tack, stay on the foils and secure 7 points for second place whilst the Swedish ghost across to get third and 5 points. Thrilling racing.

UPDATE 1605: Racing abandoned for the day due to insufficuent wind.