THE SHOOT-OUT FOR THE LOUIS VUITTON CUP CONTINUES
After the solid breezes of the past three days of racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, a very different weather scene has emerged in Barcelona this morning. The mistral to the north is now in control with the winds building from the east and we are expecting some delays ahead of racing starting. When the breeze does settle, Iain Murray, Race Director is expecting 7-15 knots with the potential for veering to the south-east through the afternoon.
For INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, locked at 4-4, the changing conditions provide a real opportunity to capitalise on any weakness they can exploit. What we know for sure is that these are two extremely evenly matched teams with only minor variables evident in terms of outright speed on specific legs of the course. The thrilling thing for fans is that this has become a ‘boat race’ which is rewarding sailing, and more specifically match-racing, skills.
Barcelona is buzzing right now. The Official Race Village and the Fanzones at Plaça del Mar and Bogatell have seen huge crowds passionately cheering for their countrymen whilst around the world fans have been treated to some of the most spectacular racing seen, anywhere on the planet, ever. Yesterday’s top speed, recorded by INEOS Britannia on a bear-away, of 55.6 knots was the fastest recorded speed in an official race of the America’s Cup tournament. When will we see that beaten?
It's an arm-wrestle for supremacy and the deadlock has to be broken sooner or later. Can one team win two on the bounce today and advance to match-point or will be locked up and all square at the end of the day? It’s all coming down to the finest of margins for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the right to challenge the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, for the oldest continually contested trophy in international sports. Now it gets serious.
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Race 9
All square and very tense. The breeze is in under a cloudy sky with 16-18 knots from the east and a sharp chop. At the start, ITA come in from port powering down on the waves. GBR late to enter (over 10 seconds) with both boards down and get on the tail of ITA who lead out to the right boundary of the box. ITA first to gybe and GBR slams on their bow. Close lead back into the line and with time to kill, ITA have to tack away to start at the starboard end of the line. GBR nail the pin and start 8 metres back on starboard tack and go out to the left boundary before executing a slow tack. Early advantage to ITA.
At the first cross, GBR duck the transom on port to go to the right side of the course, ITA continue upwind on starboard. GBR tack on the right boundary whilst ITA tack on the left boundary. As the two come back together, GBR take the lead and force ITA to duck. GBR really ‘standing’ on their immersed foil, heeling to leeward in their upwind mode. At the first windward mark, it’s a close cross with both boats on different laylines. GBR just ahead and then execute a tack and bear-away. ITA do the same and it’s a 2 second lead to ITA.
At the first cross, GBR duck the transom on port to go to the right side of the course, ITA continue upwind on starboard. GBR tack on the right boundary whilst ITA tack on the left boundary. As the two come back together, GBR take the lead and force ITA to duck. GBR really ‘standing’ on their immersed foil, heeling to leeward in their upwind mode. At the first windward mark, it’s a close cross with both boats on different laylines. GBR just ahead and then execute a tack and bear-away. ITA do the same and it’s a 2 second lead to ITA.
Split tactics down the first run, GBR out right, ITA out left and after the first gybe they meet mid-course with GBR clear ahead. Both teams minimising manoeuvres and heading for differing leeward gate laylines. GBR clear ahead and round the starboard marker smartly with a lead of 12 seconds. ITA heading right up the beat, GBR left initially.
GBR still clear ahead on the first cross and ignores the chance to cover, sailing over to the right boundary before tacking back. ITA go hard left and tack back and at the next cross, GBR’s lead out to 140 metres. GBR tack on ITA’s wind and force them to tack left before heading to the starboard layline for the second windward gate. ITA comes in on the port layline but GBR round at 52 knots with a lead down to just 9 seconds.
Split tactics again down the second run and at the first cross, GBR still ahead but it’s very tight (130 metres). GBR ignore the gybe cover and head for the leeward gate layline. ITA gain out to the right on the final approaches to the gate but GBR gybe to round the right mark with their lead down to 7 seconds as the Italians go left.
On the third upwind (leg 5 of 8), ITA splashdown having lost grip on their rudder in the first quarter out to the left of the course and GBR gain an immediate 100 metres as ITA recover. Big waves on the course now and building. GBR head to the right of the course and are playing their own shifts and pressure builds, driving a very low upwind mode.
In the final approaches to the third windward gate, GBR opt for the port layline to bear away at the starboard marker at 51 knots with a lead out to 15 seconds. GBR sail to the left boundary (looking downwind) as ITA opt to go right initially. At the gybe back and cross, GBR lead by over 300 metres as the course legs are shortened to 1.65 nautical miles.
Into the final leeward gate and GBR have to drive deep on the starboard layline on two boards to get around the port marker with an 18 second delta and head right (looking up the course) initially. At the first cross on this final beat, GBR clear ahead in the middle of the course but ITA making gains with the lead cut to 175 metres. Both boats out of phase and sailing the shifts. At the final windward gate, GBR bears-away at the port marker and begins the run home with a 13 second lead, heading to the right boundary initially.
GBR gybe to cover ITA who had rounded the starboard marker and are clear ahead at the cross with a lead in excess of 300 metres. In the conditions both teams looking for flat water to gybe on and are minimising manoeuvres. A final gybe on port layline, executed well, bring GBR across the line with a winning delta of 23 seconds. The pendulum swings to GBR in this thrilling Louis Vuitton Cup Final.
Race 2
Pressure race. GBR enter from the port side with a vicious sea-state running, and do a neat manoeuvre to not breach the 2.10 time-limit, before heading into their usual tack around to trail Luna Rossa to the right boundary. Luna Rossa gybe back early and after some close quarters action, Luna Rossa assumes the windward position on the lead back to the line. Both boats have time to kill and run down the line in the last 5 seconds with GBR in the prime position at the port end of the line.
GBR stretch out initially and force ITA to tack off before the boundary and now it’s an arm-wrestle drag race to the right boundary. On the tack back, GBR are ahead and slam a tight cover on the bow of ITA who are forced to tack back to the right boundary. GBR ignores the cover and carries on, on starboard tack, eyeing pressure out left and as they hit the port layline to the windward gate, round at 49 knots with a 3 seconds lead.
Both boats head to alternate boundaries with GBR left (looking downwind) and ITA to the right. After the first gybe, GBR cross clear ahead but it’s close and GBR head to the starboard layline for the entry into the first leeward gate. Rounding up, GBR have extended to 11 seconds with ITA taking the starboard marker and heading left. GBR tacks at the right boundary to cross before protecting the right by tacking right on ITA who are forced to tack away.
As the second windward gate approaches, GBR ride a good right hand shift with the pressure in the top right of the course and extend to round the port marker with a lead at 12 seconds. Very close racing and the second run is all about gybe execution off the boundaries. At the first cross, GBR are up to a 250 metres lead and both teams looking for the flatter water on either side of the course to pick their moment to gybe. GBR survive a scary experience on the way into the leeward gate as they lose their rudder on the exit of a gybe and the delta is down to 10 seconds.
Now it’s a classic match race with both boats tack for tack up this, leg 5 of 8, with ITA gaining and smelling blood in the water. GBR slap a tight cover on before heading far to the right boundary, disengaging, and gaining a few dozen metres. GBR head left-middle to settle the boat down, whilst ITA go right. All about the layline tack and GBR come in from the left on the port layline, just ahead, and make the cross. Rounding at 51 knots, GBR touches down briefly with ITA only 8 seconds behind. Pressure. Pressure.
GBR gybe on the left boundary to cover ITA who, as the aggressor downwind, gybe first and both boats head downwind on starboard gybe with GBR just marginally ahead. Big waves mid-course as GBR ignore a gybe to the left from ITA and picks their lane back after an accurate gybe on the right boundary and onto the starboard layline. GBR rounds on two boards with a 13 second lead.
GBR heads to the right up the final windward leg initially as ITA go left. On the tack back, GBR clear ahead with a lead over 100 metres and goes for a tight cover in a repeat of the last upwind leg. ITA carry on to the left boundary looking for the shift as GBR go right but no dice, the lead remains the same to GBR.
GBR gybe in big waves and fly high on the starboard layline to bring the boat home and cross with an 8 second winning delta. The deadlock is broken. INEOS Britannia extend to 6-4 and are just one race away from winning the Louis Vuitton Cup.