PRESSURE BUILDING AHEAD OF TWO CRUCIAL RACES IN THE LOUIS VUITTON 37TH AMERICA’S CUP

In scoring two wins on Wednesday, the British signalled their intent. One relatively easy win after Emirates Team New Zealand fell off the foils in the pre-start was followed up by a seven second, narrow victory where they defended for all their worth. A good day for the INEOS Britannia team all round.

For Emirates Team New Zealand, the sailors came ashore ruing small errors and not capitalising on positional advantage – particularly in the pre-start. After a thorough de-brief, the expectation is that the Kiwis will come out swinging today.

All eyes on the weather this morning and in Barcelona city it was a chilly start whilst off the coast, a band of clouds sit menacing across the near horizon. The wind is in the west and it all depends on whether the sun and thermals keep the clouds away. If so, we could see a switch to the south-west and the promise of breeze in the 10-13 knots region.

If, however, the clouds come in and the wind stays in the west, the likelihood is for a shifty day as the airflow comes across the city and Montjuïc comes into play. Current models suggest 7-11 knots from the west but there is hope amongst the professional meteorologists of an improving picture, at least for the first race before the wind may drop off a notch.

We are set for a fascinating Friday on this fifth day of the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Match. Fans from both Britian and New Zealand have thronged into the city and it’s a mass of colour, fun and the unique excitement of one of the world’s greatest sporting spectacles. The Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup is very much alive and kicking, and it’s game on for the duel in the sun to go all the way.

CHECK BACK HERE AT 14:00 FOR LIVE UPDATES FROM THE RACECOURSE OF THE LOUIS VUITTON 37TH AMERICA’S CUP MATCH

Race 7

IB on port entry in Race 7 and the breeze is in at 11-13 knots from the north-west (off the Barcelona waterfront). IB crosses into the pre-start box at 2 minutes and 10 seconds and make the cross as the fast charging ETNZ comes in hot and both boats go into a circle before IB breaks off first and then goes into another bear-away circle to get on ETNZ’s stern. ETNZ leads out to the right boundary before IB tacks and leads back to the start line to make the better start, faster to leeward. ETNZ set up to windward and sail into their high mode. ETNZ clear ahead at first cross and tack immediately on IB’s line and forced to tack away. ETNZ heading to the right.

IB losing distance out left on big shift and ETNZ make considerable gain out right and tack on the boundary. ETNZ stays right and tacks back to the boundary whilst IB keep trying the left and aim for the port layline. IB making gains back on a right shift whilst ETNZ comes in on a long starboard layline and bears away at the port marker and goes immediately into a gybe to cover IB who round at the starboard marker 12 seconds behind.

Both boats head downwind on a long port gybe down the left boundary. IB first to gybe off the boundary, covered by ETNZ immediately to leeward. ETNZ first to gybe back on to port gybe, IB respond and both boats heading down the course on the starboard layline with ETNZ up to 290 metres in the lead. ETNZ gybes at the gate at takes the starboard marker whilst IB takes the port marker 13 seconds behind.

ETNZ tacks after a small runway to cover IB who are heading to the right boundary. IB tacks before the boundary and ETNZ cross to continue right. Breeze is all coming down the right at the moment and IB tacks back for it before tacking on to starboard at the boundary - breeze very patchy and shifty. ETNZ carries on to the middle of the course having tacked off the right boundary. Both boats in the middle of the course and eyeing the lighter air at the top of the course.

At the second windward gate, ETNZ tacks on the port layline and rounds the starboard marker to head left down the run. GBR tack around the port marker and go right initially, gybe covered by ETNZ down the course. IB gybe before the right boundary and take a long port gybe down the course, gybe covered to leeward by ETNZ who are staying in phase some 395 metres ahead.

At the second leeward gate, ETNZ comes in off the starboard layline and executes another smooth gybe and rounds the port marker on one foil to head right up the third and final beat. IB comes in on the port layline to take the starboard marker 29 seconds behind and head to the left boundary. ETNZ tack off the right boundary and loosely cover IB some 540 metres behind.

ETNZ playing the shifts and the pressure up the last beat, preferring to play the middle of the course and then sailing into the right side pressure at the top of the course. Very little IB can do, ETNZ looking fast and smooth today. No mistakes into the final windward gate, ETNZ tacks off the right boundary before tacking on the port layline to bear away at the starboard marker, hitting 49 knots on the bear-away, to head left initially. A smart gybe brings ETNZ down the course on starboard gybe as IB rounds at the port marker 53 seconds down.

IB have a small touchdown ahead of their first gybe before the right boundary but ETNZ are clear ahead by over 1100 metres and covering down a long port gybe to the left of the course. Only one gybe left for ETNZ who come off the left boundary on the port layline and drive straight for the line, bearing away across the line on two foils to record an 1 minute and 13 seconds win. The scoreline is now 5-2 in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match and Emirates Team New Zealand need just two more points to win.

Emirates Team New Zealand bt INEOS Britannia (73 seconds)

Race 8

ETNZ coming in on the port entry with the wind around 11 knots down the course whilst at the windward gate there are gusts up to 17 knots. ETNZ comes in fast at 40 knots and make a clean cross. IB gybe on their line after entry and both boats head to the right boundary. ETNZ bear away at the boundary, gybe and head up. IB tack around and then bear-away but ETNZ maintain a leeward position and come off the line with a couple of knots extra boatspeed. IB first to tack off to the right and ETNZ keep on to the left boundary in good pressure before tacking back right.

ETNZ come back across the course as IB tacks at the right boundary. At the first cross ETNZ clear ahead and heading to more pressure in the right quadrant. ETNZ ignore the chance to cover as IB sits in good breeze up the left. Boats are now on opposite boundaries with IB left and ETNZ right with the top gate approaching. ETNZ tacks onto the port layline and bears away at the starboard marker with a lead of 15 seconds as both boats head down the left boundary downwind.

IB have an issue in the early part of the run and go two boards down as they touchdown briefly before gybing on the left boundary. ETNZ now up to more than 450 metres ahead and nail their gybe to come down the course on port for a while before gybing back mid course to cover IB. At the leeward gate, ETNZ round up at the port marker and head to the right initially. IB take the starboard marker some 25 seconds down and head to the left upwind on the second beat.

IB tack on the left boundary but look up to see ETNZ sailing across on starboard some 460 metres ahead before tacking to cover and lead IB to the right side of the course. ETNZ in complete control and they tack off the right boundary for the final approaches to the second windward gate. ETNZ really standing on their foils to keep some leeward heel in the lulls but they bear-away at the port marker some 41 seconds ahead before gybing to immediately cover IB who exited the starboard marker and headed to the left boundary downwind.

Both boats gybe off the left boundary and fly down the course on a long starboard. ETNZ gybes on the starboard layline and rounds up at the port marker to head right up the third beat initially with a lead down to 36 seconds. IB follows suit and heads to the right to follow ETNZ.

No passing lanes upwind on this, leg 5 of 8, as ETNZ play the right and let IB go hard left. It’s a gamble that paid small dividends for IB but ETNZ tack at the starboard marker and bear-away to go left downwind. IB tacks around the port marker, 23 seconds behind and go right initially, gybe covered by ETNZ who then gybe back onto port on IB’s line with over 550 metres lead.

Down the course, ETNZ gybe cover the IB rounding and head on a long port gybe towards the left boundary but the distance is over 1000 metres. ETNZ gybe on the left boundary on the port layline to the finish line and angle down to cross to take the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup scoreline to 6-2. Final delta is 55 seconds.

Emirates Team New Zealand bt INEOS Britannia (55 seconds)