Some relief for the British and French camps as both teams finally get a race win on the scoreboard on Day 3 of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta racing – plus what else we learned on the third day of AC75 racingAugust 24, 2024. Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, Race Day 3.The third day of racing for the 37th America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 got underway in 11 knots today in Barcelona providing solid foiling conditions for the AC75 monohulls that was forecast to briefly build, then ease, over the course of the afternoon.
\nThe first two days of America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta racing have seen wins for Emirates Team New Zealand, American Magic, Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli with both INEOS Britannia and Orient Express Racing Team failing to get a score on the board. No question \u2013 pressure is building for those teams \u2013 how would they handle Day 3?
\nKey takeaways from America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta Day 3<\/p>\n
INEOS Britannia win a race and demonstrate improved downwind speed
\nAmerican Magic suffer a rudder failure \u2013 reliability looks set to remain a major factor for the AC75s
\nBoundary penalties scupper INEOS Britannia for their second race of the day
\nItalians appear to have the most complete package among the Challengers
\nKiwis continue to look dominant, and confident<\/p>\n
INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli dial up on Day 3 of the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta. Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nRace 9\u00a0INEOS Britannia\u00a0Vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing
\nSkippers
\nAlinghi Red Bull Racing: Arnaud Psarofaghis & Maxime Bachelin
\nINEOS Britannia: Ben Ainslie & Dylan Fletcher<\/p>\n
The opening race of Day 3 saw INEOS Britannia go into the pre-start handling their AC75 with confidence despite yesterday\u2019s difficulties. INEOS Britannia got the best of the start, leading Alinghi across the line. Immediately helm Dylan Fletcher could be heard discussing the need to get to the right-hand side, which has proven time and time again to be the favoured side in these Barcelona conditions.
\nIn the first true speed race we\u2019ve seen of this Preliminary Regatta. both boats looked evenly matched up the first beat, Alinghi squeezing INEOS off and taking the favoured right-hand side, while the Brits opted to protect boat speed and bailed out to the left hand side of the course. When the two boats came back together, Alinghi crossed ahead, but INEOS took the right with a click more speed \u2013 would we see the first place changes of the regatta?
\nINEOS indeed gained back to lead around the first mark rounding and began to extend slightly away, covering Alinghi to the downwind gate. On each downwind leg they gained a few hundred metres, on each upwind Alinghi tried to chip back at their advantage. But at the close the Swiss team were 30 seconds behind.
\nWhat did we learn from the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta Race 9?
\nThe main takeaway from this race for British fans will be that INEOS Britannia has found some pace, certainly against Alinghi. INEOS Britannia coach Rob Wilson noted during a mid-race link that while downwind boat speed was now looking strong for the team, they were still seeking a few more gains upwind.
\nWe\u2019ve no idea what might\u2019ve been said in Wilson\u2019s debrief last night, but Ainslie and Fletcher came out fighting today and were sailing smartly. Communication between the two sounded clear and confident \u2013 discussing whether, for example, to cover Alinghi or take the favoured layline, there \u00a0was no sense of panic despite the team\u2019s urgent need for a point on the board. \u201cA bit better,\u201d was Ainslie\u2019s understated response.
\nThe race was also once of the closest we\u2019ve seen \u2013 \u00a0in the early stages at least \u2013 with place changes on the first beat and the boats evenly matched enough that one single minor boat handling slip would have handed the advantage over.
\nSail selection is also starting to become a factor \u2013 with a variable breeze forecast and two races scheduled for INEOS Britannia today, the British boat opted for a smaller mainsail than the Swiss. There\u2019s also some evident variations in headsails between the teams \u2013 something which will no doubt be endlessly refined over the coming weeks.
\nAlinghi Red Bull Racing chasing hard on Day 3 of the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta. Photo: Ricardo Pinto\/AC37
\nRace 10 American Magic\u00a0Vs Orient Express Racing Team
\nSkippers
\nAmerican Magic: Paul Goodison & Tom Slingsby
\nOrient Express Racing Team: Quentin Delapierre & Kevin Pepponet<\/p>\n
Tech gremlins reared their head for American Magic almost immediately after they entered the start box, with helms Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison saying they had \u2018lost the rudder\u2019. The USA team swiftly retired, and the race was halted, letting the French take their first win.
\nWhat did we learn from the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta Race 10?
\nMuch as the French were desperate to get a point on the scoreboard, this is not how they will have wanted to do it. After a series of starting disasters, the French need a true race to gauge themselves against the other AC75s.
\nFor the US team it\u2019s unclear how serious an issue this could is \u2013 the we\u2019ve seen minor electrical and mechanical failures across a couple of teams over the past couple of days, but a reasonably loud bang was audible on the video transmission, which indicates something physically broke on Patriot \u2013 helm Goodison said they had suddenly lost rudder rake control. Systems and components reliability is likely to be a significant challenge for the challengers with a long series to keep their AC75s going through.
\nRudder issues for American Magic on Day 3 of the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nRace 11 \u00a0Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Vs INEOS Britannia
\nSkippers
\nLuna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni
\nINEOS Britannia: Ben Ainslie & Dylan Fletcher
\nThis was a big one for the Brits \u2013 lining up against one of the strongest teams \u2013 could they maintain their positive momentum from today\u2019s opening race win?
\nUnfortunately, it didn\u2019t get off to a great beginning, with the Brits picking up an early entry penalty in the pre-start by a fraction of their bowsprit. The two boats engaged with an evenly matched start, with INEOS Britannia just leading across the line. The Brits then went for a low mode, trying to expunge their pre-start penalty (in metres), only to pick up a second boundary penalty in the early stages of the first beat.
\nOn the back foot from the outset, they were 200m behind half way up the first beat. As Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli stretched out ahead, viewers were treated to the return of the Spithill and Bruni double act, as the Italian co-helms calmly discussed their tactics with their characteristically relaxed comms style. Italians won by 46 seconds.
\nWhat did we learn from the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta Race 11?
\nThis is a Preliminary Regatta and is the first real opportunity for teams to test elements like viewing the virtual boundaries while under the pressure of being on course with another boat. Having said that, the Brits will be deeply frustrated to be picking up unforced errors, and there is no room for any such mistakes once the points start to really count.
\nWith no boat-on-boat engagement to watch in this race, all eyes were on the relatively boat speeds, and one thing the Brits will be able to take away with some positivity from an otherwise disappointing race was that their downwind speed seemed to stem any major further losses on the offwind legs.
\nAfter racing Dylan Fletcher commented: \u201cIt was definitely a tough pill to swallow \u2013 we thought we were safe on it [the boundary] but obviously not by enough.
\n\u201cAfter that we were quite happy with the start, to beat the Italians at that point, but then it was tough from there being on the wrong jib and with that early penalty.\u201d
\nThe Italians, meanwhile, continue to look like a class act, the boat demonstrating a fast, wave-skimming mode, while Bruni and Spithill\u2019s partnership \u2013 the most long-standing of any of the co-helms in this Cup \u2013 seems to have only improved with time.
\nDefenders Emirates Team New Zealand looking strong on Day 3 of the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta. Ricardo Pinto \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nRace 12 Emirates Team New Zealand Vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing
\nSkippers
\nEmirates Team New Zealand: Pete Burling & Nathan Outteridge\u00a0
\nAlinghi Red Bull Racing: Arnaud Psarofaghis & Maxime Bachelin
\nThis race start will be one that Arnaud Psarofaghis can look back on fondly, holding his nerve against the Defenders to force them to split to the far end of the line, the Swiss marginally getting the better jump on the start gun. But the Kiwis swiftly demonstrated their superiority, sticking a tack right on top of the Alinghi team and bouncing them off to the left hand side of the course in the early stages of Leg 1.
\nFrom then it was all over for the Swiss, ETNZ stretching out their lead on every leg in the softening breeze.
\nWhat did we learn from the America\u2019s Cup Preliminary Regatta Race 11?
\nIt\u2019s not a new observation: but Emirates Team New Zealand continue to demonstrate that they are going to be very, very hard to beat. They\u2019ve won every race they\u2019ve started, and they\u2019re sounding ominously relaxed \u2013 it\u2019s hard not to imagine that there is a lot more in the tank for the Kiwi boat.
\nThis race did show that if a Challenger can engage them in the pre-start, there are opportunities to be taken \u2013 and with the fate of so many races sealed by halfway up the first beat, an early advantage could put the Defenders on the back foot. But Emirates Team New Zealand\u2019s boat speed and boat handling means they once they have the upper hand, they\u2019re not giving it up.
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Some relief for the British and French camps as both teams finally get a race win on the scoreboard on Day 3 of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta racing – plus what else we learned on the third day of … <\/p>\n