Fresh from a massive day of racing in top-end conditions in Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup final in Barcelona, INEOS Britannia\u2019s David \u2018Freddie\u2019 Carr chatted to Helen FretterSeptember 15, 2024. Louis Vuitton Cup, Semi Finals Race Day 2. INEOS BRITANNIA INEOS BRITANNIA\u201cI genuinely think Race 8 today was the fastest sailing race ever,\u201d INEOS Britannia cyclor David \u2018Freddie\u2019 Carr tells Yachting World after Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup final.
\n\u201cI think you would struggle to find a sailing race that is faster than that. It was unbelievable. Not only just the top end speeds, but the average speeds, the wind angles, the VMGs. I cannot think of a race in my, or in anyone\u2019s lifetime, that would be faster than that from two exceptional sailing teams operating at the top of their game.\u201d
\nIn today\u2019s Garbi conditions of 18-21 knots with flat water, the INEOS Britannia AC75 hit a blistering top speed of 55.6 knots.
\nINEOS Britannia at full speed in Garbi conditions in Barcelona during the Louis Vuitton Cup finals. Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nThese conditions were not what everyone was expecting at this stage of the America\u2019s Cup cycle.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s been really funny. It\u2019s that classic case right now, of \u2018it\u2019s never normally like this here\u2019, as you always get when you go to yachting events.\u00a0
\n\u201cI mean, if you\u2019d told the design teams that four out of the first five days of the LV final would be sailed in over 16 knots, they\u2019d have told you you\u2019re mad.\u00a0
\n\u201cThe fact is we\u2019ve done four days bouncing off the top of the wind limit and one day bouncing off the bottom of the wind limit.\u201d
\nTomorrow, Day 6 of the Louis Vuitton Cup finals (Wednesday 2 October), is expected to see a different forecast.\u00a0
\n\u201cThere\u2019s two fighting weather scenarios coming our way. But in broad brushstrokes, it\u2019s between 9 and 14 knots. And a little bit more sea state, maybe like a 0.8 of a metre, where the last few days has been probably half of that. So the waves will come into play tomorrow, where they haven\u2019t really in the last two or three days sailing.\u201d
\nFreddie Carr during cyclor changeover on Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nChange of tempo?
\nThat could change things in this super tightly fought, evenly matched series which sees INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli pinned on four points apiece in the first-to-seven contest.
\n\u201cWe haven\u2019t actually sailed in this 9-14 knots that historically is the traditional wind strength for this time of year. So that will be interesting to see how the boats go against each other in what we would imagine most America\u2019s Cup boats are designed for, that wind range.\u00a0
\n\u201cSo it will be a telling day,\u201d says Carr looking ahead to the Louis Vuitton Cup final Day 6.
\n\u201cThe traditional wind speed at this time of year in Barcelona is between 8 and 15 knots, and we haven\u2019t really seen that yet. So it will be a different race course tomorrow, as opposed to the first five days we\u2019ve seen.\u201d
\nINEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli split tacks on Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. Photo: Ricardo Pinto \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nReliability proves key
\nLong before their AC75 was even launched, the INEOS Britannia team were talking a lot about how key reliability of components would be, and why that was a focus of their work with the Mercedes AMG Petronas F1 team.
\nThe British have now taken two race points from the Italians due to gear failure in strong winds \u2013 one caused by batten damage and today\u2019s first race when Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli spectacularly nose-dived, ripping fairings from the foredeck.
\nIs reliability proving as key as expected? \u201cIt is,\u201d says Carr.\u00a0
\n\u201cI\u2019m going to find some to touch because I\u2019m really superstitious, so I don\u2019t want to jinx it. But we worked really hard at that. And it\u2019s been comforting to know that there\u2019s so many people in the background making sure that the boat is tip top and ready to go.
\n\u201cAs a sailing team member, as a member of the coaching staff, we all feel very happy to have such good on shore and on the water support if anything, heaven forbid, doesn\u2019t work out how it should do mechanically on the boat.\u201d
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\nFully loaded: INEOS Britannia hit over 55 knots on Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nTaking gear failure out of the equation, how much is it taking from the team in the shed just to keep the show on the road and maintain the phenomenally complex AC75s in optimum condition while they\u2019re being thrashed this hard on the racecourse?
\n\u201cI think we fell into a really nice rhythm with the shore team probably two months ago, where we started properly operating night shifts.\u00a0
\n\u201cNow, a lot of this boat performance is around the foil finish and how close we can get the foil finish to the optimal design that we came up with months ago back in Brackley.\u00a0
\n\u201cThe six or eight guys that are working overnight to make sure our foils are as close to perfect for the next racing day, they\u2019re equally as important as the sailors. Those guys who are doing the night shifts and finishing the foils to the level that we need them to are the unsung heroes of the campaign in my opinion.
\n\u2018We\u2019ve trained for two years for this week\u2019
\nAnd what of his cyclor team? How are they holding up in massively demanding conditions \u2013 with this week\u2019s layday becoming a race days the power squad are seeing little recovery time.
\n\u201cEveryone\u2019s in the zone. Everyone is super-focused, but we still have a very nice energy around the group. There\u2019s not been anybody, for want of a better description, lose their s**t,\u201d says Carr.
\n\u201cWe have a very relaxed energy around the group when we can. Then when we need to collectively step up and get our race heads on, we\u2019re managing to do that.\u00a0
\n\u201cObviously, with the big delays in racing that we\u2019ve had due to the big breeze and the light breeze, it\u2019s really important to collectively be able to detune and find an hour to switch off and then instantly get your race head back on and go racing.\u00a0
\n\u201cBut honestly, we are genuinely enjoying it. It\u2019s a real privilege to be in this series against such a polished team as Luna Rossa and be sailing our boat as well as we are and have the support from home that we\u2019ve got as well. It\u2019s not stressful \u2013 at least I don\u2019t find it stressful. I find it more fun!
\nCyclers onboard INEOS Britannia catch their breath after a tough light winds race on Day 2 that demanded maximum \u2018oil\u2019 creation
\n\u201cIt has been hard. But as a few of the rowing boys said, this is why we\u2019ve trained so hard for two years for this week. Right now, we\u2019ve worked our asses off for two years.\u00a0
\n\u201cYou know the racing is going to be hard, and you don\u2019t train to make the racing less hard, you train to tolerate the pain better. And that\u2019s the mindset we\u2019re in. All the cyclors are backing each other up and checking in. Everybody\u2019s recovering well. Everybody\u2019s doing really good powers on the boat. And we\u2019re in a happy space with all of our nine lads.
\nOne race at a time
\nSo what\u2019s it going to take to break the gridlock? \u201cIt\u2019s one race at a time. It\u2019s one mark rounding at a time. It\u2019s one pre-start at a time.\u00a0
\n\u201cWe are super sticking to our processes, we love our processes. They\u2019ve got us this far in a really positive mindset with good sporting energy. It is every tack at a time, every bear away at a time. And you piece those things together, and hopefully it falls in your favour.\u201d
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\nThe post INEOS\u2019s Freddie Carr on why today\u2019s Louis Vuitton Cup was the \u2018fastest yacht race in history\u2019 + why Day 6 conditions could be \u2018telling\u2019 appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Fresh from a massive day of racing in top-end conditions in Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup final in Barcelona, INEOS Britannia\u2019s David \u2018Freddie\u2019 Carr chatted to Helen FretterSeptember 15, 2024. Louis Vuitton Cup, Semi Finals Race Day 2. … <\/p>\n