Shortly after INEOS Britannia\u2019s historic win Louis Vuitton Cup win, helmsman Dylan Fletcher spoke to Yachting World’s Helen Fretter about how they\u2019re preparing to face Emirates Team New Zealand in the America\u2019s CupINEOS Britannia co-helm Dylan Fletcher says that the Louis Vuitton Cup final series pushed the British squad and boat harder than they could ever have imagined \u2013 but that they still have a few tricks up their sleeve ahead of racing Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand in the America\u2019s Cup Match, which starts on October 12.
\nThe Louis Vuitton Cup final series saw the British and Italian teams racing in everything from zephyr light conditions that ultimately saw racing cancelled, to strong Garbi winds which pushed the boats to the limits of their design margins, as well as a decisive day of mid-range wind strengths with intimidating sea states.
\nAs preparation for the big test \u2013 racing Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand \u2013 has the punch-for-punch series been valuable for the British squad?
\n\u201cObviously, you always want an easy run in. We\u2019d have rather won seven races in a row. But I guess this has probably been a blessing in disguise in terms of being pushed so hard by the Italians,\u201d says Fletcher.
\n\u201cJust six weeks ago, we raced [Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli] in the practice racing before the prelims, and they absolutely destroyed us in 15 to 18 knots. So to have turned the performance around on Britannia and to be there racing so close with them is great. And on the starts, they pushed us incredibly hard.
\nFully loaded: INEOS Britannia hit over 55 knots on Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\n\u201cSo I think it\u2019s put us in good stead for the Kiwis. We\u2019ve been watching them training on their own, and they\u2019re pushing hard, but it certainly feels like we\u2019ve been pushed harder than we\u2019ve ever sailed the boat before.
\n\u201cAnd we\u2019ve seen that with things like we did 55 and a half knots the other day \u2013 which is something that we didn\u2019t know that was actually possible from Britannia!\u201d
\nThe British squad has always been bullish about the fact that while their muscular AC75 design was not the fastest out of the blocks, they were confident they would maximise more and more of its potential as the competition went on. So far, that plan seems to be working.
\n\u201cWe\u2019ve had a good programme from the development point of view, and we still have a few things left in our pocket.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s always that balancing act with the America\u2019s Cup, how much do you bring for the final, and how much do you wait and try and develop as late as possible for the Cup match?
\n\u201cSo I guess at this point, it feels like we picked to keep the right balance because we got that win against Luna Rossa and we know we\u2019ve got some things to provide us some more performance ahead of the Cup next weekend.\u201d
\nConfirmation that Fletcher (left) would co-Skipper Britannia alongside Ainslie (right) came fairly late in the day. Photo: Ian Roman \/ America\u2019s Cup
\nThe weight of expectation
\nFletcher, who was announced as co-helm of INEOS Britannia on the eve of the Preliminary Regatta, says that the team approached today\u2019s historic race just like any other.
\n\u201cHonestly, it felt the same as the rest of the races with Luna Rossa. They\u2019ve been incredibly close, as I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve seen, and the margins are super fine. You can see that both boats have a bit of a pattern, and we\u2019re both good at what we\u2019re good at. So for us, it was nice to deliver a good start and control the race from there.
\n\u201cThey definitely got close. There was a good shift for them at the bottom mark when we chose the right turn, which was the biased mark. But they got a good shift in really difficult conditions today \u2013 it was a bit colder and a lot more unstable compared to what you\u2019d expect from that wind direction. I guess we got into position nicely from there to control it.
\n\u201cBut they\u2019re an incredibly good team. We lost to them last time around in the Louis Vuitton final. So it feels a bit deserved to get one over them this time and finally be in that America\u2019s Cup match.\u201d
\nAt what point did he relax? \u201cOnce we crossed the finish line, not until then.
\n\u201cI guess it\u2019s easy to see how the boats kind of look on rails. But in reality, they\u2019re incredibly hard to sail and it only takes one of the eight people to make a mistake and we can be off the foils. And that could be the end of the race for us.
\n\u201cSo we\u2019d got our foot down and pushing hard. But yeah, an amazing feeling once we finally crossed that finish line.
\nLuna Rossa Prada Pirelli leads INEOS Britannia back to the startline durning Louis Vuitton Cup racing. Photo: Ricardo Pinto \/ America\u2019s Cup
\n\u201cWe were just really happy we got to deliver as we have done in the last few races. And happy for the team to be in the Cup final after a 60-year drought for Great Britain.\u201d
\nThe celebrations at the INEOS Britannia base in Barcelona were in full swing this afternoon, but the Challenger of Record has just seven days to prepare for the biggest fight of their lives.
\n\u201cI think we\u2019ll probably have a day off, but in reality, probably not more than that.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s certainly at this stage of the game, we\u2019ve just got to keep our foot down, keep pushing hard, and make sure that we\u2019re firing next weekend. I\u2019m looking forward to the challenge ahead.\u201d
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\nThe post \u201cWe still have a few things left in our pocket\u201d INEOS Britannia helm Dylan Fletcher on today\u2019s historic win and facing the Kiwis in the America\u2019s Cup appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Shortly after INEOS Britannia\u2019s historic win Louis Vuitton Cup win, helmsman Dylan Fletcher spoke to Yachting World’s Helen Fretter about how they\u2019re preparing to face Emirates Team New Zealand in the America\u2019s CupINEOS Britannia co-helm Dylan Fletcher says that the … <\/p>\n