Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Gothenburg - Practice Day
by 35th America's Cup 29 Aug 2015 07:52 BST
28-30 August 2015
Artemis Racing wipe out, ORACLE TEAM USA and Land Rover BAR each win a race
Artemis Racing was pushing hard to put on a show for its home fans in Gothenburg, Sweden on the official practice day Friday. Unfortunately, that extra push led to a capsize, meaning the team missed out on the two practice races.
"That's what these boats are like," said skipper Nathan Outteridge. "We're all out there pushing hard and that's what happens when you push too much."
All of the crew were safe and the boat suffered only minimal damage to the wing, which will be repaired in time for racing by the morning.
"We're really excited to put on a good show and a good performance," Outteridge continued, saying his team would be ready to go on Saturday.
ORACLE TEAM USA and Land Rover BAR each won a race on Friday, the two heavyweights staking their claim early.
"We've all seen how close the racing was (in Portsmouth) and one mistake makes all the difference," said Ben Ainslie, the skipper of Land Rover BAR.
"Moving into this event, with the race course being that much tighter, all of the teams are getting more experience, it's getting harder to stay ahead on the development curve."
"It's always good to be pushed and go up against the best," said ORACLE TEAM USA skipper Jimmy Spithill. "We love competition, we love being pushed and that's what we're going to get this weekend."
Two races were held in winds in the 16-20 knot range. The stronger conditions were a test for some of the crews who hadn't raced the AC45F foiling catamarans in the strong conditions before.
"Yesterday and today was good for us as it was windy, for the first time for us on these boats. So we're still in a learning process, but it's moving the right way," said Franck Cammas, the skipper for Groupama Team France.
"It was good to be back out racing," agreed Dean Barker, the skipper of SoftBank Team Japan. "Today was something pretty cool. Flat water and good breeze. It's a lot of fun in these boats."
Meanwhile Emirates Team New Zealand missed out on the competition as well, after a minor breakdown forced the team to return to port early.
"Very disappointing. We all love sailing these boats in good conditions and today was perfect - flat water and good winds. So we're thoroughly looking forward to tomorrow and getting stuck in with these guys."
Big breeze for Gothenburg's opener (from Land Rover BAR)
Gothenburg produced some fantastic conditions for the opening practice session of the second Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event of 2015. After a tentative start to feel out the performance of the boat in what were top-of-the range conditions, the Land Rover BAR crew crossed the finish line first in the final practice race in Sweden.
Skipper and Team Principal Ben Ainslie: "It was pretty windy out there, awesome sailing, but early on we weren't quite sure of the conditions, to be honest. We haven't sailed in this much breeze on these boats before. So it took us a little while to get into the rhythm of things and understand where the limit was. Once we did that in the first race, we were much more comfortable in the second and really pushed it a bit harder. It was great, awesome racing, I think we got our top speed at 37, 38 knots which in a 45 foot boat is pretty impressive. The guys did a great job, so from a tentative start it ended up being a really good day."
Wing Trimmer, Paul 'CJ' Campbell-James: "Our forecast said 16-18 knots of wind and it was probably more like 18-23, so there was a little bit more breeze than we were expecting which made it pretty exciting for a practice day. This fleet is such a high standard and everyone has their day. We wouldn't be surprised by any of these teams winning a race. There were four boats out there today [Artemis had a capsize and ETNZ damaged gear] and all four were fighting for the lead, there was a lot of overtaking and lots of different people leading. So it's anyone's race tomorrow and we're pushing hard to make sure we're on top."
Runner, David 'Freddie' Carr: "The first thing to note is that the course is much smaller than Portsmouth, mainly restricted by the island. So in certain wind directions it can only be half a mile lap, whereas in Portsmouth it was 1.2 miles. We're going to be doing a lot more laps; that's the big stand out difference.
"In terms of our preparation, the big difference is that we're in our tent as opposed to our amazing base at home, and in a funny way it's easier to focus on the regatta. There was a lot of attention around Portsmouth, and it added pressure to perform, especially with the amount of people watching and the Royal visit. It really felt like a home event. And here, although it is a World Series event, we're just another team. It takes the pressure off a bit... that's how it's different for me."
Race One
Jib Trimmer, Nick Hutton: "It was a full-on day, super sunny and lots of wind. We had a few mistakes in the first race, but today is all about practice."
Wing Trimmer, Paul 'CJ' Campbell-James: "In race one we got a really good start and had a good first reach and we led for the first lap – but it's a super short course with lots of manoeuvres and lots of emphasis on laylines [the final angle of approach to the mark]. We under-cooked a layline downwind and were forced to do a double-gybe, it was really costly, but that's what we had to do and lost first place. It also put us out of phase with the shifts and we dropped back one more. So the first race we were a little disappointed with."
Race Two
Wing Trimmer, Paul 'CJ' Campbell-James: "The second race we didn't have the greatest of starts, but by the leeward mark we were in front and we were very happy with that. We managed to hold on and had a good lead by the finish - happy boys at the end of today. Leading into tomorrow, we had a great day today, and we're in really good shape. Some teams had some spills and obviously there was a capsize, so we're really confident into tomorrow and looking forward to getting started."
Spithill and team ready to race in Sweden (from ORACLE TEAM USA)
ORACLE TEAM USA found success on the race course Friday during the official practice races, winning the first contest. The race was a good confidence-building measure.
"We're hoping for good action tomorrow," said skipper Jimmy Spithill at the opening press conference following the races.
"It's always good to be pushed and go up against the best. We love competition, we love being pushed and that's what we're expecting this weekend."
Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand did not race today after suffering equipment problems - the former damaging their wing in a capsize before racing.
But for ORACLE TEAM USA, the full day on the water was an invaluable learning opportunity.
"For us, these practice days have been a chance to get back in the boat, sail the AC45F and get (new crew member) Joey Newton into the boat and used to the playbook," said sailing team manager Tom Slingsby.
"I think we had very good boat-handling and we were very quick in Portsmouth. Personally, I'm disappointed in how I sailed last month. I made two poor decisions at key moments. Once in each race. They were big mistakes and we were playing catch up for the rest of the day.
"Boat-handling is probably the biggest thing. I think Land Rover BAR was the best in Portsmouth and that's why they won. Tactics and speed come into it but we're all learning these boats and it's a race to see who can get ready in time. I'm hoping we'll be able to pull him back."
How to Watch Around the World
For America's Cup fans around the world, there are a number of different ways to follow the high-octane racing in Gothenburg. Many of the international television broadcast rights holders will show live racing Saturday and Sunday, others will have the highlight show. Networks like BT Sport (UK), Canal+ (FRA), CCTV5+ (CHN) and FOX Sports (AUS) are among those to show live racing. NBC/NBCSN in the US will show highlights. Visit www.americascup.com for additional information on where you can watch the race in your country.
AC Goes Digital with the America's Cup App
To make it easier for fans to tune in on-the-go, wherever they may be in the world, America's Cup has launched the new America's Cup App, available for Android and iOS mobile devices via Google Play and the Apple iTunes store. (The app is not optimized for computers.)
The app is free to download and has news, photos and race results.
The America's Cup App also offers enhanced online coverage through the premium AC+ feature. AC+ will feature live streaming coverage of the races (subject to territorial restrictions) as well as an enhanced 'second screen' experience featuring on board cameras, video extras, social chat features and behind-the-scenes storytelling. AC+ is a paid service, available for US$7.99 for the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Gothenburg.
"AC+ is about giving a more immersive experience to the viewer," says Antonio Bertone, the Chief Marketing Officer of the 35th America's Cup. "Via the re-launched America's Cup App, the viewer can decide how to watch the racing, by following the broadcast or focusing in on a favourite team via the on-board cameras."
Where to Find Us
For general news and information about the 35th America's Cup, please visit:
For ongoing information specific to the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Gothenburg, please visit:
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Gothenburg Viewing Options: (Mobile App and Broadcast)
For live content on the AC App for mobile devices, the following territorial restrictions apply:
1) No Live Feed or Live Audio, but with On-Board Cameras and second screen experience
United Kingdom and Ireland, Australia, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Venezuela
2) No Live Feed or Live Audio and No On-Board Cameras
France and Monaco
Sweden:
TV12 & TV4 Play
August 29 12:30pm – 14:30pm
August 30 1:00pm – 3:00pm
Also live for mobile devices on the AC App
UK and Ireland:
BT Sport Europe, live, August 29, 11:30
BT Sport Europe, live, August 30, 11:30
Repeats on BT Sport 1 and BT Sport 2, check local listings
BBC Red Button - Highlights, August 31, 19:30
Also "second screen" experience available live for mobile devices on the AC App (no live race feed).
Bermuda:
ZFB – Live on Saturday and Sunday
Also live for mobile devices on the AC App
USA:
NBC Sport Channel – Sept 4 at 10pm (Pacific Time)
Additional broadcast on NBC regional affiliate channels to be confirmed.
Also live for mobile devices on the AC App
China:
August 29 23:30pm (Beijing time)
August 30 22:30pm (Beijing time)
Also live for mobile devices on the AC App
Australia:
Broadcast times on Fox Sports TBC
Also "second screen" (only) live on the AC App
France, Monaco, Andorra, French-speaking Switzerland, Mauritius, DOMTOM and sub-Saharan Africa (not South Africa):
Live for both days on Canal+ Décalé: 1100 – 1230 GMT
Repeat on Canal+ Sport 29.08: 2214 – 2344 GMT; 30.08: 1710 – 1840 GMT
No live app and no second screen experience in France/Monaco
Germany:
Live for mobile devices on the AC App
Italy:
Live for mobile devices on the AC App
Japan:
Live for mobile devices on the AC App
New Zealand:
Live for mobile devices on the AC App
Poland:
Saturday, 29/08 Canal+ Sport2, 13:00
Sunday, 30/08 Canal+ Sport, 13:00
Also live for mobile devices on the AC App
Central and South America & Caribbean:
Please note all times are Eastern Standard Time (New York Time)
ESPN Brazil – Mon, Sept 14 at 4 pm
ESPN+ Brazil – Wed, Sept 16 at 10 am
ESPN Caribbean – Wed, Sept 16 at 1 pm (Also live for mobile devices on the AC app)
ESPN3 Latin North – Thu, Sept 17 at 11 am
Also "second screen" experience available live for mobile devices on the AC App (no live race feed).
Portugal:
SPORT TV will broadcast both races live.
Sat 29/08 – 12:00 SPORT.TV2 Live
Sun 30/08 – 12:00 SPORT.TV2 Live
(All Portuguese time)
Also live for mobile devices on the AC App
More details here.