Artemis Racing and Bermuda share spotlight on Super Sunday
by 35th America's Cup 19 Oct 2015 07:31 BST
16-18 October 2015
Artemis Racing grabbed the lion's share of the spotlight, writing an epic comeback story on Sunday at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Bermuda.
The host venue of Bermuda was also shining bright, offering up perfect racing conditions, a large but controlled spectator fleet, and an enthusiastic public. It was a tremendous opening event in the home of the 2017 America's Cup.
On the race course, the three double-point races had three different winners with Artemis Racing proving the most consistent performer on the day to take the win.
"This event meant a lot to us. We've always known we had the potential, but we've been tripped up by mistakes," said Artemis Racing skipper Nathan Outteridge, his sailing kit dripping with celebratory Moët & Chandon champagne.
But this was an unlikely victory. Not only did the Swedish challenger arrive at the event in fifth place out of the six teams, but in the pre-start ahead of race two, the team was involved in a collision with an Umpire boat, incurring serious damage.
After a strong second place finish in the first race, it appeared Artemis Racing would be knocked out of the event. In the moments before the starting gun fired, the team ducked behind the Japanese boat, and as Outteridge turned up towards the line, he was confronted with an Umpire boat heading directly towards him. The closing speed would have been in excess of 25 knots.
"At that point we couldn't go anywhere," Outteridge explained. "He went straight between our bows but thankfully nobody was hurt. There was a serious amount of damage to our boat though."
In work worthy of an F1 pit crew, the Artemis Racing squad stripped off the broken bow sprit and the now useless Code Zero sail in record time. After a quick check for reliability and with less than two minutes to spare, the team was lining up for the next start. Incredibly, they blasted of the starting line with more speed than anyone else and won not only the start but the second race.
"We owned that start... It was huge payback for all the hard work from the guys who stripped the gear off, checked the boat, and got us ready just in time."
In the third and final race, the Swedish team needed to make a pass on the last leg to grab a fourth place finish and secure the points needed to win the regatta. It was a popular and well-deserved event win for Artemis Racing.
It was a less satisfying day for ORACLE TEAM USA, who won the first race, but then posted a third place and fifth place finish, settling for third overall.
"We just had a bad third race," said skipper Jimmy Spithill. "We got a terrible start, and were on the back foot for the entire race. Artemis was able to slip past us near the finish and that cost us second place here and won them the regatta. We made too many mistakes in that race and that took us out of the running for the win."
Emirates Team New Zealand, with an impressive win in race three, extends its advantage on the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series leaderboard.
"We're absolutely stoked to have been able to put together some good performances this year," said Kiwi helmsman Peter Burling. "We haven't done too much sailing in those types of conditions. To win the last one by the margin we did was really satisfying."
The racing wasn't the only thing on display this weekend. This event marked the first racing at the host venue of the next America's Cup and Bermuda delivered in style.
Over 10 000 people were on the water to watch the racing as near 2 000 spectator craft ringed the race course. The crowds on shore were equally impressive and enthusiastic.
"This was a fantastic day," said Dr. Grant Gibbons, the Minister for Economic Development. "There is a lot of local excitement now. People were out cheering for their teams today. Friday night there was a good buzz here. Front Street was as excited as I've seen it in a long time... A fantastic weekend overall."
"We've seen Bermuda come out and put its arms around this event and I think it shows this is going to be a great event in 2017," said Russell Coutts the CEO of the America's Cup Event Authority.
"We had three races and three winners today. We've had three events now with three different winners. The racing is competitive and that makes it compelling. I wouldn't even be surprised if we had another winner in our next event. That's how close it is."
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Bermuda Results:
1. Artemis Racing: 2 – 1 – 4 – 52pts
2. Emirates Team New Zealand: 5 – 2 – 1– 50pts
3. ORACLE TEAM USA: 1 – 3 – 5 – 48pts
4. Land Rover BAR: 3 – 6 – 2 – 44pts
5. SoftBank Team Japan: 4 – 4 – 3 – 44pts
6. Groupama Team France: 6 – 5 – 6 – 32pts
Full results are available at www.americascup.com
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series concludes - You cannot script this stuff! (from Nic Douglass, Adventures of a Sailor Girl)
Wow wow wow!!! You cannot script the fairy tale that was today, with Artemis Racing taking the win after chaos, and the young challenging team of Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) getting a bit of resurgence following the 34th America's Cup defeat with their victory overall.
What a day on the race course and I can't wait to bring you interviews from all of the skippers (or as many as I can talk to!)! Artemis Racing came back after a massive collision and a second, to win race two and a fourth on the line over Oracle Team USA which gave the Swedish team the regatta here in Bermuda in front of an amazing turn out and on water spectacle! ETNZ were second and Oracle Team USA in third.
Overall, ETNZ took the 2015 title with a win in the last race, Oracle USA were second and Land Rover BAR were third for the 2015 series!
Awesome racing. Awesome venue. And that's a wrap on my 30th event this year...
Bermuda, you are the America's Cup!
All the action from today from the mouths of the skippers below - the crash, the ups and downs, what they like (and don't like) about Bermuda - the works!
More adventures at www.AdventuresofaSailorGirl.com, via bit.ly/SailorGirlApp (free App), or on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
Artemis Racing win in dramatic style (from Artemis Racing)
Artemis Racing claimed a dramatic victory in the final Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event of the year. The team headed to Bermuda with plenty to prove, and after racing was abandoned on Saturday, three races were scheduled for Sunday.
Team Manager and Tactician, Iain Percy, spoke of his relief after a trying few months.
"I'm very proud of the team. We had a lot of pressure to perform. I know perfectly well that we have a talented enough team to win these events, but things haven't gone our way, we've hit the odd rock and capsized, and suddenly everyone was questioning us.
To deliver under that heat, and under the circumstances of the crash, was pretty impressive".
Artemis Racing made a great start in race one, and led most of the way before being pipped by Oracle Team USA at the finish line. In the pre-start of race two, with just a few minutes of the countdown left, the team was involved in a collision with an Umpire boat, incurring serious damage, and it appeared that Artemis Racing would be knocked out of the event.
Just moments before the starting gun fired, the team ducked behind the Japanese boat, and as Outteridge turned up towards the line, he was confronted with an Umpire boat heading directly towards him. The closing speed would have been in excess of 25 knots.
"At that point we couldn't go anywhere," Outteridge explained. "He went straight between our bows but thankfully nobody was hurt. There was a serious amount of damage to our boat though."
Iain Percy said, "my first thought was for the safety of the umpires on the boat, we were all pretty shaken up".
The Artemis Racing squad stripped off the broken bowsprit and the now useless Code Zero sail in record time. After a quick check for reliability and with less than two minutes to spare, the team lined up for the next start. Incredibly, they blasted off the starting line with more speed than anyone else and won not only the start but also the second race.
Outteridge continued, "We owned that start... It was huge payback for all the hard work from the guys who stripped the gear off, checked the boat, and got us ready just in time."
Iain Percy spoke of his admiration for his Skipper, "There really was no time for pep talks, and we were frantically ripping carbon and rope off the boat trying to clear it. Before we had a moment to breath, it was 1:30 to the start.
I have to say, what Nathan Outteridge displayed there, is why everyone says he's so talented. I'm not sure there are many people in the world that could have showed that composure and nailed the start the way he did, absolutely incredible".
In the third and final race, the Swedish team needed to make a pass on the last leg, and pulled off a fantastic foiling gybe to grab a fourth place finish and secure the points needed to win the regatta.
Winning the Bermuda event means that Artemis Racing rises to fourth place in the overall series rankings, and puts an important marker down in the venue for the 35th America's Cup in 2017.
"To be the first team to win an event in Bermuda, the venue of the next America's Cup is just great for our team. We love it here; we've been training here all year, getting ready for the main event in 2017. Our results elsewhere haven't been great but all that matters is how well we sail in this venue", said Outteridge.
It was an important victory for the team who struggled in the first two events in Portsmouth and Gothenburg, and Iain Percy spoke of what it will mean for the wider group.
"We're a big team, and for every one of the sailors to go out today and perform, is a real boost going into the winter. You can't buy that; you can't put a value on a team knowing 100% that they are here to win this competition. Everyone will be working that little bit harder, and we're going to have that little spring in our step through the whole winter. It's going to project us towards winning in 2017".
Emirates Team New Zealand extend their lead in Bermuda (from Emirates Team New Zealand)
Emirates Team New Zealand extended its lead in the overall Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series today in Bermuda, ending the 2015 series ten points clear on top of the points table of its nearest rival Oracle Team USA, and 13 points clear of Land Rover BAR.
For the third consecutive Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series, Emirates Team New Zealand have won the vitally important final race of the regatta.
Having come second overall in Portsmouth and being victorious in Gothenburg, in Bermuda this week the team finished the event in an agonizingly close second place coming runner up to Sweden's Artemis Racing by a single place on the water.
"Obviously we would have really liked to win here in Bermuda, but Artemis showed a lot of guts today to win, but with the big picture in mind we are really happy to have finished the year with a solid lead in the overall series," said a satisfied skipper Glenn Ashby.
"The importance of each and every point, and every place in every race for that matter, in the world series cannot be underestimated, after all these points all add up to actual race points in the Louis Vuitton Qualifier series, and potentially into the actual America's Cup in 2017."
After the first days racing in Bermuda was abandoned yesterday, the race committee ran three races today in perfect 10- 12 knot, flat water conditions in front of a huge spectator fleet on the water.
The racing was perhaps the most intense witnessed on the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series this year. No team got through the day without challenges on the racecourse, and the regatta was decided by the final race yet again.
The Emirates Team New Zealand crew did all it could to win the regatta by winning the final race, however Artemis managed to make up the place it needed to go two points clear and win the regatta after a second and a first in previous two races- as well as surviving a dramatic collision with the umpire boat in the pre start.
It has been an exciting Louis Vuitton World Series of racing in 2015, which the young Emirates Team New Zealand crew can be happy with.
"If you had told us six months ago that we would be in this position having barely sailed as a group together in these modified foiling AC45's we probably would have laughed right at you. Especially when you take into consideration the time the other teams have had sailing together." Said young helmsman Peter Burling
"I guess its just an illustration, not only of the talent we have within the team now, but also the potential we have to get better and better over the next two years. We have only just started down this road and we are looking pretty good, and most importantly we are having a lot of fun as well."
Podium Finish for ORACLE TEAM USA in Bermuda (from ORACLE TEAM USA)
ORACLE TEAM USA earned a spot on the podium to move up to second in the overall Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series standings as the 2015 season came to a close in Bermuda. The team finished in third place on Sunday in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Bermuda with beautiful sailing conditions on the Great Sound. It marked the third and final event on the year's schedule.
"It was probably the best Sunday we had yet in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series," said skipper Jimmy Spithill. "It was beautiful breeze, an awesome course, heaps of spectators, and great racing. We're seeing a new team winning each of the World Series events, so it's showing how tight the level is. A few mistakes here and there, and it costs you, and that's what happened to us. We made too many mistakes in the third race and that took us out of a shot at the win."
Nearly 2,000 boats filled the Bermudian waters as ORACLE TEAM USA got off to a strong start in the first of three races. Artemis Racing took the early lead, and ORACLE TEAM USA followed within 15 seconds as they covered most of the course. The final gybe proved to be the difference as ORACLE pulled ahead in the closing moments to win the first race.
The start of the second race was delayed after a collision between Artemis Racing and an umpire boat. Artemis was able to bounce back, return to racing, and hold on for the win, with ORACLE TEAM USA finishing third.
In the third and final race of the day, ORACLE TEAM USA was pinned heading into the start and crossed the line in the back of the pack. Emirates Team New Zealand took off to an early lead, and never let up, earning the final win of the day. ORACLE finished fifth.
"The day started off really well with a win," said wing trimmer Kyle Langford. "The second race, we were a little bit behind, but we managed to catch a few boats, so we were really happy with how we were going.
"Overall, it was really good racing, and it all came down to the final race. We just got a little bit stuck up in the start with Artemis, which was our own mistake, and we couldn't quite get it done," said Langford.
ORACLE TEAM USA finished with 48 points overall on the double-point scoring Super Sunday, behind Artemis Racing (52 points) and Emirates Team New Zealand (50 points).
In the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series standings to date, ORACLE TEAM USA is in second place with 112 points after three events. Emirates Team New Zealand leads the series with 122 points, and Land Rover BAR is third at 109.
"It's great to move up in the standings, but we're disappointed. We really felt we could have won this one. We've got to look at the lessons learned and move forward," Spithill said.
"The highlights for us were really today, seeing a full show on the waters where the America's Cup will ultimately be decided," he continued. "We were happy to get some great racing in so everyone could see what it's all about. We were on the podium at every event, and it's been a great season. The only shame is it has to stop."
ORACLE TEAM USA will take a day off Monday, then resume two-boat testing on the AC45S boats on Tuesday.
Three action–packed races in Bermuda (from Land Rover BAR)
Super Sunday was just that at the final event of the 2015 Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Bermuda. A short course, great breeze and tight racing saw three different race winners, a massive collision between Artemis and a jury boat and too many overtaking moves to count.
The final results saw Land Rover BAR conclude the season with a third overall. They finished just three points behind America's Cup holder Oracle Team USA, with Emirates Team New Zealand the season winners. Gear failure and a tactical misjudgement in race two turned a possible 3, 2, 1 into a 3, 6, 2.
The team came back strongly in the final race, and might well have closed out the season with a podium finish except issues with the daggerboards allowed Emirates Team New Zealand to take the final win of the day. A second place for the British team meant they finished third overall for 2015.
Skipper and Team Principal, Ben Ainslie: "It was a tough one for the team, we had a good first race and a terrible second race. An issue with the control system for the starboard daggerboard put us in a tough spot. But the boys came back well with a second in the final race, unfortunately that wasn't enough to get us back on the podium for the weekend. It's been great to race in the America's Cup venue, and today was a fantastic breeze – short racing, but pretty intense and hopefully it was a great spectacle."
Tactician, Giles Scott: "Generally we were pretty pleased with the way that we were racing, we started off with a third place, and that gave us a good base to build on. In the second race we got into a really good position on the second beat, didn't quite get across in front of Artemis and got passed. Then we had a malfunction with the dagger board and that was certainly the low of the racing here - it dragged us back into last place.
"But we rallied and gave it everything in the third race and came away with a second in that which we have to be pretty pleased with, because again we had board issues – so we dealt with the lows pretty well. The course is really good, slightly different to 2017, but it's going to be a great racing venue. The perfect amphitheatre for foiling cats, flat water and decent wind most of the time, so I'm excited about coming back here and getting to grips with it all."
Wing Trimmer, Paul 'C-J' Campbell-James: "We've come in quite frustrated, but it was such fun racing today. We sailed well, we just made one or two too many errors and we'll iron those out over the winter and come back fighting next year."
The Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series continues in February 2016. The first event of 2016 is still to be confirmed.