Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth - Overall
by LVACWS Portsmouth 24 Jul 2016 20:25 BST
22-24 July 2016
Big Ben takes a big win in Portsmouth by 35th America's Cup Media
It really was Super Sunday for Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR whose second place in the last of Sunday's three races gave them the overall regatta win at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth event.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were on hand to present the awards and it was a fitting end to an amazing weekend of action for the British fans in Portsmouth.
"I think it's been a brilliant weekend," said Sir Ben Ainslie, the skipper of Land Rover BAR.
"For us to race in Portsmouth, in front of our home crowd with the weather playing its part and two cracking days of racing, as a home team to win in front of our home crowd is the best thing we could do."
The winds on Sunday presented the teams with perfect conditions for the AC45F boats to foil, wowing the tens of thousands of people along the Portsmouth shoreline who had come out to cheer on their favourite teams. The loudest cheers were for Land Rover BAR and it was the British team who took the early lead in race one.
ORACLE TEAM USA led the chasing pack but the crew on board Land Rover BAR had their feet on the gas and kept building an ever bigger lead, using home water knowledge and the cheers of the crowd to help power them to victory in race one, an ominous sign for the rest of the America's Cup fleet. Behind them, ORACLE TEAM USA were second, Emirates Team New Zealand third, Softbank Team Japan fourth, Artemis Racing fifth and Groupama Team France sixth.
At the start of race two it was ORACLE TEAM USA who seized the early advantage, leading Softbank Team Japan and Land Rover BAR at the first mark. Jimmy Spithill's US crew were right on top of their game and increased their lead throughout the race, but behind them Emirates Team New Zealand, Land Rover BAR and Softbank Team Japan were engaged in an almighty scrap for second with Artemis Racing and Groupama Team France in fifth and sixth respectively. It was Land Rover BAR in second, Softbank Team Japan in third, Emirates Team New Zealand in fourth, Sweden's Artemis Racing in fifth and Groupama Team France again in sixth.
Victory for ORACLE TEAM USA set up the final race as a nail-biting conclusion to the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Portsmouth as Land Rover BAR only needed to finish ahead of ORACLE TEAM USA to win the overall regatta honours, and to take top spot in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series standings.
The clock ticked down to the crucial start of race three and it was ORACLE TEAM USA who took the lead off the starting line, just ahead of the British team and the Kiwis on board Emirates Team New Zealand who were watching their series lead disappear ahead of them. The tension was palpable as the British and US teams made their way back down the course, but just after the midway point of the race ORACLE TEAM USA started to edge further away, leaving Ben Ainslie and Land Rover BAR to defend their second place from Emirates Team New Zealand. That second place was all the British team needed to secure overall victory in the regatta and it was never really in doubt, finally winning the regatta by a single point from ORACLE TEAM USA 82 to 81.
Behind the US and Brits was Softbank Team Japan in third, Emirates Team New Zealand in fourth, Groupama Team France in fifth and Artemis Racing sixth.
The win also put the British team into first place on the overall Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series leaderboard, overtaking Emirates Team New Zealand who drop to third with ORACLE TEAM USA in second, Softbank Team Japan in fourth, Artemis Racing fifth and Groupama Team France in sixth.
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth Results
1. Land Rover BAR, 82pts
2. ORACLE TEAM USA, 81pts
3. SoftBank Team Japan, 69pts
4. Emirates Team New Zealand, 62pts
5. Groupama Team France, 58pts
6. Artemis Racing, 53pts
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series results so far
1. Land Rover BAR, 367pts
2. ORACLE TEAM USA, 366pts
3. Emirates Team New Zealand, 357pts
4. SoftBank Team Japan, 328pts
5. Artemis Racing, 315pts
6. Groupama Team France, 292pts
Selected quotes from sailors competing on Super Sunday
Sir Ben Ainslie, Skipper, Land Rover BAR: "I think it's been a brilliant weekend. For us to race in Portsmouth, in front of our home crowd with the weather playing its part and two cracking days of racing, as a home team to win in front of our home crowd is the best thing we could do. That was our goal for here, and with our long-term aim of bringing the Cup home, this weekend was just the start of it.
"The reaction from the crowd was amazing and it's like they now really appreciate what it would mean to bring the America's Cup back home. Last year at this event we missed the Sunday due to bad weather and this year the weather has been fantastic. The teams have all really upped their game in terms of how they are sailing these boats and today you saw some incredible, really close racing. Now we're up at the top of the leaderboard, but we have a lot of work to do before Bermuda next year, but we're performing well and our goal is to bring the Cup home. It may take us a while but when we do, it will be the most amazing event right here in Portsmouth.
"In the last race today we were very aware of the fact we only had to finish within one place of ORACLE TEAM USA to win the regatta, so that was what we were focused on. They were making it as hard as possible, pushing us back into the pack when they could, but to win today is just great, for us and for the 100 or so other people back at the base who are working so hard for our team. It was also great to have the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge here. The Duchess is Patron of our 1851 trust and it means a lot to have them here. We are very proud of our British heritage and to have them here is very special. Finally, I want to thank the fans for coming out in such great numbers and for cheering us on. It has been a great weekend all round."
Nick Hutton, Trimmer, Land Rover BAR: "Today was great, it was awesome to win at home, it's obviously the key event of our year. It's so nice to be here with all these people on our home pitch. It's great to get it done and put on a good show after last year. In the big picture we have taken the lead in the World Series, for us as a new team it's fantastic to go up against the established teams and win, great moving forward into the future."
David 'Freddie' Carr, Grinder, Land Rover BAR: "Hours and hours and hours of practice pulled this together and the five of us were reading off the same play sheet all day and although it wasn't the cleanest day of our boat handling, it was enough. We are in a massive phase of our Cup campaign, going into Bermuda next year and the lift it gives to everyone at the base is huge. We've put a line in the sand where our sailing team is at, and our development and test boats are going really well – we are front footing it right now, it's a great time for us."
Jimmy Spithill, Skipper, ORACLE TEAM USA: ""It was a good Sunday, we won the day, but it just wasn't enough to win outright. In the end it came down to consistency. On Saturday BAR had a fifth and we had a sixth and that's the one point that would have made the difference, but it was still great racing. The guys did a good job of fighting all the way through to the end. In the last two races today, we hit Ben every time we could, but we just couldn't push him back far enough to let a third boat through. Despite that, the guys should hold their heads up. We sailed very, very well today but we have to take our hats off to Ben and congratulate his team.
"The event overall was awesome. I think it's one of the best Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series events. We had huge crowds and today was as good as it gets in terms of race conditions. We had a fantastic time and it was really great to see all the fans, especially the young kids, coming out and supporting all of the teams.
"Last but not least, this is probably the only time I've been to the UK and it hasn't rained, so overall, a pretty good weekend!!"
Dean Barker, CEO and Skipper, Softbank Team Japan: "We felt we had a good event here. We had another podium and I think for our team, it's about building momentum and developing. It's been a year since we came here and finished fifth, so we're very happy with the result. We didn't sail at our best, but I'm satisfied with the result.
"We saw with BAR and ORACLE TEAM USA that those two teams are quite dominant. We have to fine-tune our boat handling and communication and close the gap but this is a development process for us. We have less than 12 months until the America's Cup in Bermuda so we will just keep improving and getting better, it really is as simple as that."
Glenn Ashby, Skipper, Emirates Team New Zealand: "That was a learning weekend for us. We had people in four new roles and really only one guy in his original position, so we just had to learn as much as we could. We managed to get the boat around the track reasonably well and, with the amount of training we did before, the guys did a fantastic job.
"We did cough up a couple of points to the Oracle boys and BAR but with the amount of effort and training they've put in, they deserve the points at this regatta. They sailed extremely well, but now the pressure is off us and on them as leaders. We will fight hard for those couple of points separating us at the next regatta in France as the points are so valuable in Bermuda next year, but really, for us, like I think every team, our main priority is the test boat and what will happen next year. If you're not fast in Bermuda it won't matter what happened in this regatta."
Franck Cammas, Skipper, Groupama Team France: "It was very different for us today compared to Saturday. Yesterday in the light winds, the boats weren't foiling, so it's a very different technique and we need to improve in the foiling conditions.
"Today we had poor starts compared to yesterday and once you are behind, it is a totally different race. The starts were not good at all today and that makes such a big difference.
"However, it's very important to have these kinds of days so we can learn in all the conditions. We need more hours on the water in these conditions in these boats, but for us, over the next month we will spend more time in our new boat in the water and work on all of our communication and technique. That will be put into action in France and we are excited about the next race being in our home."
Ian Percy, Tactician, Artemis Racing: "First I want to say that this weekend has been an amazing event for British sailing. In the 70s and 80s sailing became one of the biggest sports in the UK and now there is a lot of interest in our sport. With that in mind it was no surprise to me that there were thousands of people here this weekend. It bodes well for our sport that both here and in Chicago there were so many people coming out to see our sport and that's very good news for where we are going.
"However, for us it was a tough weekend on the water. It was Francesco's first time driving these boats and with the rules in place we can't do any practice so if you can imagine someone driving a Formula 1 car for the first time, it's pretty clear that Lewis Hamilton would be quite far ahead. You need time to get used to these boats and we're not allowed time, so it's tough. I think frustration is the best way to sum up how this weekend has been. I don't blame anyone, it's the way the series is set, it doesn't help us bringing in a new Helmsman, but that's how it is.
"The way the conditions were also didn't help. Every day was a bit different and that means what you learn one day is then not so relevant the next. However despite all that this event was a success, and that's what is important. The series gives us a chance to showcase what a fantastic sport this is and this event did just that. Hopefully it will turn on more fans as we head to Bermuda in 2017, and, really, our focus is on the boat we will be racing there next year. But next up it's France and we'll have Nathan back there and he obviously knows these boats well so it will be a different picture there. Hopefully it won't be first, last, first, last as it seems we have a bit of a pattern going like that, but with Nathan back hopefully that will end."
Land Rover BAR defend Portsmouth title to lead World Series by Land Rover BAR
Under glowering skies but in perfect racing conditions, Land Rover BAR defended their Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth title. The victory – in front of The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – took the team into a series lead going into the final two events of the season.
Huge crowds watched a big win in the challenge to bring the Cup home to Britain. The second victory in Portsmouth follows on from the team's success on home waters in 2015, and their second event win in Oman in February. The top two teams at the end of the World Series take a points advantage into the next stage of the competition in Bermuda in May 2017.
The day began with a wire-to-wire win after Ben Ainslie and his team clearly won the start and steadily extended from the current America's Cup holder, Oracle Team USA around the seven leg course. A slower start in the second race meant a chase through the fleet, with Land Rover BAR going from fifth to second place, just a handful of seconds behind Oracle Team USA (OTUSA) at the finish.
The results gave Land Rover BAR a three point lead from the Americans into the finale; both teams with a significant jump over the rest of the fleet. The situation was immediately reflected off the start line of the last race, as Land Rover BAR chased OTUSA around the course. Second place was enough to take both the final race and the series lead by a point.
Two win day in Portsmouth closes the gap on leaderboard by Oracle Team USA
ORACLE TEAM USA opened Super Sunday with a second place finish and followed it up with two race victories to close within just one point of the winning home team.
But that was as close as Jimmy Spithill and crew could get.
"It was a good Sunday, we won the day, but it just wasn't enough," Spithill said.
"It came down to consistency. On Saturday BAR had a fifth and we had a sixth and that's the one point that would have made the difference."
The final result means ORACLE TEAM USA leaves Portsmouth just one point back on the overall series leaderboard. Ben Ainslie's team finished just behind ORACLE TEAM USA in last two races on Sunday. Spithill and co. needed one boat in between them to create a winning margin.
"It was great racing. The guys did a good job of fighting all the way through to the end. In the last two races today, we hit Ben every time we could, but we just couldn't push him back far enough to let a third boat through."
"The guys should hold their heads up. We sailed very, very well today. We have to take our hats off to Ben and congratulate his team."
The Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Portsmouth was a successful event, with the full race schedule completed, large and boisterous crowds cheering on a hometown hero, and some great racing conditions. An appearance by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge was a highlight moment.
"That was awesome. I think it's one of the best Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series events. We had huge crowds and today was as good as it gets in terms of race conditions. And last but not least, this is probably the only time I've been to the UK and it hasn't rained!!
"We had a fantastic time and it was really great to see all the fans, especially the young kids, coming out and supporting all of the teams."
Foiling and Foiled in Portsmouth by Emirates Team New Zealand
Super Sunday saw more breeze in Portsmouth today, giving all the teams the opportunity for fast racing up on their foils.
For Emirates Team New Zealand the regatta finished as realistically expected when lining up to race against an exceptionally strong fleet with with a almost entirely rejigged crew due to Blair Tuke and Peter Burling's absence in their build up to the Rio Olympics in the 49er.
With next to no training time allowed as a new line up, Skipper Glenn Ashby on the helm for the first time, and two entirely new faces on the world series boat, Emirates Team New Zealand fought hard for a podium finish. In the end, missing out by just a few points to finish in 4th spot.
Smart positioning at end of the days first race saw the Emirates Team New Zealand grab 3rd place behind Ben Ainslie Racing and Oracle Team USA, as Tactician Ray Davies called the perfect entry into the final turning mark before the line, "we knew we were in it, sliding inside SoftBank Team Japan and Artemis Racing with momentum to get us a third, and that was a great way to start the day." Race two was more of a challenge, after a strong start hitting the line as windward boat, the team secured a fifth place, a tough one for the crew as the fleet spread wide and found strong passing lanes as the breeze increased.
For the final race of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event in Portsmouth, a strong performance by the team setting up for another third place was marred by a submerged mooring buoy positioned on the race course close to the last turning mark. Foiling at over 17 knots the Emirates Team New Zealand snagged the line on their starboard daggerboard coming to a complete stop as they passed the Japanese team, subsequently giving the Softbank Team Japan a clear run to secure the final podium spot.
Skipper Glenn Ashby was disappointed but upbeat, with their 4th place in Portsmouth. 'There is no question that was a frustrating way to finish an event by snagging a submerged mooring buoy so close to a turning mark after we had sailed a pretty good race. The important thing about Emirates Team New Zealand is the strong culture at the heart of the squad which shows when situations like this occur. Competing against teams like BAR, Oracle and SoftBank, with unchanged crew roles, we certainly performed well as a team over the weekend in new sailing positions throughout the boat, and that continues the growth and learning of the individual and the team - and critically our communication and interaction within the team is strengthened though these events. This will continue as we move forwards to the events in Toulon and finally Japan later in the year, at which point we will be back to our normal crew line up with the return of Pete and Blair from the Rio Olympics."
"The pressure is now on BAR on top the leaderboard, as we will certainly be gunning for them." concluded Ashby.
Emirates Team New Zealand's focus now returns back home to New Zealand where testing in their new development boat continues.
An up and down day by Groupama Team France
On Saturday, the six competitors made headway in very light airs that greatly favour Groupama Team France, which is fairly at ease in such sailing conditions, close-hauled under gennaker. First, fourth and second in the day's three races, the French team posted a series of excellent starts and finished 2nd overall in the Grand Prix, tied on points with the crew of Land Rover BAR.
However, during today's so-called Super Sunday that scores double points, the French challenge was not well positioned during the start phases, which translates as rather lacklustre results, with two sixth places and one fifth place in the final race of the day. That said, the French skipper has been able to take some positives from the team's encouraging progress, "even though it may not be obvious from viewing the ranking."
"Visibly, our approach strategy for the start phases clearly wasn't right", Franck Cammas notes on his return to the dock. "We lacked insight compared to what we managed to pull off yesterday. The spaces we might have been able to position ourselves slammed shut. As a result, we couldn't get powered up, so inevitably we didn't get going until after the others. For now, we don't yet have the ability to pick off the fleet after a poor start. That said, there are a number of positives to take away from this experience. In the first race of the day in particular, we were on the pace and very close to the leaders. Downwind, we were making pretty good headway on Groupama Team France. The bear aways and the gybes went smoothly, which are phases that used to be a little complicated for us. We're gradually making progress, but we're still lacking experience on this type of craft. We're now going to take our Test AC Class in hand so we can sail on a similar boat to the AC45 Series, which will enable us to raise our game quicker."
It's time to get the French catamaran packed up now and then the team will head to Brittany to begin training on the test prototype, which was launched on 11 July in Lorient.
Second podium finish in Portsmouth by SoftBank Team Japan
SoftBank Team Japan laid down a marker at Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Portsmouth with their second podium finish in a row after a breath-taking day of racing on The Solent.
"Great for the team to have two podiums in a row – it's really good for the team", said Skipper Dean Barker. "The best part is we see the work is paying off we've been putting in. I think we may have felt like we sailed the boat better in Chicago but I think here we sailed better races which was key. Our consistency was great over the six races, which was good."
The team hit the water aiming to defend their narrow third place position achieved the day before with only three points separating the top four teams on the leaderboard.
An overcast sky and strong winds set the stage for the final day with fast foiling conditions offering a different flavour to the slower, more delicate racing seen the previous two days.
Similar to yesterday, the first race of the day saw the team come from behind after trailing at the first mark picking off both Artemis Racing and Groupama Team France on the first run to settle into fourth place for the remainder of the race.
Then, in race two, the team accelerated their attacks and consolidated their hold on the podium.
In one of the closest races of the regatta – with the top-five teams separated by less than 30 seconds on the final beat – SoftBank Team Japan climbed into fourth place at the top mark needing to beat Artemis Racing on the final leg to maintain their overall position.
With only meters to spare at the downwind mark ahead of the finish, the Japanese team gybed inside of the Swedes line to take third place by less than a boat length.
Needing to stave off Emirates Team New Zealand in the last race to maintain their overall position, a mid-pack start meant the team would need to climb through the fleet once more.
With the team needing to climb out of fourth position, a neck-and-neck tacking battle with the kiwis on the final beat led to a foiling drag race to the final bottom mark as the team's split. When they came together only meters from the finish, SoftBank Team Japan narrowly crossed ahead to lock in their podium result.
"I think we managed to salvage the best result we could out of the situations we found ourselves in. There were a couple close situations particularly with Emirates Team New Zealand on the last one", said Barker.
Following the team's third place showing at Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Chicago, Barker was thrilled that this result showed the upward momentum of the team.
"We're less than a year out and there's great opportunity to develop as a group. We're a year in – this is a year since we started – and it's great to know we're making progress and that there's plenty left on the table to do."
The team now will enjoy a well-earned two-week holiday before resuming their testing program in Bermuda on their AC45 Sport development boat for the 2017 America's Cup.