Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Toulon - Racing Overall
by 35th America's Cup 11 Sep 2016 20:40 BST
8-11 September 2016
Late summer sunshine greeted the thousands of spectators who made it out in force for Super Sunday at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Toulon, and it is Artemis Racing who leave France celebrating after taking the regatta honours.
Behind them, Softbank Team Japan went from last on Saturday to finishing second overall, an incredible turnaround, but the British boys on Land Rover BAR were also looking much happier than they had on Saturday night, ending up third overall from fifth the day before.
That result extends their overall lead in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series as attention now turns to the final event in Fukuoka, Japan.
The first race of Sunday was race four, led away by Emirates Team New Zealand under the helm of Olympic Champion Pete Burling, but, as per Saturday, Artemis Racing were quickly up ahead and around the first mark ahead of Softbank Team Japan who were very keen to make amends for their disappointing Saturday.
Behind them Land Rover BAR had a penalty before the startline but fought hard up to third place at the halfway mark with ORACLE TEAM USA, Groupama Team France and Emirates Team New Zealand behind. Artemis stretched their lead, crossing the line at the end of race three first for the third time over the weekend, but it was Groupama Team France who were most disappointed with race four, finishing in sixth behind Emirates Team New Zealand and slipping to fourth in the regatta standings. Land Rover BAR held that third place, but ORACLE TEAM USA kept up the overall standings pressure just behind in fourth, so everything was there to play for in races five and six.
The thousands of fans lining the Toulon shore were hoping for a better showing from Groupama Team France in race five but it was Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR who seized the early advantage, streaking ahead to the first mark, but to loud cheers from the shore, Groupama Team France were second, showing the sort of form that put them into second place overnight in the regatta on Saturday. Artemis Racing and Softbank Team Japan both had to serve penalties after the start, but all eyes were on the French team in second and they did not disappoint, pushing the Brits all the way. However, yet again in Toulon, Artemis Racing were the team to watch, moving their way up to third by the start of leg four. Behind them, ORACLE TEAM USA were having a race to forget in sixth, as were Softbank Team Japan who were in fifth, leaving Emirates Team New Zealand in fourth.
At the finish line of race five the positions had not changed – Land Rover BAR in first, Groupama Team France second and Artemis Racing third, but Softbank Team Japan had moved into fourth, leaving ORACLE TEAM USA battling it out with Emirates Team New Zealand for fifth and sixth respectively.
Race six, the decider and an utterly enthralling and topsy-turvy race. A messy start for ORACLE TEAM USA and Artemis Racing who were both hit with penalties for crossing the startline early, but Groupama Team France finally showed their mettle, putting clear air between themselves and Softbank Team Japan in second and taking a huge early advantage. Land Rover BAR picked up a penalty for not giving room to Emirates Team New Zealand, relegating them to the back of the fleet, but throughout the race that ensued there were lead changes in the overall standings throughout, keeping the fans watching live at the event and on TV on the edge of their seats.
One minute it was Groupama Team France up ahead, then suddenly Softbank Team Japan were out in front, Emirates Team New Zealand were second and the home team, Groupama Team France, were third, and thus race six finished.
With that result in the last race, Softbank Team Japan, sixth on Saturday, had, incredibly, put themselves into second overall in the regatta, but it was Artemis Racing who were really celebrating, taking overall regatta honours despite finishing fifth in race six.
Land Rover BAR finished the weekend third, Groupama Team France fourth, Emirates Team New Zealand fifth and ORACLE TEAM USA sixth.
Those results extend Land Rover BAR's lead in the overall series to 14 points over ORACLE TEAM USA, so the pressure in the last round in Fukuoka, Japan, will be intense, but for now, the Swedish are celebrating harder than anyone and will be looking to continue that form in Asia.
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Toulon Leaderboard:
1. Artemis Racing (1, 1, 3, 1, 3, 5) – 76 points
2. SoftBank Team Japan (5, 4, 5, 2, 4, 1) – 71 points
3. Land Rover BAR (6, 6, 1, 3, 1, 4) – 70 points
4. Groupama Team France (4, 3, 2, 6, 2, 3)– 68 points
5. Emirates Team New Zealand (2, 2, 6, 5, 6, 2) – 63 points
6. ORACLE TEAM USA (3, 5, 4, 4, 5, 6) – 57 points
Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Overall Leaderboard:
1. Land Rover BAR – 437 points
2. ORACLE TEAM USA – 423 points
3. Emirates Team New Zealand – 420 points
4. SoftBank Team Japan – 399 points
5. Artemis Racing – 391 points
6. Groupama Team France – 360 points
For full results and standings please see the results section of www.americascup.com
Selected Team Quotes:
Nathan Outteridge, Skipper, Artemis Racing: "Very happy indeed! To come away with a win in Toulon in what were very light, difficult conditions is good. We had a very good day on Saturday but to back it up with another strong performance on Sunday is obviously very pleasing.
"I think we've made some big strides in how we sail the boat and how we deal with the racecourses and the race format. It was pretty obvious that we weren't really up to it at the start of the series, but that's what the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series is for, it's to prepare you for the America's Cup and it feels like we're on the right way up. We're very happy with the decision making in the races between Perc (Iain Percy) and myself and we couldn't be happier with how we're sailing the boat right now.
"Our boat handling skills in light winds were a bit of a weakness and we've been preparing for a while now for dealing with exactly these sorts of conditions so when you've put that much time and effort into preparing for a certain wind range, you kind of want it, and that's what we got this weekend. A lot of teams were disappointed with the weather, but we were excited as it gave us a chance to put into practice what we've been working on, so to win as we did is just great."
Dean Barker, Skipper, Softbank Team Japan: "Yesterday was a tough day. We felt like we'd sailed ok but we just had some bad results. Today though we spent a lot of time talking through the situations and how we could do things better and to bounce back with a strong day means we're really happy with how this weekend has ended. To be on the podium is very pleasing, and that's obviously the goal, to keep improving.
"These events are the chance we have to measure the performance of the team, to see where we're performing and improving as a group. There's obviously a lot of relevance to what we're doing in Bermuda but there's elements at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series that are missing, in terms of technology and design, but we can still see improvements in how we work as a team, so that's good.
"Looking ahead to Japan it's going to be great for us, let alone it being a home race for our team, it's another chance to take another step up in performance again. Seeing the support the British guys had at Portsmouth, and Franck and his crew had here, it will be special for us to race in Fukuoka so we can't wait to get out there and perform in front of our team's home fans. That, and the fact it's another chance to prepare again for next year, they're both good reasons to be excited about the last round of the series."
Giles Scott, Tactician, Land Rover BAR: "It was a tricky day. We were a bit disappointed with the way we started yesterday in particular and last night we came together and had a really productive debrief. We went through what we needed to change today and I think we showed that worked. We went back to being our normal selves and started sailing the right way. It's a bit of a shame that in the last race we came off poorly from the penalty at the start, but overall we recovered somewhat.
"Really though, the win of the weekend for us is the fact that we have managed to pull away in the overall standings in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series. We're super happy with that and, looking forward to Japan, there's still an awful lot of points up for grabs so we'll approach that regatta like no other and hope we can stay on top of the leaderboard."
Franck Cammas, Skipper, Groupama Team France: "It was amazing this weekend. To hear all the people who came out to see the show was a great feeling for us and all the teams. The event was organized really well and to have this many fans all weekend was almost a great surprise! To find out that many people wanted to come and support us was something special and we will use that as extra motivation to keep pushing everyone in Groupama Team France.
"In Japan the goal is clear - we want to improve as a team. It's good to be able to work from our base, but when you're in these events you can measure yourself against the competition, and Japan is another chance to do that. We have the chance to improve our communication and teamwork as a crew on board, in the live race environment, and that's why these world series events are so important."
Glenn Ashby, Skipper, Emirates Team New Zealand: "As we've seen, teams are winning regattas even when they're finishing last, so it just shows that anything can happen. We're still in touch with the lead and with a good performance in Japan, who knows what can happen. I can say though that we will certainly be going for the win in the last round and the overall series, so let's see what happens."
Tom Slingsby, Helmsman, ORACLE TEAM USA: "At ORACLE TEAM USA we hold ourselves to a high standard and when we don't perform we're hard on ourselves. But what we do is learn from our mistakes and we come back stronger. I'm focusing on that now and what I can do to come back and help our team win the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series."
Rock steady under pressure (from Land Rover BAR)
The Land Rover BAR crew proved themselves rock steady under immense pressure on Super Sunday at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event in Toulon. They now lead the overall series by fourteen points going into the final event of 2016, after scoring a third place this weekend.
It was more of the same conditions today, light shifty winds under brilliant blue skies made the tacticians and helmsman sweat for every point. Ben Ainslie and his crew scored a brilliant wire-to-wire win in the second race. They were forced to make remarkable recoveries however – to finish third and fourth – after pre-start penalties in the other two races. More significantly, both of the teams chasing them in the series were deeper in the rankings.
The third at this penultimate event pushed Land Rover BAR out into a significant overall lead for the World Series. The team now have a 14pt advantage over the America's Cup defenders, Oracle Team USA, with Emirates Team New Zealand a further three points back. The final event will be in Fukuoka from November 18-20, 2016.
Thoughts on the day
Ben Ainslie, Team Principal & Skipper: "All credit to the team, it was a big improvement on yesterday and it needed to be for those double points on the Sunday. It was a good day for racing, a better breeze than yesterday. We would have liked to have got closer to winning – I think Artemis sailed really well – but to increase our lead in the World Series going into the final event in Japan in November is a big deal for our team.
"There was slightly less emphasis on the tactical and strategic today, but there are still a lot of decisions to be made and Giles [Scott] really helped me out. Also, Rob Wilson and Luc du Bois our coach and analyst really helped to set us straight, and that's really positive for the whole team looking forward to the Cup next summer.
"We are going to go into the last event in Japan with a reasonable lead of fourteen points. Oracle Team USA and Emirates Team New Zealand are our primary rivals, so I don't think we can take anything for granted. We are going to have to sail well to keep that lead, and that's what we are really focused on – getting those bonus points heading into the Cup next year.
"We shouldn't forget that there is a lot going on back in Portsmouth. Our designers and boat builders are working extremely hard. This is a critical testing phase for us, so that will be the primary focus now. When we get closer to Japan, we will get our mind set right for racing again.
Giles Scott, Strategist: "It was a weekend of two halves as we struggled in the first two races yesterday, before we pulled it back to win the last one. We went back last night and had a long debrief to look at how we were sailing on the water. We didn't want to panic too much, but we tweaked a few things and actually today was a lot better and we were sailing fast and in the right direction."
Paul 'CJ' Campbell-James, Wing Trimmer: "We didn't start that well but the great thing is the way we have bounced back after those two last places. I think we actually scored the most points today, which shows how much we improved. We have extended our lead over Oracle Team USA – now the focus is Japan and making sure we have a high level of performance out there."
Heroic second place finish after Super Sunday rally (from SoftBank Team Japan)
SoftBank Team Japan thrilled the crowds with a tremendous rally on Super Sunday to finish in second place at Louis Vuitton America's Cup Toulon today.
With the pressure on following a trying Saturday showing that saw the team heading into racing today in last place, the team rose to the occasion early scoring a second and fourth place finish in the first two races.
With one race left, the team sat in fourth place needing as they zeroed in on the hometown favourites, Groupama Team France, ahead by only one point.
Groupama Team France led around the race course as SoftBank Team Japan inched closer upwind with the team's split by near seconds at the top mark.
Emirates Team New Zealand soon followed as a nail biting, three-way sprint for the bottom mark and finish line played out in front of the cheering French crowd ashore.
"We knew it was close", said Skipper Dean Barker.
"Chris did a great job looking for opportunites and on the final run we managed to slip past Groupama Team France and win the race. It was nice for the team to bounce back after what felt like a tough and frustrating day yesterday."
Seeing consistent strides in tactics and boat handling, Barker was most encouraged by the team's ability to fight back from their last place position and climb the leaderboard to a podium result.
"I think one of the signs of a strong team is the ability to bounce back after a tough day. It's something I've always worked on with other teams and it really comes down to the character of the people on the boat and the team in general. It's easy to use negative sentiment to not prepare properly for the next day. It was great the way the team took lessons from yesterday and applied them to today."
This event's podium finish marks the third such result in a row for SoftBank Team Japan and the highest finish yet on the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Circuit – a trend the team hopes to continue as they next travel to their hometown event in Fukuoka, Japan.
"For us it would be great to have a great result in Fukuoka and we'll work hard to make that happen. When we turn up for the racing on Saturday we'll be ready to perform."
The team now travels back to their Bermuda base as they eagerly await delivery of their fifty-foot America's Cup Class yacht due in November.
"It'll be exciting to have it in the shed and start installing our modifications to it. It'll be awesome to finally have the boat we'll be racing in the America's Cup next year in Bermuda."
SoftBank Team Japan will next travel to their hometown event in Fukuoka, Japan –Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Fukuoka to be held November 18-20th – the first America's Cup event to ever be held in an Asian country.
Tough day in Toulon has ORACLE TEAM USA looking ahead to Japan
The Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Toulon has proved to be a difficult event for ORACLE TEAM USA. But there are silver linings.
A tough day in more light conditions on Super Sunday saw the team drop to sixth on the event results table.
On the positive side of the ledger, ORACLE TEAM USA retains second place on the overall series leaderboard, in one of the two 'bonus point' positions heading into the last event in Fukuoka Japan in November.
Tom Slingsby, subbing in for skipper Jimmy Spithill, battled hard throughout the weekend, but the team could only break into a podium finish once in six races over the weekend.
Getting off the start line cleanly, and in a front row position, was difficult on Sunday. And making up ground was too challenging, leading to a 4 – 5 – 6 scoreline on the day.
"It was tough," Slingsby admitted. "Today we didn't perform. It's frustrating, but we have to take the positives. We're still in with a shout for the bonus point at the end of the series. So we need to re-group before the next one in Fukuoka, Japan.
"At ORACLE TEAM USA we hold ourselves to a high standard and when we don't perform we're hard on ourselves. But what we do is learn from our mistakes and we come back stronger. I'm focusing on that now and what I can do to come back and help our team win the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series."
Good and bad lessons for Emirates Team New Zealand to take from Toulon (from Emirates Team New Zealand)
Super Sunday at Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Toulon, was not so super for Emirates Team New Zealand, at times being their own worst enemy in conditions that were already so brutally difficult.
Small mistakes, so often absent from the team, and too many manoeuvres on a day of light air where every manoeuvre cost so much essentially came at the expense of a good result in the penultimate event of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series.
"The same conditions as yesterday, bottom end of what these boats can sail in." explained helmsman Peter Burling.
"To be honest in the first two races, we didn't sail all that well and got a little unlucky at times but bounced back in the last race to get a second which went a small way to salvaging an otherwise pretty tough day for us."
There was certainly no lack of trying all day by the kiwi crew, which had to deal with ongoing challenges attempting to make gains through the fleet, after getting caught back in the pack.
"In the light air it is really hard to fight back places once you are back a bit," said tactician Ray Davies.
"We tried, but that was probably one of the problems, we were trying to hard, too many things and it didn't quite work out.
In saying that, in the last race, we did a really nice job of doing just that, finding our way back through the fleet just by keeping things simple."
While disappointed, skipper Glenn Ashby was quick to take the positive from the weekend, in that Emirates Team New Zealand have closed the gap in the overall standings on Oracle Team USA, who finished six points behind the kiwis.
"Realistically, we are still in the hunt to win the series overall if we have a really good regatta in Japan. Right now we are only three points behind Oracle in second place, which is six points closer than we were two days ago."
"Looking at the overall series so far, it is pretty clear to see that the inconsistencies in results of all of the teams across the eight events shows just how high the level of competition among the America's Cup teams truly is and it's up to us to bounce back strongly in the final event of the series."
The team now has plenty to work on before the final event in Fukuoka, Japan in November. In the meantime focus shifts firmly back to the testing and development program in on the AC45 turbo boat in Auckland.