Americas Cup World Series at Venice, Italy - Day 3
by 34th America’s Cup media 19 May 2012 21:15 BST
17-20 May 2012
Leaderboard closes up with one race to go
Very close, tight, and tactically challenging racing was the attraction for the largest spectator fleet the AC World Series has enjoyed to date on Saturday afternoon. The Venetian crowds lined the waterfront and took to the Grand Canal by the thousands to cheer on the AC45 crews.
Winds were light, but the race course was very short and demanding on the teams. Luna Rossa Swordfish pleased the local crowds by winning the first fleet race and momentarily grabbing the overall lead in the regatta. But the early heroes fell to the back of the fleet in race two, allowing Loick Peyron’s Energy Team to retain overall leadership heading into Sunday’s final race.
Artemis Racing had a very strong showing on Saturday, with skipper Terry Hutchinson grinding out a fifth place finish in the first contest before winning the second.
“It was hard work,” a relieved Hutchinson said following the race. “The guys on board today have done really good work. It was a tough night's sleep last night because I knew I'd let us down yesterday, so it's nice to get it right today. It was an absolute fight the entire time, but the guys did their work really well.”
Phil Robertson, at 25 the youngest skipper in the fleet, had a good day for China Team, with fourth and eighth place finishes. It was the first time in the event China Team was able to hold a good early position through to the race finish. And the day could have been better as Robertson and crew were in second place early in the second contest, before falling back to eighth.
Later in the afternoon, Artemis Racing and Luna Rossa - Piranha advanced to the Final of the Match Racing Championship. Both teams are now in position to ‘win the double’ if they can capture both the Fleet and Match Racing Championships on Sunday.
The AC500 Speed Trials are scheduled for 1350 CEST. Racing starts at 1440 CEST on Sunday with the Match Racing Final – a one race duel for the title, followed by the seventh and final fleet race (1510 CEST), where the winner earns a whopping 30 points, enough for anyone in the top seven in the standings to have a chance of winning the title.
“The way the points work in the fleet racing it's all about tomorrow,” confirmed Team Korea’s Nathan Outteridge, currently in seventh place, but still with a chance winning overall on Sunday. “We've learned a lot this week and it's all about going high risk tomorrow. I think everyone will have the same attitude. We haven't been dialing up the risk enough yet. You dial it up, and you're either going to get it right or wrong… that’s what we’ve got to do tomorrow.”
Fleet Racing Championship – Provisional Leaderboard: (after six races)
1. Energy Team…44 points
2. Luna Rossa Piranha…43 points
3. Luna Rossa Swordfish…43 points
4. Emirates Team New Zealand…42 points
5. ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill…38 points
6. Artemis Racing…37 points
7. Team Korea…37 points
8. ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock…22 points
9. China Team…18 points
www.americascup.com
Match Racing Championship – Semi Final Results:
Semi Final 1: Artemis Racing defeated Energy Team; 2-0
Semi Final 2: Luna Rossa - Piranha defeated ORACLE TEAM USA - Spithill; 2-1
The losers of the Semi Final and Quarter Final matches have been assigned final finishing positions (3rd through 9th) in the Match Racing Championship as per the Sailing Instructions.
3. ORACLE TEAM USA - Spithill
4. Energy Team
5. Emirates Team New Zealand
6. Team Korea
7. Luna Rossa Swordfish
8. ORACLE TEAM USA Bundock
9. China Team
Energy Team keep the lead (from Energy Team)
After what was a difficult first race for Energy Team, who ended up in eighth place in the first fleet race on Saturday 19th May, the French came fifth in the second race, but still manage to keep the lead in the overall rankings of the America’s Cup World Series after the six races that have taken place since last Thursday in Venice. We look back at today’s two races.
Race 1: Energy 8th
The first race on Saturday 19th May was very difficult for Energy Team, who finished in eighth place. The French team hands over the lead in the overall rankings to the winner of Race 1, Luna Rossa Swordfish skippered by Paul Campbell-James.
Light and variable wind conditions for this fifth fleet race in the AC World Series taking place in Venice. The French on Energy Team started off in the second group and were back in sixth place, while Luna Rossa Swordfish and Oracle Spithill took the lead ahead of Team New Zealand. Energy lost a little ground on the first downwind leg and soon found themselves back at the rear of the fleet, some 500m from the leader, the Italian AC45 Swordfish skippered by Paul Campbell-James, who extended his lead and rounded the next mark at the front ahead of Oracle Spithill, China Team, Team New Zealand and Artemis. Energy, who clawed their way back slightly, rounded the mark in seventh place behind Chris Draper’s Piranha.
On the next upwind leg, the wind shifted to the right allowing the leaders to sail directly to mark 4, which was of no advantage to the French, who could do nothing to catch them. Very little change in the rankings as they rounded the next mark except for TNZ, which overtook Artemis. Energy moved into eighth position before taking off downwind. The next leg was not favourable for the French, who once again were unable to get back in the game. Luna Rossa Swordfish had by now obtained a great lead and continued to race in the lead ahead of James Spithill and Dean Barker’s Team New Zealand, who took advantage to grab third place from China Team, fighting hard to ward off the attacks from Artemis, as they attempted to take fourth place.
At the sixth mark, Swordfish was still ahead of Spithill and Barker. The French were far back and had little hope of catching them. At the final mark before the finish, the rankings were still the same at the front with Paul Campbell-James’s Luna Rossa Swordfish winning this first race of the day ahead of Oracle skippered by the American Defender, James Spithill, and Dean Barker’s TNZ taking third place. Energy Team finished in eighth place handing over the lead in the rankings to Paul Campbell-James’s Luna Rossa Swordfish.
Race 2: Energy Team 5th, but still overall leader
A poor start for Energy Team in race 6, as they were locked in and set off behind the leaders. It was China Team, who grabbed the lead, before handing it over to Artemis and Team Korea. Energy Team were back in last place as they rounded the first mark and set off downwind overtaking Team New Zealand shortly afterwards. But gradually, Energy got back in the game. At mark 2, Artemis was in front, ahead of Luna Rossa Piranha, Oracle Spithill, Team Korea and China Team. Energy made their way along the edge of the race course and received a penalty, meaning they lost a little ground. The three leaders were by now out in front ahead of Team Korea and Energy Team, who made it back up to fifth place, in spite of the penalty.
At the next mark, Artemis extended their lead ahead of Luna Rossa Piranha and James Spithill’s Oracle. A whole leg separated the leader Artemis from the French on Energy Team. The good news for the French was that the Italians on Luna Rossa Swordfish were at the rear, which was a good thing in terms of the rankings.
At Gate 6, Artemis was still out in front ahead of the Italians on Luna Rossa Piranha, who had made it back to within 25 seconds of the leader and were still ahead of James Spithill. Chris Draper’s Italians narrowed the gap on Artemis and started to challenge them for first place. The boats went from one mark to another with Energy Team attempting to take fourth place from Team Korea, while Dean Barker’s TNZ were trying to catch the French. As they rounded the tenth mark, Team Korea was still ahead of Energy Team by a few seconds.
In the end, Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis won the day’s second race ahead of Chris Draper’s Luna Rossa Piranha and Oracle Spithill. Energy Team, unable to catch Team Korea finished this race in fifth place.
In the overall rankings after a total of six races since Thursday in Venice, Energy Team with 44 points are still out in front ahead of the two Italian boats, Luna Rossa Piranha et Luna Rossa Swordfish.
Bruno Peyron’s reactions: "Today, things were clearly more difficult, but we remain the leader this evening, so everything is still possible. We can see that everyone is capable of a disappointing result, so today was our turn. You can’t be lucky every day. We really have to look at things calmly before tackling the big final tomorrow. Overall, the team is rightly pleased, as we have led the rankings now for three days, which proves that we can win this World Series event in Venice."
ORACLE TEAM USA Spithill wins day on Grand Canal (from ORACLE TEAM USA)
ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL placed second and third in today’s two fleet races at ACWS – Venice to win the day. The turn-around from Thursday’s and Friday’s performances helped move Jimmy Spithill’s crew into fifth place on the leaderboard heading into tomorrow’s high-points fleet race finale.
With just 7 points separating the top seven in the standings, the winner of tomorrow’s finale will win the ACWS – Venice Championship. The race awards 30 points for first place and 20 points for second, enough for any one of the top seven to leapfrog current leader Energy Team of France.
The good spirits were tempered afterwards when the Spithill quintet lost to Luna Rossa Piranha, 2-1, in the semifinal round of the match racing championship. ORACLE TEAM USA SPITHILL is guaranteed third place in the match racing championship, valuable points towards the season championship.
“We sailed better today, particularly downwind,” said Spithill. “The match racing was unfortunate. We had our chances, but to be honest we weren’t good enough.”
Similar to yesterday, the fleet races were held on the Grand Canal of Venice with the finish line placed off St Mark’s Square. Thousands of spectators jammed into “La Piazza” and lined the drive along the canal, while many more filled up the floating grandstand to one side of the racecourse. Still hundreds more were rafted up in private boats, enjoying the racing and warm temperatures.
“It’s awesome the support that’s here,” said Russell Coutts, CEO of ORACLE TEAM USA, sailing as tactician on ORACLE TEAM USA BUNDOCK. “I think people are appreciating that this event has come here. It’s obviously very successful for the event and very successful for Venice.”
The winds were light, 6 to 8 knots, and the racecourse tended to be one-sided. Crews often rounded the leeward gate to port, setting up for a one or two-tack leg to the windward mark. In the second race, the course was so short that the leaders completed many of the legs in two and a half minutes or less.
Part of Spithill’s success today was being free of pre-race commitments, and his crew able to apply total concentration to the racing.
ORACLE TEAM USA BUNDOCK remained in eighth place in the standings. The crew led by skipper Darren Bundock had a nice start lined up in the first race but was on the course side at the starting signal. The ensuing penalty placed the crew too far behind in the light air and short course.
“It was a pretty disappointing day, frustrating in fact because it’s not the result we want or we're used to,” said Bundock. “Yes, we’ve had some crew changes and most of the other teams have been pretty consistent, so that's probably a factor.
“But we haven't been getting off the start line well. It's a very tight space and here in the Canal there is a current which sweeps you towards the line. Once you're behind, the course was pretty much a one way track up and down the boundary, so the opportunities were minimal,” Bundock said.
Artemis Racing defeat Energy Team to move into Match Racing Finals (from Artemis Racing)
Artemis Racing was back in form today, winning one of the fleet races plus both match races against Loick Peyron’s Energy Team, to progress to the Match Racing Finals tomorrow.
“Yesterday was disappointing, but we debriefed it intensely. It was nice to come back today and sail in the way that we know how to sail. It was a really good team day,” said Skipper Terry Hutchinson.
Having won the Match Racing in Naples a few weeks ago, Artemis leads the Match Racing Championships and is the only team to have been in the match racing semi-finals of each of the five World Series events to date.
Terry Hutchinson and the team will line up against Chris Draper’s Luna Rossa – Piranha in the finals first thing tomorrow, before the speed trials and “Super Sunday” fleet race.
“We were looking across today at one of the greatest legends in our sport in Loick. It wasn’t easy out there,” said Hutchinson. “Tomorrow we’ll be up against another really good, well sailed team in Luna Rossa. Those guys are on their game. We are going to have our work cut out for us.”
“Internally and externally we have high expectations for ourselves. We also have a tremendous amount of experience in our team. Within that we have to remind ourselves that we are actually a very new team. We have been at this for 18 months, but that doesn’t seem to soften the expectations. These opportunities and the pressure with the crew rotation are going to make us better. I’m happy to give up a little in the short term with a view make the team strong, because I know that is going to be what makes us win the America’s Cup,” said Hutchinson.