Red Bull Youth America's Cup - Day 1
by Red Bull Sailing Newsroom 2 Sep 2013 08:38 BST
31 August 2013
New Zealand lead sailing's stars of tomorrow
The best 19-to-24-year old sailors from around the world converged onto San Francisco Bay today for inaugural racing in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, the definitive sailing event for the next generation of stars. Among the 10 teams and eight countries represented, it was the hometown San Francisco squad - American Youth Sailing Force - which took the first fleet race just off the America's Cup Village at Marina Green. The sailors are competing on AC45 catamarans powered by giant wing sails – the same boats used by the America's Cup teams in the AC World Series from 2011-2013.
Fleet racing continues September 2-4 at 11am PT/2 pm ET, with more than 70 territories around the world broadcasting live coverage and replays on both the America's Cup and Red Bull YouTube channels. In the U.S., fans can tune in to ESPN3 for live racing. There are two races per day, with the final race carrying double-points.
While American Youth Sailing Force took the first-ever race, it was the two New Zealand teams that emerged from a tight pack to take two of three podium places on day one. The racing is close, with just three points separating first from sixth place after two races. Peter Burling's New Zealand Sailing Team was the most consistent performer on the day, riding a second and fourth place finish to the top of the tight leaderboard. His Kiwi rival, Will Tiller, on Full Metal Jacket Racing, won the second race of the day.
"I've spoken with the 60-plus sailors who are racing here this week," said Hans-Peter Steinacher, a double Olympic Gold medalist and Sport Director for the Red Bull Youth America's Cup. "Every single one of them is determined to have a career as a pro sailor, to race in the America's Cup. This is the first step. They are racing on sailing's biggest stage, with the world – and the current America's Cup teams – watching. It's a fantastic opportunity."
France's Next World Energy had a quietly efficient day, moving up through the fleet in both races to finish with a fourth and a third to sit alone in second place.
Conditions were perfect for racing, near the upper end of the 18-knot wind limit in place for the Red Bull Youth America's Cup. The sun burned through the early morning fog to make for a memorable day with an enthusiastic crowd on hand to cheer the young sailors.
Standings after Day 1: (two races)
1st NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ (NZL) 2 – 4 – 16 points
2nd Next World Energy (FRA) 4 – 3 – 15 points
3rd Full Metal Jacket Racing (NZL) 7 – 1 – 14 points
4th Swedish Youth Challenge (SWE) 6 – 2 – 14 points
5th American Youth Sailing Force (USA) 1 – 7 – 14 points
6th ROFF/Cascais Sailing Team (POR) 3 – 6 – 13 points
7th Team TILT (SUI) 8 – 5 – 9 points
8th All In Racing (GER) 5 – 8 – 9 points
9th USA45 Racing (USA) 9 – 9 – 4 points
10th Objective Australia (AUS) 10 – 10 – 2 points
NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ take a narrow lead at RBYAC (from Jodie Bakewell-White, Yachting New Zealand)
The NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ has the early lead after day one of the inaugural Red bull Youth America's Cup, but only by the narrowest of margins. The other New Zealand entry FMJ Racing has a share of third place.
In a format where consistency pays dividends the Peter Burling led team sits at the top of the standings on 16 points after placing 2nd (worth 9 points) in the opening race and then 4th (7 points) in the second race of the day.
Sailor on board NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ Andy Maloney says, "All the boys were really excited and pumped up to start racing, and it was good to get those first two races out of the way, not make any major mistakes on the first day and get two solid results up."
Maloney reports that kiwi team feel comfortable with their opening day performance; "To not lose the regatta on the first day was the main thing for us so it was good. Everyone is pretty happy with our boat speed and our tactical decisions out there."
"We just made one silly unforced error today with getting a penalty on the boundary on the last race which cost us a couple of points which is never good. But we'll learn from that and hopefully not make the same mistake again tomorrow."
Maloney continues, "Just getting into the real racing is a little different and everything happens really quick. We've got plenty to work on around the whole course, but everyone is pretty happy with how it is going. So we'll just try and improve for tomorrow."
Racing on San Francisco Bay was extremely tight as all ten AC45s lined up for two races sailed in great conditions, the breeze ranging from 13-18 knots across the race track, with everyone wanting to open the regatta well.
The French entry, Next World Energy is just one point behind NZL Sailing Team with ETNZ on 15 points while FMJ Racing (NZL), Swedish Youth Challenge and American Youth Force Sailing are all on 14 points.
The Will Tiller led FMJ Racing team took a win in race two, "The difference was getting off that start line well in race two and getting to the first mark in the lead," Tiller said. "You've got to get in there early and tussle for your position right up to the start gun. We're learning all the time and getting better and better. We need to because there is quality competition."
Next World Energy second in the overall rankings (from Energy Team)
The Red Bull Youth America's Cup, the America's Cup for the under 24s got underway today. On Sunday, the first races took place in San Francisco Bay. The ten crews representing eight countries put on a great show... and the French were very impressive with their ability to bounce back and with their consistency, always being up there at the front. With a fourth place before making it to the podium (3rd), the young sailors on Next World Energy end up in second place in the overall rankings. They finish between the two New Zealand AC45s ahead of the Swedes, Americans, Portuguese and Swiss. A very encouraging start!
Fleet Race 1: Next World Energy just off the podium
Excellent start for the Americans on USA 1! The mists we have come to expect in San Francisco Bay were present for the first race in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup, which was raced in 13 knots of wind from the WSW. The young French team on Next World Energy skippered by Arthur Ponroy (skipper) and Antoine Lauriot-Prévost (helmsman) appeared to be fairly well placed at the end of the line at the start, although in air that was disturbed by their closest competitors, they were in a rather tricky situation at the end of the first reaching leg: 9th. However, Next World Energy kept it all together and gradually crawled their way back. Moving up one place after another at each mark, the crew on the French AC45 seemed to be settling in nicely. For a long time they were battling it out for 5th or 6th place... right up until the 5th gate when Next World Energy chose to go for the right-hand buoy unlike the Swedes and the Germans. A great idea, as after 25 minutes ! of racing, the young French team finished in a fine fourth place... ahead of the Swedish and German boats. A great result!
Fleet Race 2: Next World Energy on the podium
The wind increased to 19 knots, but that didn't upset the Kiwis. The two New Zealand boats were up at the front from the start along with the Swedes and the Americans on USA1. It was tougher for the Portuguese and the French, who found themselves at the rear of the fleet. But once again, the French youngsters on Next World Energy kept their cool and avoided making any mistakes... which was not the case for everyone! At least three crews found themselves in difficulty with their code zero at the end of the downwind leg. They lost a lot of time and not able to furl it correctly had problems setting off upwind. That was not the case for the French. "If we don't make any mistakes during the manoeuvres and if we don't get a penalty, we should make it to the first half of the fleet," the helmsman Antoine Lauriot-Prévost said before the race. That is exactly what happened in this second race with the French showing their consistency... i! n fourth place with two legs to go to the finish. That's when luck intervened for the lads on Next World Energy: NZL Sailing with ETNZ, the first Kiwi boat went beyond the boundaries and was rightly penalized. They lost two spots with this mistake, and the Swedes (2nd) and the French in third place took advantage of that, making it to the podium for the first time and in so doing, ending up in second place overall at the end of this first day of racing. Well done, lads!
Quotes:
Antoine Mermod, team manager for Next World Energy: "This was a great first day, so we're really pleased. We didn't get off to the best of starts, but then during the races, the lads did a great job. Particularly in the downwind legs, where they were quick after choosing the right options. Some boats had problems or messed up their manoeuvres... but we didn't. The lads didn't make any mistakes and managed to avoid any technical problems. That is very important, and is the main pre-requisite if you want to do well in this Red Bull Youth America's Cup."
Antoine Lauriot-Prévost, helmsman on the Next World Energy AC45: "The first analysis after these two races is that the races are very close right up to the finish. You can move up and won the rankings very quickly with a lot of changes in the fleet during the races. You have to keep believing, even if you are poorly placed at the start and then sail cleanly. Today, we didn't have the best of starts, but what is positive is that after that we managed to move back up through the fleet."
Challenging opening day for Team Tilt (from Team Tilt)
The Red Bull Youth America's Cup kicked off today on San Francisco Bay in fresh conditions. Switzerland's Team Tilt finished the first day of sailing in seventh place overall.
San Francisco, 1 September 2013 – Lucien Cujean and his team raced two rounds of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup today beneath the Golden Gate Bridge in classic San Francisco conditions with a fresh 15 to 18 knot breeze, fog and 14 degrees temperature.
The young Swiss crew onboard Team Tilt finished eighth in the first round and fifth in the second to rank seventh overall at the end of day one. "Our starts need some improvement," said headsail trimmer Thomas Mermod. "We are not positioning ourselves well before the start and are not accelerating fast enough off the start line which has twice put us in an unfavourable position at the first mark.
"On the positive side, we are managing to pass boats during the race despite these errors. Each crew member knows his role inside out, our boat handling is good and we are sailing the boat confidently."
Participating in the Red Bull Youth America's Cup against nine other teams crewed by some of the most talented youth sailors in the sport, Olympians and AC45 World Series sailors amongst them, is quite an achievement says Team Tilt skipper Lucien Cujean: "After all the training we have done, we are really happy to be here, what we are experiencing is incredible!" he said.
With six races to go, the Red Bull Youth America's Cup continues twice daily until Wednesday 4 September from 11:00 to 12:30 local time. The crew onboard Team Tilt is unanimous in its feedback on what must change going into tomorrow's racing: "We need to sail much more aggressively! We know what we can do and proved it yesterday during the speed tests." Team Tilt, the only Red Bull Youth America's Cup team to come from a land-locked country, has not had its final say.
Tough first day for Objective Australia (from Simon Reffold, Objective Australia)
Equipment failures marred the Objective Australia team’s first day of racing on San Francisco Bay in the inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup.
It was a grey and damp day, with 14-17 knots of wind and a reasonably light ebb tide flowing out toward the Golden Gate Bridge as the fleet of ten teams representing Australia, New Zealand (2), USA (2), Portugal, France, Germany and Switzerland headed out on the race course.
Nerves played a big factor for all teams in the first start of the day, for many this is the biggest event of their lives. After an average start in the first race, Objective Australia was noticeably slower to hoist their gennaker for the downwind leg and never really managed to get back into the race, which was eventually won by a convincing margin by the USA Youth Sailing Force team.
After the race finished, the ACRM maintenance team boarded Objective Australia frantically trying to help the team run a new gennaker halyard. The halyard, which hoists the bigger Code Zero sail, is a supplied piece of equipment and failed on the first deploy today, stripping the outer casing. With little time between races the crew worked together to complete the repair while the other teams rested. Unfortunately, it was not able to be tested before the start of the second race.
After a much better start in Race 2, Objective Australia rounded the first mark in 5th position. Again, their Code Zero hoist was a little tentative but they got down the run without too many issues, again rounding in 5th position. It was a close fought work to the top mark with the two Kiwi boats, the Portuguese and the second US team leading the Aussies.
At the top mark it was very crowded and many teams made mistakes because of the congestion of the fleet, with the Aussies gaining and moving up to 4th. But at the next bottom mark rounding their day effectively ended when the Code Zero failed at the halyard and fell in the water, stopping the boat. Initial investigation points to a failure that would have been identified with more time to test after the repair.
After the crew re-gathered the damaged sail they bravely finished the race but ended the day with two 10th places and a lot of recovery work to do over the next three days.
The Objective Australia team has shown their exceptional speed and tactical skills over the past weeks and they are more than capable of shaking off a bad first day.
Looking forward to a new day tomorrow.