Cup Spy Oct 23: Kiwis pass the ultimate test - 18-25kt winds and confused 2 metre seas
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 24 Oct 2023 06:21 BST
23 October 2023
Emirates Team New Zealand - AC75 - Day 53 - Barcelona - October 23, 2023 © Ugo Fonolla / America's Cup
Emirates Team New Zealand were the only one of six Cup teams to sail on Monday, in a big seaway of almost 2 metres, and an off-axis wind of 18-20kts.
What happened in the Cup - October 23, 2023:
- Emirates Team New Zealand - the Kiwis sailed a two hour plus session out of Barcelona in the most testing conditions in which any team has sailed to date.
- Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - No report from the AC37 Joint Recon team
- Alinghi Red Bull Racing - No report from the AC37 Joint Recon team
- INEOS Britannia - No report from the AC37 Joint Recon team. Their test boat T6 is still in the shed after the catastrophic destruction of their rudder and rudder assembly during a towing session.
- American Magic - No report from the AC37 Joint Recon team
- Orient Express Racing Team - No report from the AC37 Joint Recon team
Commentary:
The teams were welcomed to the new, and probably final week of sailing in Barcelona, with a seastate that was officially recorded on the America's Cup buoy at a massive 2.1metres.
"It was a great day for us," said Blair Tuke back at the team base after today's sail. "We've only got a few days left here in Barcelona and today presented some conditions we hadn't been out in before. So we wanted to get Te Rehutai and the crew out in those conditions. It was a great test for the for the boat and the crew."
It is likely that an AC40 would have been overwhelmed in this sea state, stymieing any sailing options that the 40fter (AC40/LEQ12) only teams may have had.
After a chase boat reconnaissance tour by ETNZ the decision was made to head out, in marginal racing conditions. By 1220hrs when the team docked out, the wave height was still being running at 1.8metres and stayed at that height until the end of the sailing session at 1455hrs.
"We went out early in the morning, just look at the waves. And then just before we left, the wind really came in - as was sort of expected to but it was around about 20 knots."
"The toughest part actually is around the around the breakwater - we wanted to make sure we could just get out of the entrance safely. So we were just checking that part, and then made the final call go and got through there. The conditions were as expected out there, it was a real challenge for us and the boat, but there was a huge amount of learnings as a group and it was really successful for us."
"We've got a lot of trust in the crew and in the boat, and to be able to push it, like we did today was really pleasing," Tuke added.
This week is set down as being Reserve Days for the corresponding period 12 months hence in the 2024 America's Cup. So far the Autumnal weather is providing a mixed menu of sailing conditions. The sailors have to cope with what Nature provides.
Off the video shot by the AC37 Joint Recon team the Kiwis didn't push the AC75 to the same limits, they'd have done in flat water, and this wind-strength, which would have provided exhilarating sailing. Instead the AC75 seemed to be nursed through the seaway at times, clearly not at full foiling speed, but getting upwind nevertheless.
Certainly they would have gathered some great data for use in the simulator, when they return to Auckland in November.
Justin Chisholm of the AC37 Joint Recon team remarked on the team tri-foiling with both wing foils immersed and being active. In the 2017 Cup, the teams were only allowed to have two foils immersed for 15 seconds, while tacking or gybing. That rule was dropped for the 2021 Cup, but was never as issue because of the lighter winds and flat seas in Auckland in 2021. But this Cup cycle we are seeing the teams regularly tri-foiling in extreme conditions, or when they feel they need to get the AC40/AC75 under better control, or sail less on the edge.
"There was times when we found it was pretty hard to get going, so that was kind of a [tri-foiling] mode we found. Llt's say there's learning all the time. We've got plenty more to do but it was pretty fun conditions, today, that's for sure."
"Does the fact that you are out there today, give you a jump on the other teams?" Chisholm asked.
"There's only a couple of teams here with the big boat [AC75]," Tuke responded. "In these conditions, the big boats are obviously a little bit easier. We've sailed back home in relatively big waves, so it was nice to go out today and continue to build on that. We're trying to get the most out everyday we can, and today was a good day for us."
"Do you think it was race-able, today?" Chisholm asked.
"It's below the wind limits, but there's obviously that sea state factor in there," Tule replied. "It will be interesting to see how all the teams get around the racetrack. It would have been difficult today. I would have thought it probably was raceable though. Right on the edge, probably. So we'll have to wait and see how that plays out, I guess."
AC37 Joint Recon Team Reports:
Emirates Team New Zealand - AC75 - October 23, 2023 - Barcelona from Justin Chisholm - ETNZ Recon Unit
Emirates Team New Zealand braved a forecast of big seas and potential strong winds for Barcelona today to gather valuable insight into how their last-generation AC75 would perform in such conditions.
After rolling out at 1030hrs the Kiwi yacht was rigged and launched by 1112hrs. While this was going on the afterguard of the crew went by chaseboat to check out the conditions they could expect outside the harbour.
Later, the scheduled dockout time of 1200hrs was pushed back to 1220hrs to allow time for another chaseboat sortie to recheck the sea state given the arrival of around 15 to 20 kts gusty southerly breeze.
The Recon team also ventured outside the harbour entrance where we experienced a horribly confused sea state with waves heights between 1.7m - 2.0 metres.
Still happy that conditions were sailable the sailors returned to the base where the AC75 docked out at 1220hrs. The crew hoisted sails – M2-3 mainsail and J4-3 headsail – in the shelter of the inside basin of Port Vell before sailing out of the harbour at 1240hrs.
Soon after the boat's bow was punching through the steep chop as it accelerated to takeoff speed. Moments later it made a sharp two-board bear away to head off downwind.
The difficult sea state made it impossible for us (AC37 Joint Recon) to follow closely but it appeared that the crew were sailing conservatively on port gybe – often using two-boards – but were able to single foil on starboard.
Understandably, given the conditions, the boat looked less under control than it normally did and there were plenty of touch and go gybes and several straight line splash downs. With the breeze backing off as low as 10kts around 1300hrs, the team switched headsails at 1335hrs from the J4-6 to the J3-6.
After this change the boat looked much more comfortable in flight – although the sea state still made tacks and gybes difficult and the crew were still often using two boards on both gybes downwind.
There was one precarious moment late in the session where the boat appeared to stall after setting off after a short stop and ended up heeled steeply for 10 seconds before the crew got the boat under control. Time was called at 1425hrs with the boat sailing into the harbour before sails were dropped in the inner basin by 1445hrs ahead of dock in at 1455hrs.
Another sailing session is scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday October 24.
Session Statistics: Emirates Team New Zealand - AC75 - October 23, 2023 - Barcelona
- Weather: Cloudy 22°C
- Wind Strength 15-22kts
- Wind Direction: 200-220°
- Sea State: Very confused. 1.7 - 2.0 metres
- Crane In: 1112hrs Dock Out: 1220hrs
- Dock In: 1455hrs Crane out: 1530hrs
- Total Tacks: 17 - Fully foiling: 3; Touch & Go: 11; Touch Down: 3
- Total Gybes: 13 - Fully foiling: 3; Touch & Go: 7; Touch Down: 3
Crew: Peter Burling (Starboard) Nathan Outteridge (Port), Andy Maloney and Blair Tuke, Cyclors on rotation, including: Louis Sinclair, Sam Meech, Dougal Allan, Marcus Hansen; Cameron Webster, Louis Crosby. Simon Van Velthoven (Cyclor) was an observer on the Recon boat.
Weather Observations - Port Olimpic - 23 October, 2023
The breeze is recorded at Port Olimpic at a point 12 metres above water level, and adjacent to the America's Cup course,
According to wave buoy data the seaway was running at 140° - 150° - off axis by 50°-60° to the wind direction of 190°-225°.
The sea state had somehow been built up by a building NE (045°) breeze which blew at 18kts gusting 25kts throughout the previous night.
Wind recordings at Olimpic Port alongside the America's Cup course had been dropped almost completely away between 0900-1030hrs, but settled into the SSW (200°) and increased to a 20kt average gusting 25kts (AC37 limit is 23.5kts measured on a rolling 30sec average between 9 and 4 minutes before the race start). The winds dropped to 10kts, at 1330hrs according to the Olimpic Port nowcasting, and increased back to 18-20kts around 1400hrs - staying at the level until the session end.
There was little reduction in the sea state, which is the highest by about a metre experienced in Barcelona, when the teams have sailed, since the end of July. The highest sea state we have seen on Predictwind over the past four months is a period of 2.7metre high seas on the America's Cup buoy. Today was only the second time we have seen wave recordings of over 2 metres.
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