Cup Spy - Day 11: Louis Vuitton Cup - The Last Chance Saloon
by Richard Gladwell 15 Sep 18:30 BST
Luna Rossa and American Magic - Day 2 - Semi-Finals - Louis Vuitton Cup - Day 11 - September 15, 2024 - Barcelona © Ricardo Pinto / America's Cup
Commentary: The Last Chance Saloon beckons
Sunday produced the best breeze and best racing conditions of the Louis Vuitton Cup. It also produced the closest result we have seen in the racing to date.
However being the best, or closest, did not mask the awful truth of the day - that two teams have about 20 minutes racing left in the 37th America's Cup.
Today's racing, in terms of results, was a rinse and repeat of Saturday, with INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli scoring another two wins to have four of the required five race wins to progress to the Finals.
Of the four teams, maybe the surprising aspect of today was that they weren't a lot faster.
The top end numbers achieved were not remarkably better than the Class of 2021. The top end speed we saw in a bear-away today was 50kts - the AC75 record in racing is 53.31kts set by the former Patriot, in Auckland in a breeze of 18-22kts. Upwind 40kts was being hit on occasions - that was about the top end, on the same point of sail, in Auckland.
While there is no doubt that the lighter Version 2 AC75 is a big improvement on Version 1 AC75s in lighter winds. But we would have expected more in today's breeze. The Brits did 50.2kts in the last race of the day. We'll check on the others when the data is to hand, but don't expect anything too different.
Today's racing reinforced many of the questions raised yesterday.
How much benefit is INEOS Britannia getting from the regatta, when Alinghi Red Bull Racing was back 2500 metres in the first race of the day and 1000metres in the second?
Contrast that with the final race of the day between Luna Rossa and American Magic - when the finishing margin was just 2 secs, and the US team came within an ace of scoring their first win. The Italians were pushed hard and their fattest margin was 11 secs. For the last three legs the on the water margin was 80metres or less. A flight controller only has to sneeze and all of that - and more - will be lost.
Given that they led around the first mark in both their races yesterday, and won six of the 12 mark roundings, American Magic is clearly on the improve and at least one race win is on the cards. However regardless, the Italians are certainly having all aspects of their campaign put to the test, and if they do prevail, will go into the Challenger Finals having had a tougher workout than INEOS Britannia.
We came close to witnessing the ultimate crash, which has been spoken of, in hushed tones, since the AC75 design was first released.
In the Pre-start of their first race, the Swiss washed out their foils and rudder and a crash with foil arms locked seemed inevitable as they headed towards INEOS Britannia at a closing speed of 60kts. Showing tremendous seamanship, the British team was able to execute a crash gybe and avoid a collision that would have taken out two boats and several crew.
Live Coverage - Day 2 Semi-Finals
Weather Information - Louis Vuitton Cup - Semi Finals - Day 2
Sunday 15th Sept
After mid-day, the South-South-West breeze from the direction 200° will come in and increase during the afternoon around 8-12 knots. Sea state will be calm with 0.5 meter wave from the East with 4-second period. Perfect sunny sky and temperatures up to 26° should make a great racing day.
Monday 16th Sept
In the afternoon, we expect light conditions with the Southerly breeze having a harder time to establish like the previous days. Winds of about 6 knots are forecasted at this stage. Flat sea, clear sky, and similar temperatures should be present on the race course.
Race Summaries:
Semi Final B: Match 3: ITA vs USA Start: 14:10hrs UTC. Entry: Port: ITA Stbd: USA
Start ITA led into start with American Magic behind and to windward. ITA had early advantage. American Magic headed to the beach and the starboard boundary. American Magic came back off the beach and ITA tacked underneath and ahead by 240 metres.
Mark 1: 03m 49secs: ITA led USA by 13secs
Mark 2: 07m 02secs: ITA led USA by 08secs. USA late in lowering starboard foil - washed out both foils and lost distance.
Mark 3: 11m 24secs: ITA led USA by 30secs.
Mark 4: 14m 36secs: ITA led USA by 23secs.
Mark 5: 19m 06secs: ITA led USA by 32secs.
Finish: 22m 29secs: ITA led USA by 26secs.
Semi Final A: Match 3: SUI vs GBR Start: 1244hrs UTC. Entry: Port: SUI | Stbd: GBR
Near collision between Alinghi Red Bull Racing (port) and INEOS Britannia (starboard) before the start. Swiss washed out all foils and almost capsized. GBR did an urgent gybe to avoid. No penalty signalled. Brits started 1000metres ahead.
Mark 1: 03m 55sec GBR led SUI by 79secs and stretched out to 1660metres ahead
Mark 2: 07m 00sec GBR led SUI by 91secs lead now 1244metres
Mark 3: 11m 19sec GBR led SUI by 100sec lead now 1796metres in. Wind is 14.5kts from SW
Mark 4: 14m 36sec GBR led SUI by 107sec
Mark 5: 19m 11sec GBR led SUI by 122sec lead now 2300metres
Finish: 22m 31sec GBR led SUI by 140sec lead at finish 2500 metres.
Semi Final B: Match 4: USA vs ITA Start: time to be announced. Entry: Port: USA | Stbd: ITA
ITA led in the run down the line with USA above and to windward. USA 23metres back. Both head for the port boundary. Both simo-tacked off the port boundary.
Mark 1: 04m 12sec ITA led USA by 06sec
Mark 2: 07m 30sec ITA led USA by 11sec
Mark 3: 12m 05sec ITA led USA by 11sec margin 240metres Wind 16.6kts
Mark 4: 15m 14sec ITA led USA by 08sec margin 80metres
Mark 5: 19m 48sec ITA led USA by 03sec margin 60metres Wind 17kts
Finish: 22m 50sec ITA led USA by 02sec margin 35metres when ITA did final gybe
Semi Final A: Match 4: GBR vs SUI Start: time to be announced. Entry: Port: GBR | Stbd: SUI
Start: Swiss led British who were behind and to windward. SUI led briefly by 8metres as the AC75s exited the start area.
Mark 1: 04m 01sec GBR led SUI by 15sec. The AC75s took opposite gates - with GBR taking the port side gate mark.
Mark 2: 07m 11sec GBR led SUI by 21sec or 334 metres on the water
Mark 3: 11m 24sec GBR led SUI by 36sec with GBR hitting 50kts on the bear away. Margin out to 770metres in a 18kt breeze.
Mark 4: 14m 37sec GBR led SUI
Mark 5: 19m 06sec GBR led SUI by 48secs
Finish: 22m 23sec GBR led SUI by 48secs. Margin on the water 1000metres.
Semi Finals format and progression:
The Semi-Finals see Round Robin series winner INEOS Britannia pitched against the Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing, who was the fourth qualifier. The other Semi-Final is between second placed qualifier Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and American Magic who finished third in the Qualifiers, which finished on Monday.
The winners of their Semi-Finals will be the first boat to win five races in the best of nine series.
Two races are planned for each pair, each day - making four races per day. The same wind limits will apply as for the earlier rounds of the Louis Vuitton Cup - a lower limit of 6.5kts and an upper limit of 21kts, measured at the top and bottom of the course (start line) using recording devices on each gate. There are a total of four devices, with the readings averaged over 30 second intervals over a five minute period between the 9th down to the 4th minute before the start. If the wind is within the allowed limits the Course Director will make a radio call (heard on the TV commentary) telling the crews that the racing is going to proceed.
If the go-ahead is given then the race proceeds regardless of what the breeze does regardless of the wind limits. Once the go-ahead is given, the only constraint on the race is that teams must make a first leg time limit of 12 minutes, and then a race time limit of 45 minutes. The length of legs, compass direction of the next leg and number of legs can all be altered by the race committee during the race.
To date no race has gone over 25 minutes duration.
The race director has the power to not start racing (even if the breeze is within the prescribed limits) if he considers the sea state is unsafe. He also has the ability to call off a race for safety reasons - a power which he came close to using during the lightning strikes on Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup. However Emirates Team NZ's decision to drop out of their race and sail beyond the 100metre boundary line, triggering their disqualification, and the immediate awarding of the race to Luna Rossa, meant that the Chief Umpire's actions forestalled any action on safety grounds by the Race Director.
Our coverage includes Weather, Live video, Updated images live from the race course, mark rounding statistics, rounding times, margins, and other commentary.
Course Location:
Weather Information - Louis Vuitton Cup - Semi Finals - Day 1
Sunday 15th Sept
After mid-day, the South-South-West breeze from the direction 200° will come in and increase during the afternoon around 8-12 knots. Sea state will be calm with 0.5 meter wave from the East with 4-second period. Perfect sunny sky and temperatures up to 26° should make a great racing day.
Monday 16th Sept
In the afternoon, we expect light conditions with the Southerly breeze having a harder time to establish like the previous days. Winds of about 6 knots are forecasted at this stage. Flat sea, clear sky, and similar temperatures should be present on the race course.
Weather Prognosis:
America's Cup Weather Partner PredictWind has provided a dedicated Race Weather Center offering fans access to detailed daily weather breakdowns, live webcams and historical weather data to daily weather breakdowns written by meteorologists.
Arnaud Monges, former America’s Cup Team Meteorologist
Pairings and Matches - Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals Day 2
Semi Final B: Match 3: ITA vs USA Start: 14:10. Entry: Port: ITA Stbd: USA
Semi Final A: Match 3: SUI vs GBR Start: time to be announced. Entry: Port: SUI | Stbd: GBR
Semi Final B: Match 4: USA vs ITA Start: time to be announced. Entry: Port: USA | Stbd: ITA
Semi Final A: Match 4: GBR vs SUI Start: time to be announced. Entry: Port: GBR | Stbd: SUI
Crew Lists
Virtual Eye
Now, or after the racing you can replay the key points, or the whole race using Virtual Eye from ARL
You can go directly to the Virtual Eye America's Cup coverage by clicking here and click on "Watch Previous" then select the race you wish to view. This s 3D viewer so you can zoom in, out, around and up and down just like you could in a helicopter.