Key takeaways from the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final Day 1

The Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Closing began at the moment, Saturday 14 September, in Barcelona because the 4 remaining America’s Cup Challengers took to the water for the opening races of their better of 9 head-to-head collection. The competitors will decide the 2 groups who will meet within the Louis Vuitton Cup Closing for the prospect to race Emirates Staff New Zealand within the America’s Cup itself.

Having received the Spherical Robin collection, Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia have been afforded the precise to select their opponent for the Semi-Closing and whether or not they need their first race to be first up or second up on the primary day. They picked Alinghi Pink Bull Racing – broadly seen because the weakest of the three different groups – and in addition select to race second, when the thermally enhanced breeze ought to be at its finest, so avoiding the sunshine circumstances that have been predicted for the early a part of the day.

Co-skipper of American Magic, Paul Goodison continues to be recovering from an damage – which has now been revealed to be damaged ribs as has been broadly rumoured – and, having missed the ultimate day of the Spherical Robin, he stays in recovery-mode. As soon as once more, he was changed by the younger Lucas Calabrese, who has educated extensively with the workforce.

Key takeaways from the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Closing Day 1

INEOS are clear favourites to make the Louis Vuitton Closing
Luna Rossa are more likely to be within the Louis Vuitton Closing, however it will likely be a more durable match towards American Magic
Manoeuvrability continues to look a weak point of American Magic

SkippersAmerican Magic: Lucas Calabrese & Tom SlingsbyLuna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni

Regardless of a disappointing finish to the Louis Vuitton Spherical Robin collection, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli have appeared the quickest of the Challengers and with the lack of Goodison on American Magic, they’re the bookies favorite to take the win on this Semi-Closing.

The race was delayed by American Magic asking for a 15 minute delay – every workforce can do that as soon as per collection – as they sorted out, what Slingsby later described as a ‘techniques error’.

When racing did get underway in round 12 knots of wind, it was first blood to the American flagged boat within the pre-start as Slingsby and Calabrese appeared to steer again to the beginning and purpose for the favoured pin finish of the road. Spithill and Bruni determined to gybe round in entrance of American Magic so they may lead again to the favoured pin finish. However they made the choice a little bit too late and as they gybed via their very own soiled air, they obtained a bit sluggish and American Magic pounced to roll excessive of the Italians. 

“We didn’t have an excellent begin, so we have been a little bit bit on the again foot in the beginning,” stated Bruni of the beginning after the racing.

That gave the begin to American Magic, who hit the pin finish of the road at tempo, whereas Luna Rossa was pressured to tack on the gun and head out to the precise of the course. American Magic tacked to observe and did a very good job of protecting a lose cowl on the Italians.

Spithill and Bruni threw in a number of brief tacks on the precise hand boundary trying to attract American Magic right into a tacking duel – one thing that had labored nicely for Alinghi of their win over the US boat. However Slingsby and Calabrese did a wonderful job of protecting a lose cowl on their opponent and ensuring they out them in soiled air on the key moments of the leg. 

Luna Rossa spent a lot of the subsequent lap protecting very near American Magic on the lookout for a mistake and it lastly got here on the second windward gate when American Magic touched down off the foils after the rounding. There was loads of breeze to permit them to pop striagh again up on the foils however it was sufficient of a pace loss to permit the Italians a sniff of an opportunity. 

On the leeward gate rounding, Luna Ross got here round proper on the strict of the People and instantly tacked. With some respectable wind out on the precise of the course and demonstrating some respectable tempo, the Italians had the benefit on the subsequent cross, because the port tacked People wanted to duck their stern.

Spithill and Bruni had finished and glorious job of getting in section with the shifts and by the subsequent cross they have been nicely clear, rounding the windward mark with a good lead.

American Magic did handle to catch them a little bit donwwind, however it was by no means sufficient to overtake the Italians.

What did We be taught from the Louis Vuitton Semi-Closing Race 1?

One other mistake in the beginning will probably be disappointing for Spithill and Bruni, who’ve made extra errors thus far within the racing than you’d anticipate from this polished workforce.

However what was most noticeable – and regarding for these desirous to see a very good competitors – was how nicely Luna Rossa managed to hold onto American Magic when behind after which how a lot they have been capable of stretch away as soon as in entrance. It was fairly clear they’d a little bit of pace in hand over the People in these circumstances and with these setups.

Picture: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

SkippersINEOS Britannia: Ben Ainlsie & Dylan FletcherAlinghi Pink Bull Racing: Arnaud Psarofaghis & Maxime Bachelin

With INEOS wining the Spherical Robin and Alinghi Pink Bull Racing being the bottom ranked of the qualifying groups, the Brits are the favorite to win this Semi-Closing. However like the primary race of the day it was not the favorite who received the beginning.

Ainslie and Fletcher elected to steer again to the road, however have been fairly early heading again. Alinghi have been joyful to let the Brits have the pin finish and set as much as begin gapped nicely off to windward. Because the gun fired, the Brits have been nonetheless scrubbing off some pace, whereas the Swiss-flagged Alinghi reached into the windward finish and have been capable of begin at tempo, with a good hole to the Brits to leeward.

The Brits tacked onto port and Alinghi tried to tack proper on high of INEOS, however Ainslie and Fletcher have been capable of foot a little bit bit because the Swiss tacked and maintain their air clear. Psarofaghis and Bachelin did a very good job protecting a canopy on the Brits, who have been trying fast in these 12 knot wind circumstances. Alinghi managed to do one much less tack than the Brits upwind, which gave them an 11 second lead on the first windward gate rounding. 

However though they’d the lead, the additional manoeuvre additionally meant the Brits might cut up away from the Swiss on the primary downwind. INEOS has appeared fast downwind all collection and right here, she as soon as once more displayed her tempo. And with Ainslie and Fletcher doing an excellent job of choosing the puffs and have been full 28 seconds forward by the primary leeward gate.

“It was a decent first beat and the Swiss has the higher of us that’s for certain, however we obtained a pleasant little bit of stress for us on the high proper of the course,” stated INEOS’ coach, Rob Wilson.

In an ominous show, from there INEOS actually put the hammer down and received by a powerful 2 minutes and 5 seconds.

What did We be taught from the Louis Vuitton Semi-Closing Race 2?

Everybody expects this Semi-Closing to be the least aggressive because the Spherical Robin winner takes on the bottom ranked qualifier. And so it proved to be with the Brits annihilating their competitors. Ainslie and Fletcher will probably be upset by their poor begin however apart from that, it was a fairly faultless show.

The largest lesson from this race was simply how a lot faster the Brits have been than their Swiss competitors. It’s solely the primary race of their best-of-nine collection, however all indicators are pointing to a 5-0 scoreline if this tempo differential stays.

Picture: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

SkippersAmerican Magic: Lucas Calabrese & Tom SlingsbyLuna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni

The wind had began to fade by the third race of the day and had dropped again into single figures over the course, with 7 knot winds on the backside finish and 10 knots within the puffs.

The beginning was nearly a carbon copy of the primary match between these groups with Luna Rossa trying to gybe spherical in entrance of American Magic to steer again. Nonetheless, because the Italians went via their gybe they picked up a little bit of air flow on their rudder foil, misplaced steering and had a giant skid to leeward.

This as soon as once more allowed Slingsby and Calabrese to roll excessive of them and lead again to the favoured pin finish. Spithill and Bruni managed to do a very good job of constructing a spot between them and the People, so that they hit the startline with a bit area to leeward. However American Magic obtained into a pleasant excessive mode and compelled the Italians to tack away. 

On the first cross American Magic have been simply forward of the starboard tack Italians, and Slingsby and Calabrese selected to tack proper in entrance of the Italian workforce. From there American Magic as soon as once more stored a lose cowl on their opponents to steer across the windward gate 10 seconds within the lead.

The hole remained fairly shut on the primary downwind, however it was catastrophe for American Magic on the leeward gate as they gybed to get across the left hand gate mark and take the favoured left hand facet of the beat, however via the gybe they fell off their foils and have been pressured to do a giant re-build of pace as soon as across the gate. “It was actually tough at that backside finish. The wind obtained tremendous gentle and we simply couldn’t fairly lay in,” defined Calabrese after the race. 

To be truthful to Slingsby and Calabrese, the left was clearly considerably favoured and by the primary cross, Luna Rossa did have the lead however solely because of having the starboard tack benefit. On the subsequent cross it was the US-flagged workforce who have been on starboard and took the lead. 

However Spithill and Bruni had finished an excellent job of determining the course, and on the subsequent cross, Luna Rossa was on starboard and have been laying into the gate, whereas American Magic, on port, was not on a layline and wanted to do a further tack to get via the gate.

From there Luna Rossa held onto their lead however didn’t romp away in these lighter circumstances in the way in which they’d on their first race. Certainly, American Magic managed to maintain issues so shut that choosing up a puff on the ultimate downwind noticed Slingsby and Calabrese threatening to seize the lead. Butb Luna Rossa simply managed to carry on, parking their boat between their opposition and the end. “It was brutal for the fellows on the bikes and we actually needed to work laborious so as to cling on down that final downwind,” stated Spithill

What did We be taught from the Louis Vuitton Semi-Closing Race 3?

Within the barely lighter circumstances these two boats appeared a bit extra evenly matched by way of straightline pace and the Italians weren’t capable of step away as soon as they’d grabbed the lead. Not that, that will probably be of any consolation to Slingsby and Calabrese who, however for some higher manoeuvres, might have walked away from the day 2-0 up as a substitute of 2-0 down.

Picture: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

SkippersINEOS Britannia: Ben Ainlsie & Dylan FletcherAlinghi Pink Bull Racing: Arnaud Psarofaghis & Maxime Bachelin

There was a brief delay to the beginning of the ultimate race of the day because the dying breeze dropped beneath the mandated minimal common of 6.5 knots. However the breeze did decide up sufficient to get the race run after solely a brief delay.

Nonetheless, with the sunshine winds making issues tough for the groups, Alinghi dropped off their foils and have been struggling to get foiling as soon as once more within the pre-start and, whereas they tried to get their AC75 again up on the foils they picked up a boundary penalty.

Psarofaghis and Bachelin did ultimately get the boat foiling simply earlier than the beginning, however with a boundary penalty already, they wanted to drop again behind Ainslie and Fletcher straight out of the beginning. The Brits continued their type from their earlier race and simply pulled away from the Swiss at each mark and received once more by 1 minute 37 seconds.

“It’s fairly gentle out right here and you possibly can see the Swiss had a number of issues coming off the foil,” stated Ainslie after the racing. “It’s been tough at the moment because the wind has been actually shifty and puffy.”

What did We be taught from the Louis Vuitton Semi-Closing Race 4?

Given the relative efficiency differential between these two boats it’s at all times going to be a tricky ask for Alinghi to overhaul the Brits, so the penalty within the pre-start ended this race earlier than it started. Nothing a lot new to be taught from this one, apart from to verify the INEOS is faster and extra manoeuvrable than Alinghi Pink Bull Racing, who appear like they’ll be on the mistaken finish of some fairly important win margins this regatta.

Observe all of our 2024 America’s Cup protection

In case you loved this….

Yachting World is the world’s main journal for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Each month we’ve got inspirational adventures and sensible options that will help you realise your crusing goals.

Construct your information with a subscription delivered to your door. See our newest presents and save a minimum of 30% off the duvet worth.