In the overall standings, which include the Defender, three teams concluded the opening Round Robin stage with four points each: Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, and INEOS Britannia. Meanwhile, in the Challenger-only standings, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli leads the pack, having achieved a flawless 4-0 record.
While the leaders are clear at the top, the real battle is at the bottom, where Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Orient Express Racing Team, both of whom lost crucial and winnable races today, are fighting for their survival in the second Round Robin, set to commence on Tuesday.
The Swiss team suffered a disqualification in their opening race against Emirates Team New Zealand due to a mast/mainsail issue that forced them back to Port Vell. Upon rejoining the race, they inadvertently breached the boundary requirements. In their second race, they were narrowly defeated by a relentless Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, leaving the Swiss without any points from the opening Round Robin. Arnaud Psarofaghis, the skipper of Alinghi Red Bull Racing, is acutely aware of the situation and knows they need a strong start at the beginning of Round Robin 2 on Tuesday. When asked about the team’s morale, he remained positive, stating: “The mood in the camp is really good. We know we need to put points on the board, and to do that, we need to win races. We need to start soon, or we won’t be able to do it anymore. Every day we’re going to keep trying, working to fix what we’ve been missing so far. It’s now or never, and we’re looking forward to Tuesday to go out there and have some good races.”
After delivering a masterful performance, Francesco Bruni, port helm for Luna Rossa, made it clear that they are here to win, saying: “It’s crucial to perform well because we want to be in the semi-finals, not the team going home early. We’re focusing heavily on sailing well while also learning for the future. It’s not just about getting results; it’s about balancing strong performances with continuous improvement. That’s why we train before and after racing, so we can keep getting better.”
For Orient Express Racing Team, today was a significant opportunity to secure a vital point, but they faced a determined INEOS Britannia, who superbly recovered from two penalties on the first upwind leg to snatch victory and dash French hopes. Quentin Delapierre, skipper of Orient Express Racing Team, reflected on another close miss, saying: “It was a great fight, which is really positive. Our boat is getting faster, and our manoeuvres are improving. I’m really proud of the team for taking the start this time, and I think everything is progressing. We just need to be a bit more precise to win races, but we’re not far off.”
Dylan Fletcher, port helm on INEOS Britannia, was relieved with the win and pleased with Britannia’s overall speed, stating: “We made it quite difficult for ourselves today. To be fair, our starting coach (Ian Williams) said we needed a good battle out there, so we gave him one! But it was good to see Britannia going fast, and we felt confident out there. Now we just need to keep building on this momentum as we head into Round Robin 2.”
The final race of the Louis Vuitton Cup’s opening Round Robin was a classic showdown between Emirates Team New Zealand and NYYC American Magic, two teams with something to prove, gain, and learn from each other. The race was tense and closely contested from the start, featuring textbook match-racing and precise execution with numerous lead changes before the Kiwis ultimately secured the lead on the second downwind leg with expert positioning and an astute reading of the conditions.
For Emirates Team New Zealand, this race was a chance to check their progress after repairs on Friday, and trimmer Andy Maloney was pleased with their performance, saying: “Amazing effort by the shore crew to get us out there yesterday like they did, and the boat felt good. The phases, though, were extremely tricky out there. We didn’t read them well on the first upwind, which we’re kicking ourselves for, but from then on, we regrouped and sailed a really good race, staying in phase when we could and splitting when we had the opportunity to get past them. But it was extremely challenging, and I think you can be in phase with different puffs around the racecourse.”
Tom Slingsby, starboard helm on NYYC American Magic, took some responsibility for their loss, explaining: “We had a really good first lap. We were behind on the first cross, but we fought back and got them at the top mark. We had a good run, leading them around the bottom mark, but on the second beat, it felt like they were maneuvering better than us. We tried to match them a couple of times, but they seemed to be closing in on us. My hands are up – I decided to say: ‘Look, we’re bleeding here, let’s let them go and concentrate on ourselves and try to pick the shifts,’ and I chose the wrong moment to do that.”
With just one scheduled day off before the regatta moves into Round Robin 2, most teams will likely take a maintenance day before racing resumes on Tuesday, with a potential semi-final decider between Orient Express Racing Team and Alinghi Red Bull Racing in the first race.
The next Round Robin starts Tuesday – let’s see if a rest day helps change the performance of any of the teams. We have one week before the first team is evicted from the America’s Cup Village – nobody wants to go home with that Wooden Spoon.
