The day’s races were a mixed bag for the competitors, with each team grappling with the tricky conditions in their own way. While Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli shone, there were also commendable performances from other single-race winners, including NYYC American Magic, INEOS Britannia, and Emirates Team New Zealand. However, for teams like Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Orient Express Racing Team, the day’s results were a harsh reminder of the uphill battle they face to stay in contention.
August 31, 2024. Race Day 3 of the Louis Vuitton Cup. ALINGHI RED BULL RACING Photo Credit: AC37 media
Alinghi Red Bull Racing, in particular, had a tough time on the water. The Swiss team suffered their third consecutive defeat, struggling to stay on their foils and ultimately falling behind in their race against INEOS Britannia. The British team, despite a late scare when they too dropped off their foils, managed to recover and secure the win. However, they weren’t able to maintain this momentum in their next race, succumbing to a defeat against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in light winds, where another foil fall proved costly.
Sir Ben Ainslie, skipper of INEOS Britannia, remained optimistic despite the mixed results. Reflecting on the day’s races, he said, “We had a couple of good races there, a couple of really nice starts. We came off the foil in the first race which gave Alinghi Red Bull Racing a sniff of getting back into the race—pretty stressful moments—but we managed to get that point across the board. Then another nice start against the Italians, got the first cross but all the pressure came in from the left at the top of that beat and they got the cross, got the lead. It was reasonably close and we just had a gybe in light air, fell off the foil which was pretty painful and that was the end of the race. They did a nice job.”
Alinghi Red Bull Racing, now languishing at the bottom of the standings, are clearly feeling the pressure. Maxime Bachelin, the team’s port helm, acknowledged the challenges but remained determined. “Very tough today. Again, we didn’t manage to take a start, and we didn’t anticipate how big the bad air was between the boats, so very difficult, but it’s not over. We will keep pushing and we will work more on the mini-patterns in the simulator,” he said, reflecting on the need for improvement.
The opening race of the day, pitting Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli against NYYC American Magic, was arguably the highlight of the day. These two evenly matched teams went head-to-head, with the Italians pulling ahead after the Americans faltered with a poor tack on the opening upwind leg. Once in the lead, Luna Rossa never looked back, maintaining their advantage despite the Americans’ best efforts to close the gap.
Luna Rossa’s helmsmen, Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni, sailed with precision and poise, further solidifying their team’s reputation as a force to be reckoned with in this competition. The team’s Flight Control duo, Umberto Molineris and Andrea Tesei, also received widespread praise for their expert handling of the boat in the challenging conditions. Spithill, in particular, was effusive in his praise, saying, “I thought they were just really high-level today and didn’t make any mistakes. We need them to be that good because we’ve clearly pushed our foils and pushed the rudders and so that technique is super-important and today those guys really stood above.”
Despite their successes, Spithill noted that there is still room for improvement as the competition progresses. “There’s a long way to go. We know there’s a bunch of stuff we’re still not doing correctly out there technique-wise—just how we are sailing the boat. The fact is that as you go through this race series, where it really counts, that’s when you get your biggest jump in development usually. So we’re just excited about the potential we’ve still got—because we are nowhere near where we need to be,” he added.
For NYYC American Magic, the day was a blend of frustration and determination. Port helm Paul Goodison reflected on the narrow margins that define success at this elite level. “I thought we sailed pretty well today. We got really good starts, and we won both first crosses. In the past when we have won the first cross, we’ve gone on to win, so we are obviously frustrated that the Italians got around us in a very close race. We have learned that the more consistent we are, the better we are. So, we just have to keep polishing and brushing up around the edges. The Italians sailed a good race, but I don’t think there’s too much in it,” he remarked.
American Magic managed to secure a point later in the day, winning a light-airs race against Orient Express Racing. The race was a tense affair, with both teams struggling to stay on their foils on a tricky course. However, it was the Americans who executed better, capitalising on a mistake by the French team to clinch the win.
Quentin Delapierre, the skipper of Orient Express Racing, expressed his disappointment but also recognised the positives. “I’m pleased with the boat’s performance but I’m not happy. I mean they were just in front of us, I think 50 or 60 metres and we had a great comeback. This is the kind of match-race you want to win so it’s really disappointing honestly, but there are a lot of positive vibes on the boat and the boat handling and also for the shore crew. We are in a good rhythm, but we need to score,” he said.
The day’s final race saw Emirates Team New Zealand return to the water with their repaired AC75, ‘Taihoro’. The Kiwis faced little opposition, as their scheduled race against the French was abandoned due to mainsail issues on the French boat. Nevertheless, the race provided a valuable opportunity for the Kiwis to test their boat at race pace, and they were pleased with the results. Blair Tuke, Flight Controller onboard ‘Taihoro’, praised the team’s efforts, saying, “To the whole team, just a massive well done. It certainly tested us as a team over the last few days but an amazing response from everyone. It was a very scary and tense time, a delicate situation, and unlucky to begin with, but lucky with just how minimal the damage was compared to what it could have been. We’re back racing two days later, we didn’t get that much action in, but the boat felt great, and we are back in it, pushing it as we always would. It’s just a credit to everyone in the team.”
As the opening first round of the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Cup draws to a close, the pecking order is beginning to take shape, but with another round of races yet to come, there is still everything to play for. Racing continues on Sunday with four scheduled races, including a catch-up race between Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand. With the threat of elimination looming, the pressure is mounting as the teams battle it out for survival.
Written by Boating NZ with additional input from team AC37
