Beyond the Cup - American Magic Flight Controller Andrew Campbell and INEOS Team UK Grinder Freddie Carr join Matt Brown and Mark Orams to provide the latest news and insight from inside their teams as the Prada Cup continues. Video / NZ Herald
OPINION:
Ineos Team UK are unbeaten in the Prada Cup so far but they've probably had outside help to get them to this stage – possibly even from the defenders Team New Zealand.
Sir Ben Ainslie's Britannia has definitely jumped in speed and part of that could be down tohelp on their foils from the Mercedes Formula One team, who had worked with Ineos Team UK as part of their preparation for this year's Cup.
And if I had to guess, I would guess that they've probably also had a little bit of help from Team NZ. The rumour going around is that Team NZ and Ineos Team UK are negotiating a protocol for the Brits to become the next Challenger of Record.
A difficult part of being a Defender is actually organising a Challenger of Record that is comfortable with the rules that you might be interested in keeping, and Ineos Team UK may fit that bill. I would guess that they've been getting a bit of help on their boat from the Team NZ.
But the other side of it is that they're sailing a lot better than the other teams. The communication between Ainslie and Giles Scott has been very good. I think Scott has done well to pick the shifts and pressure, and has made sure that they sail in a confident way.
Ineos Team UK also have fewer grinders and more eyes on the water, which as long as they don't run out of power, will help as well in tricky conditions. It seems to be working fine for them so far.
Team New Zealand in action against Ineos Team UK during the Christmas Cup. Photo / Brett Phibbs
But the Prada Cup is far from over and the remaining round robin races will still be incredibly close. I still think Luna Rossa are going to look a bit better than Ineos Team UK, who still have work to do. But I think Ineos are just sailing better, which is covering up any discrepancy they've got in speed.
I think the races are going to be very close and I think the starts are going to be pretty tough because you've got two very good starting helmsmen.
In the end, the fastest boat will get through. Ineos Team UK may be able to mask it in the beginning, but as it gets more summery, it'll be harder for them if they have a speed difference with the other teams. It'll be hard to hide that and I think it'll become obvious in a final. But they've still got to get there yet.
Meanwhile, it's a big ask for the Americans to come back after their catastrophic failure on Sunday. The boat actually broke when it landed back down. The whole boat was awash inside and was awash on the deck, so the whole inside of the boat was full of salt water.
Just getting the boat ready, the lamination and getting it fixed structurally is one thing, and then getting the thing to work again as they had it with the boards going up and down and all the electronics, it's a huge ask for those guys.
I would say you could give them a slim chance to come back from there. But if they do, they've got a fast enough boat. If they can repair the boat and keep it strong and light enough, it could be a Cinderella story.
The Secret Sailor is an internationally acclaimed yachtie with a strong history in the America's Cup.
*When approached for comment on suggestions Team New Zealand had assisted Ineos Team UK after the World Series, a Team NZ spokesperson said, "we are not even going to comment on this sort of predictable rumour".
