American Magic's AC75 sailing on the Waitemata Harbour. Photo / Richard Gladwell
American Magic's AC75 sailing on the Waitemata Harbour. Photo / Richard Gladwell
American Magic's Defiant appeared to come close to joining the AC75 High Jump Club around mid-day Monday.
The New York Yacht Club's challenger has been sailing in New Zealand since July 28, and are now into just their fourth week of sailing at the venue for the 2021 America's Cup.
After sailing from the team's base to the city side of Motuihe Island, the team had a couple of timeouts after some early test runs, before heading off for a spell of race practice around marks laid by a team chase boat.
As Defiant exited a high-speed gybe, aiming to pass close to a race mark the AC75 appeared to be very powered up, with a rain squall approaching.
Previously this combination of circumstances has triggered one of the spectacular "Sky Jumps" that have been performed, and caught on camera, by Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa. Indeed, in February American Magic, representing the New York Yacht Club released a video of their 12 metre long test boat doing a spectacular nosedive and capsize during a training session off the team's principal base off Newport, Rhode Island.
Helmed by Dean Barker, Defiant heeled to leeward at what looked to be quite an alarming angle, as the rudder pushed out a solid rooster-tail of spray, indicative of cavitation.
With the leeward foil/wing starting to load up, Defiant rounded up slightly, going into a bow up stern down trim, as the rudder wing lost grip on the water probably due to cavitation.
American Magic's AC75 sailing on the Waitemata Harbour. Photo / Richard Gladwell
American Magic's AC75 sailing on the Waitemata Harbour. Photo / Richard Gladwell
In past incidents, this has been the point of no return, but Defiant's crew had the presence of mind to ease the jib sheet slightly, releasing some of the load, getting their charge back under control. After sailing for a few hundred metres to collect their wits, the US team once again hit race pace and continued their training session.
American Magic's Executive Director Terry Hutchinson, who is also a member of the sailing crew, dismissed the incident, saying the "boat heeled overall bit but did not feel risky".
Although it was all over in 10 seconds, the incident gave an insight into the spectacular, anything can happen, AC75 racing that will be getting underway in mid-December, just four months away.
Incident aside American Magic had a long and apparently productive day's sailing.
"We had a big productive day on the water, but were a bit tired at the end," Hutchinson said.
"We had a glamour day on the water."
After the rain squall passed through the training area bringing several squalls well in excess of the agreed limits for Prada and America's Cup racing, American Magic stayed out sailing.
By the end of the session, Defiant's crew and design team looked to have rectified some of their gremlins.
They appeared to be much closer to the benchmark of Team New Zealand's Te Aihe – which is sailing very impressively after a three week long upgrade, which had resuming sailing a week ago.
The forecast for the rest of the week is not promising with strong winds predicted, and both crews can look forward to some extended simulator sessions.
