Shout out to the Team New Zealand shore crew.
In the space of 48 hours, the team
went from their AC75 Taihoro being damaged due to a crane failure to having it assessed, repaired and back on the water at full noise.
Everyone in the team who has been asked about it has noted the damage was not as bad as it could have been thanks to the boat landing on its cradle. Even so, it was impressive for the team behind the scenes to do what was required for the boat to only be out of action for one day. In racing, Team NZ impressed with their speed, handling and communication onboard. They’re getting everything they can out of these races, with just five remaining before they go on a racing hiatus until the Cup match.
The incident - the cause of which has yet to be established - was the biggest talking point from the first of the two round-robins, but expect the attention to shift away from Team NZ in the week ahead.
For whom the bell tolls
After more than three years of campaigning, one of the challengers’ time in the 37th America’s Cup ends in the coming week – and at the halfway point it looks like a two-way fight for survival.
The two new additions to the Cup circuit this time around sit at the foot of the leaderboard; late entry Orient Express Racing Team (France) with a 1-3 record and Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland) yet to score in four races.
The French have had the least amount of time on the AC75 having launched their boat last, but have sailed the better of the two strugglers so far. Their Team NZ-designed vessel is fast, and they have pushed some of the bigger teams in some tight races with nothing to show for that.
Alinghi, on the other hand, have sailed poorly. After their day-three loss to Ineos Britannia, helmsman Arnaud Psarofaghis summed up their situation nicely when he said: “Right now, we’re making our lives too hard, and too easy for our opponents. We have to sail the boat the way we know we can.”
Until day four, Alinghi hadn’t sailed a race they would have been happy with; their work in the starting sequence in particular letting them down. They showed they’re competitive when they get a good start in a slim loss to Luna Rossa, and clearly enjoyed having a bit more wind in the sails, but they need to put points on the board in a hurry.
If either team were to upset one of the other three challengers, things would get all the more interesting, but the pressure is on the French and Swiss to make that happen.
More than just a pretty face
Luna Rossa have the best-looking boat in the fleet (purely subjective, of course) but they also continue to live up to their tag as the challenger the others will need to beat to earn the right to meet Team NZ in the Cup match.
The Italians are flying their silver bullet (nicknamed as such because of its paint job) superbly in what have been some shifty conditions in Barcelona so far. Three of the first four days of the competition had light breezes that made it hard for some teams, while day four served up beautiful conditions that allowed the regatta to run parallel to the shoreline for the first time this campaign. Luna Rossa managed all conditions and course configurations well and that was reflected in the 4-0 record. Even in their ghost race against Team NZ - won by the defender - the Italians looked good and held the lead but couldn’t hold onto it.
Ineos Britannia sit second on the ladder, with their only loss to Luna Rossa. In a way, it’s surprising because the British have been making plenty of mistakes on the course. They’ll be buoyed by the fact they managed to keep winning in spite of that, and their boat looks like it has some pace – particularly downwind.
Like the British, American Magic have made mistakes in the early races and they sit third with a 2-2 record. When they get going, they look strong and pushed Team NZ in a terrific match race on day four. If they can work out some kinks they could be the big improvers over the next round-robin.
Louis Vuitton Cup standings
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 4-0
Ineos Britannia 3-1
American Magic 2-2
Orient Express Racing Team 1-3
Alinghi Red Bull Racing 0-4
Races featuring Team NZ (4-1) do not count towards the Louis Vuitton Cup standings and have not been factored in above.
