Cup Spy: Louis Vuitton Cup - Day 6 - The Agony and Ecstasy
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 6 Sep 22:07 NZST
5 September 2024
Emirates Team NZ and INEOS Britannia - Race 18, Day 5 - Round Robin 2 - Louis Vuitton Cup - September 5, 2024 © Ricardo Pinto / America's Cup
Commentary: The Agony and Ecstasy
Most would have viewed Day 6 of the Louis Vuitton Cup with mixed emotions. Ecstasy when their boat is winning, turning to deepest despair when it fell off its foils.
Character forming is perhaps the best that can be said of it for sailors and fans alike.
Regardless its all part of sailing foiling monohulls in light winds. The takeout is that the Version 2 AC75s with their lighter weight, and wider span foils perform better in the lower wind range than did the Class of 2021.
However it is still not great racing. Watching a yacht that leads for two legs of the six leg course, then gets lapped before the finish, and is then scored as Did Not Finish is something that can only happen in foiling monohulls.
The fourth and fifth races of the day were the best and worst of the day.
Alinghi Red Bull Racing have had more than their share of disaster this America's Cup cycle, with two broken masts, which is two more than the rest of the fleet combined.
However today was their day, with an unexpected win over the American Magic crew - who are on most pundits tip-sheets to make the Final of the Challenger Selection Series, along with Luna Rossa who are on their sixth America's Cup campaign.
American Magic with their recumbent cyclors were found out today by the Swiss.
All America's Cup design is a trade-off of one feature against another. In American Magic's design kaleidoscope the decision was made to accept the slightly lower power output from cyclors on their backs, rather than being upright like the other five teams.
The trade-off for the US design team was that their AC75 could be much slimmer in the crew area, and presented a much improved drag profile.
Judging by the raft of Rule Enquiries lodged with the Rules Committee trying various angles of attack to have the recumbent cyclors effectively ruled illegal, a few other teams maybe wish they had taken a similar approach.
Today was payback time for the reduced power output, with the US team struggling to maintain foiling, as the cyclor team struggled to provide the power necessary pump and adjust sail trim - essential to keep the AC75 in the air. They handed the Swiss a head-start by incurring a careless early entry penalty, which the Swiss eked out to a 10second lead at the top mark and 150metres on the downwind leg. Sailing in clear air all race the Swiss more than held their own, and led by more than 400metres at the finish.
The saving grace for the New York Yacht Club team, was their win over INEOS Britannia in the first race of the day, when arguably the breeze was a little stronger and less funky. Both teams had their off the foils moments.
The British, it must be said, are a big improvement in light winds, than they were in Auckland - where they too suffered the ignominy of being lapped in the Preliminary regatta in December 2020.
American Magic came off the foils on several occasions, only to be matched by the Brits. They saved their race with a foray over to the port boundary on Leg 6, and found a nice piece of pressure which returned a dividend of a 13 second win.
That loss by the Brits was backed up with a second loss in the third race, this time to Emirates Team New Zealand. the Brits put up a good fight for much of the first leg of the race, but got the foil wobbles after a tack, and with a sniff of clear air the Kiwis were off. But the Brits fought back, reducing the margin and looked like they could spring an upset. But again being unable to maintain a minimum speed to sustain foiling, proved to be their downfall.
The Final race of the day between the two sister designs had the Agony and Ecstasy rolled into one with Emirates Team New Zealand and Orient Express switching roles at the start of Leg 3. After the Kiwis resorted to the now standard light air AC75 race tactic - adopted from the sport jousting in medieval times. Trying to knock your opponent off their horse, has been adopted by the AC75s in the Foiling Age to trying to knock your opponent off their foils.
The pre-start ploy is to spit some turbulence, and preferably a bit of wing foil wash at your opponent at the start. Jimmy Spithill, the person who has done the most to unify New Zealand since Dennis Conner, showed the Kiwis how it is done, at the start on Tuesday, but the Austratalian almost got struck by a thunderbolt later in the race - proving there is a God and he is a Kiwi. Jimmy take note.
Emirates Team New Zealand briefly forgot they were sailing against a client of their design team at the start of the fifth and final race of the day, giving the young French crew a dose of rig turbulence, over a minute before the start, and promptly shot away to be 600 metres up the first leg, before the French had really got back on their horse. An expectation by the Kiwis that the right hand side of the course was the best option for the first windward leg, proved to be misplaced. The French kept their distance to leeward of the Kiwis who were now off their foils and sailing at 10kts.
The Kiwis could only admire the design qualities of Orient Express from astern for what was left of the the first and second legs, before Gallic ferveur overcame their rounding Mark 2, when Orient Express managed to butcher a 500metre lead by taking too deep a final approach to the mark, and came off their foils without any assistance from the Kiwis.
After sailing around the French so close they were lucky not to have picked up a penalty from the booth umpire, Emirates Team NZ never looked back. They extended out to a lead best measured in kilometres - 3.5 of them in fact when they crossed the finish line. After recording the Kiwi finish/escape, the cameras cut away to show a profile piece on the Official Composer for the 37th America's Cup. Arli Liberman, could well have been putting the finishing touch to a Round Robin Requiem to be played in honour of the team who departs this stage of the competition on Sunday.
At the end of the musical interlude it should have been able to cut back to show Orient Express finishing. But instead, the French crossed the line two laps short of a full course and were scored as Did Not Finish. When the music ended so did the race coverage - leaving fans hanging.
Most pundits have the Tricolores penciled in for an early shower. But there is plenty of upset left in this phase of the regatta, particularly if it continues to be sailed in light airs. Aside from Luna Rossa all others spent some time today in displacement mode - which usually cost them a race lead.
The other point to be pondered over the weekend by the four teams who do remain, is who they pick for their semi-finals opponent. All racing to date has been myopic, and sailed in light winds at the bottom of the windspeed limit.
If the semi-finals are sailed in fresher breezes, which arrived on Friday - a no sailing day - then a team which was looking very ordinary in the Round Robin could rise up and give a nasty bite come the Semis.
It has to be said that the AC75s all look very closely matched in boat speed. The short legs usually of 1 - 1.5nm in length take on three minutes or so to complete. The days of the 2007 America's Cup are long gone - where the two competitors sailed two long tacks of around seven minutes each. At the conclusion of that arm wrestle, one might have picked up an advantage of a boatlength to take into the final couple of tacks for the first mark, and a 90% chance of winning the race.
The fundamental difference between this Cup and 2007 is that most if not all of the race losses are self-inflicted injuries, and not the result of some finepoint needlework from the 30 strong design teams with all their technology partners, supercomputers, artificial intelligence, performance simulators, and rules arguments over the thickness of a boundary layer.
The formula Performance = Potential minus Mistakes has never been more accurate than in this regatta.
As they say, despite appearances on the leaderboard, there is still plenty of golf left in this hole.
Tomorrow, which looks to have the best breeze of the week, is a no-race day.
For several teams Friday will be a day of deep thought as the performance analysts pore over their race data, and that available of their competitors, to come up with some answers.
There are not many sleeps left until Sunday, when the first team is eliminated from the competition. Time is off the essence as it always is in the America's Cup.
Race Summaries:
Match 18: American Magic vs INEOS Britannia
Start: Brits came off foils before start but recovered well and started on port, USA had an early advantage of 23m. Brits then had to tack away after the first cross, but went to the starboard boundary and picked up a 75 metre penalty, but soon closed up to be 50 metres back after USA came across and tacked dead in front. Brits off the foils, again.
Mark 1: 04m 42 sec USA led GBR by a margin of 20sec. Course shortened to 1.4nm and shifted to 190 degrees
Mark 2: 08m 11 sec USA led GBR by a margin of 29sec.
Mark 3: 12m 59 sec USA led GBR by a margin of 16sec.
Mark 4: 16m 47 sec USA led GBR by a margin of 09sec.
Mark 5: 21m 09 sec USA led GBR by a margin of 03sec. USA went around starboard gate. USA went too high on foils and crashed in to weather.
Finish: 24m 07 sec USA led GBR by a margin of 13sec. USA lost the lead temporarily after their splash, but went to the port boundary and picked up 3-4kts more pressure and regained the lead.
Match 19: Luna Rossa vs Orient Express
Start: French fell off foils 35sec before the start but did well to recover. Previously had picked up a boundary penalty and told to start after ITA. But both were to windward of line and came back. ITA was 73metres in front at the start - the penalty distance. French closed to within 25metres after both boats got a header on Leg 1.
Mark 1: 03m 29 sec ITA led FRA by a margin of 10sec.
Mark shifted to 165° Starboard side favoured on the beats port boundary on the downwind leg. Spithill said it was a course of two halves - quite different at the top from the bottom.
Mark 2: 06m 36 sec ITA led FRA by a margin of 27sec.
Mark 3: 10m 48 sec ITA led FRA by a margin of 37sec.
Mark 4: 14m 40 sec ITA led FRA by a margin of 40sec.
Margin 350 metres halfway up Leg 5
Mark 5: 18m 41 sec ITA led FRA by a margin of 37sec.
Finish: 24m 07 sec ITA led FRA by a margin of 62sec.
Match 21: INEOS Britannia vs Emirates Team NZ
Kiwis were high on startline with Brits to leeward. Brits led back to the startline, both dipped and Brits crossed with a small lead. Kiwis lifted off their hip. Lead swap to Brits but lost it after they came off the foils when both tacked. Brits bottom speed 3kts slower than ETNZ in tack.
Mark 1: 03m 57 sec NZL led GBR by a margin of 24sec.
Mark 2: 07m 49 sec NZL led GBR by a margin of 15sec.
Right hand side clearly favoured. Brits got there first after NZL went left off the Gate 2. NZL came back and got in phase increasing their lead to 450metres
Mark 3: 12m 28 sec NZL led GBR by a margin of 33sec.
Mark 4: 16m 28 sec NZL led GBR by a margin of 27sec.
Mark 5: 20m 59 sec NZL led GBR by a margin of 133sec.
Finish: 24m 20 sec NZL led GBR by a margin of 182sec.
Breeze 5kts at the top of the course.
Match 20: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs American Magic
US penalised in pre-start for early entry - very close. Have to start 75m behind Swiss USA drops to 80-100metres behind.
Mark 1: 03m 11 sec SUI led USA by a margin of 10sec. SUI lead out to 150metres on Leg 2.
Mark 2: 05m 54 sec SUI led USA by a margin of 14sec. SUI lead out to 120metres on Leg 3. Tacking duel on Leg 3, with Swiss controlling well
Mark 3: 10m 13 sec SUI led USA by a margin of 23sec.
Mark 4: 13m 24 sec SUI led USA by a margin of 42sec. Swiss 458metre lead. USA heart rates high recumbent cyclors working very hard on USA
Mark 5: 17m 45 sec SUI led USA by a margin of 60sec. Swiss leading by 5-600 metres
Finish: 21m 35 sec SUI led USA by a margin of 38sec.
Match 24: Orient Express vs Emirates Team New Zealand
Kiwis spat turbulent air back onto French before start dropping the French off their foils. Kiwis sailing at 26kts at start, and French at 9.7kts in 6kts of air. Kiwis fall off foils on right hand side of course. French manage to overtake and have lead of 80metres.
Mark 1: 05m 05sec FRA led NZL by a margin of 21sec. French come off foils just before Gate 2. NZL sails around the outside of French doing 26kts to French 10kts.
Mark 2: 08m 57sec FRA led NZL by a margin of 14sec.
Mark 3: 13m 01sec NZL led FRA by a margin of 113sec. French came off foils while rounding the mark.
Mark 4: 15m 57sec NZL led FRA
Mark 5: 19m 50sec NZL led FRA
Finish: 23m 43sec NZL led FRA. NZL lapped French. ETNZ sailing at 26kts, and passed French sailing at 9kts. Separation 3440metres. FRA was scored as DNF
Louis Vuitton Cup Points and Leaderboard after Day 6
Weather Prognosis:
America's Cup Weather Partner PredictWind has provided a dedicated Race Weather Center offering fans access to detailed daily weather breakdowns, live webcams and historical weather data to daily weather breakdowns written by meteorologists.
The instability will be completely gone, with a return to normal conditions. The morning will have offshore winds that will turn by mid-day. For the afternoon, the winds will be from the South-South-West and are expected around 8 to 12 knots. A calm sea will come with a partly cloudy sky and air temperature reaching 26 degreesC. Overall this weather should make great sailing conditions.
Proposed Match Schedule:
- Match 18: American Magic vs INEOS Britannia
- Match 19: Luna Rossa vs Orient Express
- Match 21: INEOS Britannia vs Emirates Team NZ
- Match 20: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs American Magic
- Match 24: Orient Express vs Emirates Team New Zealand
Course Location:
Pre-Race Commentary: Win statistics and Spithill's bold start
All racing on Wednesday (the original Race Day 6) was cancelled due to an unpredictable storm system along the Mediterranean coast. Only two of the four races scheduled on Tuesday were sailed, with sailing being stopped after an electrical storm passed through the race area and lightening thunderbolts struck the water a few hundred metres away from the all-carbon AC75 raceboats.
Four races were scheduled yesterday. But a decision was made at a meeting early on Wednesday morning that it was unsafe for racing to take place.
The schedule has been re-arranged to allow five races to take place, and to ensure that every team sails, and that no team sails back to back races.
Due to the limited racing that has taken place, we are yet to be able to establish whether any team - however has a speed superiority. At this stage crew errors have decided the race outcomes, rather than the ability of the respective design teams. The start zone appears to be the area where most races are won/lost.
The percentage of races (pre-start retirements excluded) have resulted in about 75% of the races being won by the team that is first around the first mark, in only four races has there been a lead change during racing.
Emirates Team NZ has achieved this twice against Luna Rossa in Match 2, and against American Magic in Match 15. Luna Rossa has effected one lead change in Match 7 against American Magic, and INEOS Britannia once against Orient Express (FRA). Luna Rossa and more essentially their main starting helmsman Jimmy Spithill has an unforgettable history against the Kiwis in America's Cup pre-starts, going back to Oracle Racing's rout of Emirates Team NZ in starts in the latter stages of 2013 America's Cup. In 2017 - having come through the Challenger series, the Kiwis had his measure where reaching starts were used. In 2021 Spithill turned the tables once again winning the start in the majority of the races, and the last four.
His tactic, always steering from the starboard side, is usually the same - get the boat on starboard tack at least a minute before the start and then get control. On Monday, five seconds before the start he executed a daring move to reach across the bow of Team NZ at 46kts, staying just clear enough to avoid being penalised as a windward boat that did not keep clear. If the Kiwis had been able to get a little further, Spithill's only escape would have been to cross the line early, and try and extricate himself that way. But Fortune usually favours the Brave - which proved to be the case on this occasion.
The previous America's Cups usual first mark to race win percentage is usually about 90% - which was the case in Bermuda over just the America's Cup Series itself. In Auckland the team that led at the first Mark went on to win in only 70% of the races in the Cup Match. All of the first mark/finish lead changes occurred after Emirates Team NZ came from behind in Races 7,8 and 9.
As a over the last two America's Cups and to date in the Louis Vuitton Cup, Team NZ seems to be the best at recovery after losing the first mark rounding advantage after either losing the start or come away equal from an even/split tack start, and mount an attack after the race has proceeded for a full first lap (ie after rounding Mark 2).
In the Cups sailed in the International America's Cup Class, statistics were considered for the start, first cross and first mark. With Race winners usually coming from the boat that won the start, and a higher percentage from the first cross winners who often carried that advantage into a first mark lead and then a higher percentage (90%) onto a race win.
In Barcelona in the southerly breeze the course is a one-way track with the boat hitting the beach side boundary first, getting the advantage (usually also the first cross) goes on to win the race. Winning the start is much less important, than being first to the beach/starboard side of the course.
The effect of rig and wingfoil turbulence seem to be underestimated by most of the Cup crews as evidenced by Emirates Team NZ's washout after tacking across Luna Rossa's stern soon after the start of their last encounter, and the earlier example between INEOS Britannia and Alinghi Red Bull Racing.
Foil turbulence is unseen but significant - evidenced in this regatta by the white aerated water which soon appears when attached flows start breaking down. The teams also know it can affect foil efficiency when doing tow tests before test sailing, and the AC75 is always towed wide of the chase boat, so the foils are working in clear water - not directly behind the chase boat in its prop wash.
If you have not already done so, have a read of our latest story using black box data from the boats to look at the key performance indicators for two of the AC75s Alinghi Red Bull Racing and INEOS Britannia as we analyse the cost/distance of Alinghi's foil-fall, and show how big the turbulence effect really is using performance data.
Virtual Eye
Sail-World will be using Virtual Eye from ARL for Americas' Cup coverage. It is a great tool and one that had its debut in the 1992 America's Cup, and has since been used in most top professional sports, transforming their coverage and viewer experience.
After the racing you can replay the key points, or the whole race using Virtual Eye from ARL
You can go directly to the Virtual Eye America's Cup coverage by clicking here and click on "Watch Previous" then select the race you wish to view. This s 3D viewer so you can zoom in, out, around and up and down just like you could in a helicopter.
Series format
There are two phases of Round Robin racing, four races are scheduled to be sailed, with six teams competing and two of those will be sailing twice. The day's pairings can reread from the graphic below.
Crew Lists:
Additional Images: