American Magic keep hopes alive with victory in Race 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
by New York Yacht Club American Magic 17 Sep 06:52 NZST
September 16, 2024
On Monday, September 16th, in Barcelona, Spain, NYYC American Magic delivered a crucial win on the third day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals, stunning the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and reducing the series deficit to 4-1.
Faced with a do-or-die scenario, American Magic needed to win every remaining race to keep their campaign alive, as a loss would have ended their quest for the 37th America's Cup. With their backs firmly against the wall, this victory was a vital step in keeping their hopes alive.
The race was a thriller from the start, with both teams starting evenly and stalking each other closely up the first leg to the windward gate, where Luna Rossa rounded ahead by 17 seconds. With the southerly breeze peaking at around nine knots and a racecourse marked by light wind patches, there was ample opportunity for the chasing American crew to make gains.
Early in the second upwind leg, American Magic found more breeze on the right side of the course to pull level with their opponent at the first cross where Luna Rossa were forced to concede the lead, dipping behind Patriot's stern and incurring a penalty for cutting it too close. When the boats next converged, the Italians crossed on port but earned a second penalty for doing so illegally.
At the second windward gate, it couldn't have been much closer, with just three seconds separating Luna Rossa's rounding of the right-hand mark from American Magic's rounding of the left mark. On the second downwind leg, there was nothing to choose between the two boats, but the Americans took the lead as they approached the leeward gate. Despite Luna Rossa's aggressive move to cut inside and inflict a penalty, which was skillfully avoided by American helmsmen Tom Slingsby and Lucas Calabrese, the maneuver backfired. The Italians forced themselves off their foils, allowing American Magic to complete the race unchallenged and secure their first point in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals.
Speaking afterward, Tom Slingsby, helmsman of NYYC American Magic, summarized the day by saying: "It was a good race. The start was close. The boat felt really good. We have been making some changes, and in those light conditions that were kind of a weak spot for us a week ago, the boat feels as good as it ever has in those conditions. That's exciting, and we are going to be faster again on Wednesday. I think the hardest win is the first one and now we are off and running. If you look at the four races they have beaten us, it's by a total of 50 seconds over them all - and we just beat them by a lap. So, yes, we are confident.
American Magic's win today was crucial. They must now win every remaining race to continue their pursuit of the 37th America's Cup, with no room for error in this high-stakes competition.