America's Cup Preliminary regatta: Day 2 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Race Four - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

In even conditions across the racecourse, it was the kind of race that the AC40 was designed for. The pack started by dialling deep into the start-box on port tack before picking their lane back for the time-on-distance into the line on sytarboard. NYYC American Magic had the bit between their teeth and nailed the pin end of the line and headed out to the port boundary with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli whilst Emirates Team New Zealand and INEOS Britannia started mid-line together with the Kiwis quickly squeezing the British and forcing them to tack away.

From early morning, the glittering Red Sea was alive with boats of all hues as the Jeddah Yacht Club Academy took to the water in a fleet of RS Zest and Laser dinghies, whilst some interesting racing happened in the Far East 28R sportsboats, decked out in the national flags of all the competing America’s Cup teams – for the record, the USA flagged boat was winning. The next generation of Saudi sailors have been encouraged this week with visits from representatives of all the teams who have taken time out of their racing schedule to inspire the young girls and boys of the Kingdom in this visionary Academy that offers opportunity for all.

With a large VIP attendance at the Jeddah Yacht Club, crowds at the Race Village and an enthusiastic spectator fleet corralled on the left-hand side of the racecourse, they were treated to some of the finest boat-on-boat action ever seen in the America’s Cup. All through the fleet it was as close as it could be and after the AC40’s had completed their much-appreciated fly-by, ahead of racing that saw the yachts scream down to the bustling Race Village and Fan Zone, it was down to business with so many storylines waiting to be written.

The first race didn’t disappoint with the young Italian team stealing into a lead after some very close action and streaking ahead to win by a margin. Emirates Team New Zealand kept them honest to cross second and then put the hammer down in the second race (Race 5 of the series) to win a thrilling, close-fought, almost match-race to the finish. These two teams, the America’s Cup Match contenders from AC36 back in Auckland in 2021, were giving no quarter with the young Italian guns giving the vastly experienced Defenders of the America’s Cup a real run for their money.

On the entry to the top mark, American Magic squeezed Luna Rossa from a leeward position and opened the door for an early lead, taking the starboard gate in first place whilst Emirates Team Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand took the port gate. The moment of the race was the first downwind leg with the Italians nailing a super-fast gybe on the starboard boundary and then 19-year-old Marco Gradoni calling the cross on American Magic on port gybe having found just a click more wind down the right (looking down the course) - gutsy call from a real coming talent of world sailing.

From there, Luna Rossa stole into a lead that gave them ultimate control of the race and with excellent front-running they made no mistakes, tacked where they wanted to in clear air, and gybed on the shifts downwind to the final gate. The delta between the Americans and Kiwis was closing up noticeably on the final rounding and on the beat to the final windward mark, it was the tussle of all tussles with the two splitting gates. A desperately close rounding and downwind ensued with American Magic going right and Emirates Team New Zealand to the left. Spare a thought too for INEOS Britannia and Alinghi Red Bull Racing who were dicing for fourth and fifth places and going bow-to-bow. On the cross up front, it was Emirates Team New Zealand on starboard who managed to get over the bow of the Americans and then built on the lead by a few boatlengths before the gybe back to port, finishing 26 seconds astern of Luna Rossa who secured a brilliant race win. Tactics, pace, power and total coolness under pressure, the Italians had it all. Outstanding. American Magic in third whilst INEOS Britannia secured 4th just metres ahead of Alinghi Red Bull Racing. Great, close-quarters racing.

Orient Express Racing had a boundary penalty before the start and after racing requested a five-minute delay due to an hydraulic issue.

Race Five - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

The swell began to build ahead of Race 5 of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta, presented by NEOM, and after a delayed start whilst the French battled hydraulic issues, the remaining fleet dialled down into the box again coming from above the line, gybing on to port before picking their spot for the lead back to the line. INEOS Britannia and Emirates Team New Zealand looked to make the best of it but were called OCS (over the line) whilst both American Magic and Orient Express copped penalties. With chaos in the pack, Emirates Team New Zealand hit the port boundary along with Luna Rossa and it was a drag race to establish the starboard tack advantage. Penalties were costly for the pack with the requirement to lose 75 metres of distance relative to the infringed yacht or incident and by the starboard layline to the top mark it was effectively a drag race between Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa.

The Kiwis aced the final layline in and rounded the starboard gate first whilst the Italians chose the port gate and it was all downwind with the Kiwis just squeezing into the lead in the first half of the run. Great moding and trim downwind kept the Kiwis ahead as they rose a high ride-height over the increasingly bumpy swell. At the first leeward mark, the Kiwis had made gains and elected for the port rounding with Luna Rossa taking the starboard gate with Alinghi Red Bull Racing giving chase in third. Luna Rossa played the left side of the second beat and seemed to be enjoying a wide cant angle and low ride, making gains on the Kiwis who were bouncing right. It was desperately close action all the way up and when the Kiwis allowed Luna Rossa to get to their right, it was the Italians who tacked back and took a brilliant lead at the second windward mark. The Kiwis were dumbfounded with the onboard comms desperately trying to analyse exactly what the Italians were doing better but the downwind was gybe to gybe with all eye on the layline into the final leeward mark where the Italians took the starboard gate as the Kiwis took the port and it was a split tack start to the final leg.

Having both hit their respective boundaries and tacked, Emirates Team New Zealand crossed the bow of Luna Rossa early on the leg and let the Italians get to the right. A fatal error for the Kiwis as Luna Rossa seized the lead and then match-raced, tacking on the Kiwi bow and forcing them left. The Italians liked the right and looked to have serious height upwind with plenty of power. At the final windward mark, the Kiwis selected the starboard gate and the Italians took the port on an almost simultaneous rounding. Thrilling racing and set up beautifully for a do-or-die run to the finish. Early on, it was advantage Emirates Team New Zealand as the Kiwis crossed the bow on starboard gybe and set up for a port gybe layline into the finish. Luna Rossa gybed out left and came back in on starboard but it was the Kiwis that kept the lead and crossed to win by just a 3 second delta. Alinghi Red Bull Racing secured third just ahead of American Magic with INEOS Britannia taking fifth and the Orient Express Racing in sixth. Another breath-taking race.

Race 6 - Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

Emirates Team New Zealand got an absolute flyer of a start in Race 6, tacking beneath the fleet and gaining the port end of the line at full pace and headed out to the controlling port boundary. Luna Rossa were given a penalty for a close tack on Alinghi Red Bull Racing but it was the Kiwis having prime control, able to sail clean on the shifts, cross the course and hold the right side along with NYYC American Magic. Alinghi Red Bull Racing made a clean start and called the shifts well upwind to secure second place after NYYC Magic were forced to tack away to the right to clear the Kiwis. However at the top mark, it was the Swiss who called a genius layline to the starboard gate and rounded ahead as Emirates Team New Zealand elected to take the port tack with American Magic who had squeezed around just in front. On the downwind on the right, the Kiwis gybed first and headed to the left side of the course in an attempt to keep starboard gybe advantage on the return gybe.

It was a genius call and the Kiwis rounded the starboard gate (looking downwind) in unison with the Swiss who took the port gate with American Magic close behind. Emirates Team New Zealand hit the left hand, port boundary before tacking back onto port but it was a losing tack as both the Swiss and Kiwis made big gains out right. Unfazed, Emirates Team New Zealand hit the right side of the beat and came back into the three-way battle, crossing American Magic and putting the pressure on the Swiss. Awesome racing. At the second windward mark, a loose rounding by the Swiss off the port gate saw a near splashdown with American Magic rounding close behind. The Kiwis made a smooth rounding at the starboard gate and it was all-on for the second downwind leg.

The Kiwis crossed the trailing duo in desperately close action but then fluffed the gybe back but somehow managed to stay ahead on a port layline and took the port gate to lead by the slenderest of margins into the final upwind. American Magic had eked into second just a smidge behind but they Kiwis went right and built into the slenderest of leads with Alinghi Red Bull Racing back in third but in touch and the Italians chasing hard after their penalty in fourth. In the final quarter into the windward mark, it was a drag race to the laylines with Emirates Team New Zealand taking the port gate just ahead of the Swiss whilst American Magic rolled the dice in second and took the starboard gate with Luna Rossa just behind. On the first cross downwind, Emirates Team New Zealand held a handy three boatlength lead and headed to the left side to set up for the starboard layline into the finish, crossing American Magic with pace. At the finish it was Emirates Team New Zealand who secured the 10 points with American Magic in second. Behind there was a desperately close finish between Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Luna Rossa with an almost photo-finish at the end. The Swiss just shaded it for third place. Outstanding racing here in Jeddah and it is Emirates Team New Zealand who ultimately came out on top and lead the standings going into the final day.