America's Cup: serious sunday at the Louis Vuitton cup in Barcelona

The business-end of the opening Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Cup sees four scheduled races today to conclude the series with some crucial line-ups that could set the course of the final Robin Robin that starts on Tuesday. It’s a very quick turnaround for all the teams with little time to make radical changes to the AC75s and it’s an acute reality that at the conclusion of the second Round Robin next Sunday, one of these fantastic America’s Cup teams will be eliminated.

Rumbles of thunder around the hills surrounding Barcelona were heard this morning accompanied by short rain showers. The persistent cloud cover will undoubtedly herald a gradient breeze again today with the weather models suggesting 6-10 knots – perhaps more if we see inclement patterns across the racecourse. The sea-state will remain slight with the north-easterly breeze usually delivering relatively flat water atop a long swell.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing today have two difficult races on the schedule, facing both Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. The Swiss are yet to score a point in the Louis Vuitton Cup so a win today in either race would be a major boost for the team.

The Challenger of Record, INEOS Britannia, faces a stern test against Orient Express Racing Team who were looking rapid yesterday against NYYC American Magic and are ruing some late boat-handling and positioning errors that cost them a chance of victory. The American team, meanwhile, will close out the Round Robin with a race against Emirates Team New Zealand.

The stakes are high and getting higher. There’s a lot on the line for the teams at the foot of the table and plenty of take-aways for those in the box-seats. It’s all to play for.

A race full of anticipation for both teams with Alinghi Red Bull Racing desperate to score their first point and Emirates Team New Zealand keen to test their boat at race pace. An issue with the mainsail track and the mainsail’s bolt-rope at the hoist before the start sees ‘BoatZero’ forced to return to inside the harbour walls of Port Vell before towing fast out to the course but missing the start completely.

Due to the Swiss not making it back in time, and being outside of the boundary by 100 metres, the Race Committee announced that they had been disqualified but Alinghi Red Bull Racing joined in the race against Emirates Team New Zealand nonetheless for a short while to test their speed. Tough luck for the Swiss. The Louis Vuitton Cup is proving to be very hard on the team. Emirates Team New Zealand look assured in flight as they get some practice in around the racecourse at race pace.

Arguably the race of the day with plenty of interest on both sides and a whole heap of questions to be answered. The Race Committee set the course legs at 1.75 nautical miles and off the start it’s a great one from Orient Express as Britannia is called OCS and has to get back 75 metres as a penalty.

Advantage to the French who desperately need this win and keep a tight cover up the first beat to round 13 seconds ahead. The race tightens up down the first run with Britannia taking the lead on the final gybe and at the first leeward mark it’s split tactics on the exit and a slender lead of three seconds. A good beginning of the second beat sees Orient Express re-take the lead on the first cross and it's all about picking the pressure patches. With the course legs shortened to 1.6 nautical miles, another lead change occurs with Britannia holding the starboard advantage coming in from the right and forcing the French to duck – great racing.

A port/starboard incident in the final quarter of the leg and a protest from the French sees Britannia penalised and Orient Express rounds the second windward mark with a 20 second lead. No mistakes down the second run, Orient Express exit the leeward gate cleanly with a 12 second lead as Britannia rounds scruffily on at the other mark. On the tack back and come together, Britannia holds a high mode on starboard with the French tacking beneath and some superb sailing from Ben Ainslie steering from the starboard pod gives the British the lead again – right when it matters.

INEOS Britannia rounds the final mark with a lead of 11 seconds and it’s all on to the finish with the British sailing super-smoothly and offering up zero passing lanes. Four lead changes, two penalties, an outstanding win to INEOS Britannia by 16 seconds.

Big race for the Swiss who now, more than ever, need a point and off the start it’s a great start by Arnaud Psarofaghis on the starboard end of the line. Alinghi Red Bull Racing tries to live with Luna Rossa on the initial drag race, but the Italians' devastating high-mode forces the Swiss into the first tack away. A very close cross with Luna Rossa on port saw the Swiss call in the umpires but no penalty awarded, and it was advantage to the Italians. By the top mark, Luna Rossa enjoyed a slender lead of just four seconds. Jimmy Spithill and Francesco look in no mood to give anything for free and at the leeward gate, they round-up with an extended lead of 11 seconds.

Luna Rossa looks rapid today with their customary top-class boat-handling on display and silky-smooth flight control and they extend on the second beat to a distance in excess of 400 metres and round out the second windward mark with a 28 second delta – devastating for the Swiss. Down the penultimate run, Luna Rossa gybe covers loosely from ahead but it’s the Swiss that makes gains, and despite a late gybe right on the gate to select a different marker buoy and split tactics, trail behind by 21 seconds.

A bad tack by the Italians closes the delta down to just under 200 metres but it’s enough for Luna Rossa who cover tenaciously to round the final windward mark to defend a lead of just 16 seconds. With speeds in excess of 40 knots, Luna Rossa make no mistakes on the final run, gybe covering supremely, but managing to extend, and it’s a winning delta of 26 seconds to extend their unbeaten record against the other Challengers.

This could be one tasty battle with both teams giving zero quarter. At the start it’s a masterclass of textbook match-racing from the two teams on a split tack start with the Kiwis tacking off to take the starboard end of the line and Magic nailing the port end. The Kiwis go right initially and sail into more pressure to be able to make the first cross easily but tack to leebow and bounce the Americans away. However, some brilliant sailing from Magic as the two boats came back together sees the Americans capitalise on a poor leeward tack by the Kiwis to sieze the lead. Magic rounds the first windward mark with a 10 second advantage – top-class boat-on-boat racing from Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison.  Down the first run, both boats sailing low VMG angles with nothing to choose in terms of boatspeed and a slapped-on cover by Magic sees them lead at the leeward mark by 9 seconds.

Emirates Team New Zealand keep it tight up the second beat with both afterguards apparently feeling they are in phase with the breeze, but the Kiwis appear to be making the gains. At the second windward mark both boats come in from alternate laylines and round with the Americans now just 5 seconds ahead and an initial split in tactics on the downwind leg.

At the first cross its super-close with Magic just ahead with the starboard advantage. All about breeze lines now and the Kiwis click into some nice pressure out left (looking downwind) and come back with starboard advantage to seize a slender lead before soak down to the final leeward gate with an eight second advantage. Kiwis are flying. Magic forced into a really slow tack around the gate to try and get clear which is ignored initially and then the Kiwis slap on a tight in-the-face cover on to secure their lead that is now in excess of 100 metres. Ruthless, merciless sailing now from Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge.

At the final windward mark, after a terrific beat playing the shifts supremely, ‘Taihoro’ dials away onto the run to the finish with an enhanced delta of 16 seconds. Magic has a loose rounding and are on the back-foot whilst the comms onboard ‘Taihoro’ are clipped and professional. No mistakes, Emirates Team New Zealand are mighty, taking the win by 29 seconds. Superb racing to close out the opening Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Cup.