Eyes on the prize as pressure mounts ahead of the LV Cup Final

‘To win the America’s Cup, first you have to win the Louis Vuitton Cup.’ It is one of the most famous phrases that surrounds this pinnacle sporting contest with the richest of histories dating back 173 years, and it’s now on the line as the ultimate prize for the two outstanding Challengers of this Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.

The helmsmen from INEOS Britannia, Challenger of Record for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, and Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, finalists at the 36th America’s Cup back in 2021, met today at the auditorium of Barcelona’s World Trade Centre to face the world’s media ahead of their showdown in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final to decide which of them will take on the America’s Cup holders, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match.

The format for the Louis Vuitton Cup is simple: the first team to score seven points secures the Challenger slot and lifts the stunning, new Louis Vuitton Cup trophy, specially made for this new chapter in the French maison’s involvement and global partnership with the America’s Cup.

Immediately prior to the press conference the four sailors took part in a photoshoot with the Louis Vuitton Cup at the Palau de la Música Catalana, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most stunning auditoriums in the world, described succinctly as a ‘modernist gem’ in the heart of Barcelona.

The smiles for the camera will, for sure, quickly change once racing gets underway, with these two old foes – the finalists from the last Challenger Selection Series in 2021 – both laser focused on booking their spot in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match in October.

Sir Ben Ainslie and Jimmy Spithill – former Cup-winning teammates back in 2013, but now very much opponents in this edition – were joined on stage by their respective co-helms, Dylan Fletcher and Francesco Bruni, for the Press Conference, with the pairs separated by the shimmering trophy.

Tension was palpable, this is the business-end of the regatta, with Ainslie summing up just what it means saying: “The Louis Vuitton Cup has a huge history in the America’s Cup, and we all know that as a Challenger, if you’re going to get to the Cup, first of all you’ve got to get this one in your locker room and that’s what we’re all fighting for. It’s a great opportunity for both of our teams and we’re really excited at the prospect for what’s ahead.”

Expectation sits on the shoulders of these two teams, neither of whom have won the America’s Cup. For Great Britain, that goes back to the very start of the competition in 1851, arguably an aberration in the nation’s sailing history, and it’s a fact that drives Ainslie: “It’s a huge motivation, we all know the history of the America’s Cup, for us we’re a very proud maritime nation and technically the America’s Cup started in British waters around the Isle of Wight and famously we’ve never seen it since, so this is the motivation for our team.”

Dylan Fletcher, Olympic gold medallist and port helm on INEOS Britannia in his first America’s Cup, exuded an air of quiet confidence, reflecting very much the mood around the British camp, saying: “It feels as though the momentum is building within the team. It has been a lifelong dream to be part of a British America’s Cup team, so to be sitting here in the Challenger final is amazing and I definitely feel like we have the legs to go all the way.”

Meanwhile for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, so close to challenging successfully in recent America’s Cup events, this time it feels very much in reach, with Francesco Bruni saying: “We all know that in Italy the America’s Cup is a dream. We have been chasing that dream for many years – even before I was born – and we have a chance now and we need to use this ‘bullet’.”

Jimmy Spithill contextualised the contest for the Louis Vuitton Cup, speaking about the Italian’s passage through and looking forward, saying: “We just came from a very tough semi-finals series where we had, I believe, two very evenly matched teams with the Americans and us. The Brits (INEOS Britannia) have done a great job, with the jump they’ve made from the Preliminary Regatta to where they are now, and I expect a fight, two very evenly matched teams going at it – and that’s what you want, we want to send the Challenger into that Cup final against the Kiwis well prepared to get the job done.”

The word ‘pressure’ was mentioned often during the Press Conference, and there’s no doubting that it’s all around. Both teams are desperate to get their shot at Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match and when asked about what it would mean for the fans, Spithill talked about the passionate ‘Tifosi’ that follow the Italians closely:

“I think pressure is a privilege, to be in a position like this, we certainly feel a lot of excitement and good energy. So we don’t feel it as a burden, we actually feel it as a motivating factor for the entire team. Talking about the fans, you just feel it when you go to any sailing competition and there are more Italian fans than anyone else, so we really try to use that as a competitive advantage and it’s part of the dream that individually a lot of our team members have, but also collectively, it’s why we do it because we just know how special it would be.”

Weather forecasts are showing some ‘sporty’ conditions for the opening two races of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final scheduled for Thursday September 26. Early forecasts suggest a 15-17 knot south westerly ‘Garbi’ but the key factor could be the sea state, with an expected swell height of between 0.9 to 1.3 metres from the south. Ben Ainslie summed it up saying: “Looks good, looks really good, top end potentially. A little bit of uncertainty into just how much wind and how big the sea-state but it currently looks good for racing so it should be all on.”

All on, game on, the first to score seven points lifts the Louis Vuitton Cup and progresses to the Match of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup. The stakes are high, with each team wanting to go higher and no consensus anywhere on who has the edge. This could be one of the closest ever Louis Vuitton Cup Finals – a fitting conclusion to a brilliant Challenger Selection Series. Racing starts off Barcelona at 1410 CET with the eyes of the world on it. Fascinating.