BARCELONA DELIVERING ITS SUNDAY BEST ON DAY TWO OF THE LOUIS VUITTON CUP SEMI-FINALS

After yesterday’s opening four races, INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli are riding a wave of momentum, having both scored two race wins, and will be looking to capitalise again today in an attempt to move to match point on Monday.

For Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic, today is vital for their overall campaigns, and the simple truth is that they must score race wins to engender belief within their organisations, from top-to-bottom, that they can take these semi-finals to a thrilling conclusion.

The messaging that emerged during the evening and overnight out of all the teams was that yesterday was one of the hardest racetracks that the crews have faced since being in Barcelona. Reading the pressure patches, picking the correct side of the course, nailing the laylines and latching on to the optimal shifts, required every ounce of these outstanding sailors’ feel and knowledge.

Furthermore, with the course experiencing different pressures of wind from top to bottom, moding the boat and keeping the AC75s in even flight, especially through the manoeuvres, required skill, smoothness and flight control dexterity.

We can expect more of the same testing conditions today.

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NYYC American Magic (Port Entry) vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

This is the race that could well be the momentum indicator in this side of the Semi-Final. American Magic need to chalk a win. Badly. Luna Rossa meanwhile want an improved on-water performance, but the same results as yesterday. At the start, Magic is bang on the button entering the box at 47 knots before circling aggressively with Luna Rossa. On the lead back, the Italians come from deep to take the leeward position as the Americans stay high. Luna Rossa get an immediate slingshot off the line with unbelievable speed and soon force the Americans to tack away.

Luna Rossa follows Magic to the right boundary and at the first engagement are clear ahead and able to tack right on the face of Magic, but the Americans manage to live on their hip just out of the wing-wash. At the top mark, Luna Rossa nail an unbelievably good port layline and round with a handy 13 second lead as Magic splits the early downwind tactics heading to the right before gybing, whilst the Italians go left and bounce-gybe off the boundary.

Luna Rossa look impressive and polished in the breeze, nailing the gybes and exiting low with speed. At the first leeward gate, Luna Rossa go for a one board rounding, 15 seconds ahead, as the Americans come round with a poor rounding, ventilating on two foils, skidding, and losing distance.

Luna Rossa are in total control up the second beat, keeping a cover from a distance of almost 400 metres and at the second windward mark, they stretch the lead to 30 seconds. In this consistent pressure there are no passing lanes for Magic and at the second leeward mark at the end of leg four, Luna Rossa go for a two-board rounding, making no mistake and enjoy a lead of 23 seconds at the start of the final windward leg.

Boundary to boundary tactics from both boats appear to have little effect with both teams sailing hard, although in clear air the Italians look to have the edge and at the final windward mark Luna Rossa bear away with a 32 second lead and a distance of almost 600 metres on the water. No mistakes down the final run, and at speeds in excess of 41 knots, Luna Rossa bring their AC75 across the line, after nailing the final layline to record another win – by a delta of 26 seconds. It’s 3-0 to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, now two more race wins away from the Louis Vuitton Cup Final.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt. NYYC American Magic (26 seconds)
3-0 to Luna Rossa

INEOS Britannia (Port Entry) vs. Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Can the Swiss come back? That’s the question – but what can they do against a charging INEOS Britannia that appears to have speed to burn both upwind and downwind? Britannia comes flying in on two boards from the port side and makes the cross, before heading straight into a circle which the Swiss follow before falling off the foils. Britannia sails her own pre-start and sets up from deep, coming in high on starboard to hunt down the Swiss. However an out-of-control Alinghi Red Bull Racing, having just got back on the foils and stuffing the bow in with the traveller and mainsail pinned on port gybe, very nearly collides with Britannia. Cool reactions from Sir Ben Ainslie who executes a slam gybe away and then settles his team to make a brilliant start. INEOS Britannia immediately protest but the Swiss are languishing around the starting area, on the foils and then off again, and so by the time they get away, the British are off up the course unopposed. At the top mark, Britannia is 1 minute and 19 seconds ahead with a lead of 1600 metres and gaining.

By the first leeward mark, the British double-board rounded in a breeze topping 14 knots and set off upwind with a 1 minute 31 second and in total control. The Race committee lengthened the course legs to 1.9 nautical miles as INEOS Britannia rounded the second windward mark at 45 knots with the lead now at 1 minute and 40 seconds. This is tough to watch for the Swiss and the on-water distance is now at 1800 metres. The British keep it smooth, bouncing down the left boundary and round the final leeward mark having called a magnificent port layline from a quarter of the way back down the run to round with a 1 minute and 47 seconds delta as the Race Committee lengthened the course again, now up to 2 nautical miles. Britannia looks potent in the light and even faster in a breeze and is gaining on every leg with the sailors continuing to push the boat hard. Around the final mark and it’s a 2 minute and 02 second lead and the final delta, after no mistakes down the last run, is a commanding 2 minute and 20 seconds. Another top-rate performance from the British and they go 3-0 up in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final.

INEOS Britannia bt. Alinghi Red Bull Racing by 2 minutes and 20 seconds. (3-0 in the series)