Barcelona:

 A peek at Emirates Taihoro as she's loaded out ahead of America's Cup Race 1.

A peek at Emirates Taihoro as she's loaded out ahead of America's Cup Race 1. Photo: ©2024 Robert Kamins/CupInfo

 INEOS Britannia leading Luna Rossa in the final race of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Friday.

INEOS Britannia leading Luna Rossa in the final race of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Friday. Photo: ©2024 R. Steven Tsuchiya

Sir Ben Ainslie celebrates with the crew of INEOS Britannia becomes the 37th Challenger for the America's Cup.

Sir Ben Ainslie celebrates with his INEOS Britannia crew, now the 37th Challenger for the America's Cup. Photo: ©2024 Ricardo Pinto/America's Cup

INEOS Britannia in Race 10 of the LVC Final.

INEOS Britannia in Race 10 of the LVC Final. Photo: ©2024 R. Steven Tsuchiya

INEOS Britannia rounds the windward gate ahead of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, in Race 10.

INEOS Britannia rounds the windward gate ahead of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, in Race 10. Photo: ©2024 R. Steven Tsuchiya

GBR changed jibs between races, Wednesday, in the LVC Final.

GBR changed jibs between races, Wednesday, in the LVC Final. Photo: ©2024 R. Steven Tsuchiya

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in LVC Race 10 pre-start.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in LVC Race 10 pre-start. Photo: ©2024 R. Steven Tsuchiya

Pre-start of LVC Final Race 10, GBR won to go up 6-4, on Match Point for Friday.

Pre-start of LVC Final Race 10, GBR won to go up 6-4, on Match Point for Friday. Photo: ©2024 R. Steven Tsuchiya

Pre-start of LVC Final Race 10, GBR won to go up 6-4, on Match Point for Friday.

Pre-start of LVC Final Race 10, GBR won to go up 6-4, on Match Point for Friday. Photo: ©2024 R. Steven Tsuchiya

Alinghi Red Bull AC75 Yacht Capsizes, Takes on Water

(Sep 29) Alinghi Red Bull Racing capsized their AC75 yacht Sunday during testing. The boat was seen to be on its side at one point, with the mast supported by a float. After righting, multiple pumps were discharging water as the support crew towed the boat back to port. Whether the water was taken on as the boat lay on its side, or related to any internal damage, was not known. Nathan Outteridge of ETNZ saw the capsize take place in Sunday's winds of 20-25 kts., and said it appeared the boat came off its rudder foil, setting the sequence of events in motion. The Swiss have been eliminated from the Louis Vuitton Cup after losing in the previous round, but are continuing their technology development program.

Read more at stuff.co.nz


Emirates Team New Zealand's Boat Lands Hard on Cradle, Damaged

l(Aug 29, 2024) Following Thursday's opening day of the LVC Round Robin, ETNZ's AC75 yacht fell several feet as it was being craned into its shore cradle, causing damage to the boat that has yet to be completely determined. No one was injured, according to the team, but the foils and hull could be concerns. A photo released by the team shows the tip of one foil in contact wiht the ground. Condition of the hull is not clear. As the defender, ETNZ's role in the Round Robin is hardly necessary; they earn no points, their score does not affect the challengers' scores, and, of course, tNew Zealand automatically sail in the America's Cup Match as the defender. Though there is ample time to repair moderate damage before Oct 12, and no rule limitations on extent of repairs to original shape and construction state, the defender would lose some on-the-water experience from the nine races remaining for them in the Rounds Robin and the chance to measure the performance of the challengers firsthand. The team will provide more details after inspecting the yacht.

ETNZ released a statement that the boat "landed heavily" during the incident, and that they are evaluating further. From Grant Dalton, ETNZ CEO: “We will not be sailing tomorrow at least, and will provide further updates on the outlook in due course.”

Friday's pairings schedule was for NZL races against GBR and FRA.
Update: Emirates Team New Zealand was able to make repairs and resume racing on Saturday.


Final Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona

ETNZ Finishes on Top

(August 22-25, 2024) Racing among the 5 challengers and the defender using their new AC75 yachts began Thursday in Barcelona, Spain, which will also be the site of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger selection series and the America's Cup match. The Final Preliminary Regatta (FPR) is the first head-to-head look at how the teams stack up, and possibly consequential for tie-breaks in the challenger regatta.  The results are being closely scrutinized for what they reveal about all the design and preparation that's been taking place in the last three years. 

Round Robin:
So far, after three days of racing, and three races to go before the RR concludes, New Zealand is undefeated, and Italy has only one loss.  USA could tie Luna Rossa's win total with a victory over NZL on Sunday, but Italy would own the tie-break.  All of which means that the single-race Final will be Emirates Team New Zealand vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, a rematch of the 2021 America's Cup at least in the team sense, though with entirely new yachts.

See Race Results and Standings

Final:
ETNZ beats Luna Rossa in the Final. Finish delta is 34 seconds, after close racing and some good wind calls for NZL, tough tactics, and a couple penalties on ITA.

Challenger Selection Round Robin 1 begins Thursday, Aug 29.  


Preliminary AC40 Racing in Jeddah Dominated by New Zealand

(Dec 2, 2023) America's Cup Challengers and the Defender raced in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, as part of the work up to the 37th Defense of the America's Cup next year in Barcelona, Spain.    

Competing in the smaller AC40 foiling yachts, the competition got a lot more exciting with solid wind on Day 2 after light conditions on Day 1. Defender Emirates Team New Zealand climbed to the top of the leader board, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in second place, leading the five challengers. Day 2 also saw American Magic recover after a difficult opening day to make it out of the cellar by two points. Day 3's two fleet races brought a 5th win for ETNZ, dominating the regatta, a third win for Luna Rossa, and a 2-3 finish for American Magic, improving USA's final standing just enough to pass INEOS, but not to catch Alinghi.

After placing first and second in the Fleet Race portion of the event, New Zealand and Italy then met in the Match Race Final, with ETNZ coming away as regatta winner after close racing but a late nose-dive by ITA. A third preliminary regatta, in the new AC75 yachts, is planned for August, 2024, in Barcelona.

Jeddah Fleet Race Results (8 races): 

1 Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 64 pts.
   (1-1-5-2-1-1-3-1)
2 Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) 49 pts.
   (3-4-1-1-2-4-1-6)
3 Alinghi (SUI) 35 pts.
   (4-2-3-5-3-3-6-2)
4 American Magic (USA) 28 pts.
   (DSQ-6-DNS-3-4-2-2-3)
5 INEOS Team Britannia (GBR) 26 pts.
   (2-3-4-4-5-5-5-5)
6 Orient Express (FRA) 20 pts.
   (5-5-2-6-6-6-4-4)


American Magic Wins in Vilanova

(Sept 17, 2023) New York YC's American Magic won the first America's Cup preliminary regatta, held September 16-17 in Vilanova i La Geltru, Spain, beating defender Emirates Team New Zealand,  and challengers Orient Express, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Alinghi, and INEOS Britannia.   The event, raced in one-design AC40 foiling monohulls, was an early test of crews and tactics for the actual America's Cup match to be held next year.

American Magic finished strong on Sunday with a second place and two firsts to complete fleet racing. USA was then to face second place NZL in a match race final, but winds dropped to the point that the boats could not complete the course within time limits and the regatta winner was declared on the basis of fleet race results.

Vilanova Final Results (5 races): 

1 - American Magic (USA)  34 pts. (3-5-2-1-1) 
2 - Emirates Team NZ (NZL) 33 pts. (4-1-1-4-2) 
3 - Orient Express (FRA) 24 pts. (1-3-5-5-3) 
4 - Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) 20 pts. (2-6-3-3-5) 
5 - Alinghi (SUI) 20 pts. (5-2-4-2-6) 
6 - INEOS Team Britannia (GBR) 9 pts. (6-4-6-6-4)

A second preliminary regatta, also in one-design AC40s, is scheduled for Nov 30-Dec 2, 2023, in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and a third preliminary regatta, in the new AC75 yachts, is planned for August, 2024, in Barcelona.


Louis Vuitton Cup Starts Thursday

(August 2024) The regatta to determine the 2024 America's Cup challenger starts Thursday, Aug 29, in Barcelona Spain. All teams will race in a double Round Robin, with the top 4 out of 5 challengers advancing to Semi-Finals and the LVC Final. The winning challenger will then face New Zealand in the America's Cup match starting October 12.


2024 America's Cup Dates Announced

(November 30, 2022) The race dates for the 37th defense of the America's Cup, to be held in Barcelona, Spain, have been determined. The first-to-seven match will begin the weekend of October 12th and 13th, 2024, with two races each day. A fifth race is scheduled for midweek, Wednesday October 16th, and barring delays in the racing, the match would be decided on Saturday or Sunday, October 19-20, with up to two races each day as needed. Interim days are held as reserve or spare races days, depending on circumstances.

The Women's Final, to be sailed in AC40 yachts, is set for Wednesday, October 16th. Procedurally, the America's Cup Events Ltd. organization also agreed with Barcelona authorities on the location of the race course in waters to the south of the city, in viewing distance from shore.


Barcelona Race Village for the 2024 America's Cup. (Image: ©2022 America's Cup Events)
Barcelona Race Village for the 2024 America's Cup. (Image: ©2022 ACE)


2024 America's Cup Venue:
Barcelona és el nou Auckland!

(March 30, 2022) Royal New Zealand YS and Emirates Team New Zealand have announced that the America's Cup will be defended in Barcelona, Spain, in September and October of 2024. Winds for the regatta period have historically averaged 8-15 knots, and organizers expect to develop a fan-friendly venue around the city's existing harbor. Barcelona was chosen over several other interested cities including Cork, Ireland; Malaga, Spain; and Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This will be the second location and third defense of the America's Cup in Spain, despite the country never having actually held the trophy. Switzerland's Team Alinghi chose Valencia, Spain, to hold the match in 2007, beating New Zealand, and then lost to BMW Oracle there in 2010.

The decision is not without some hard feelings in New Zealand, which made vital financial contributions to ETNZ's efforts over the past two decades, hoping that their generosity would be repaid by winning the America's Cup and hosting the competition in Auckland, bringing economic benefits to New Zealand residents through both significant international tourism and direct spending by the competitors. The 2024 location selection was reportedly partially driven by the need to fund the defense effort with funds from the selected host city.

To date, four challenges have been made for the next America's Cup, including Britain's Royal Yacht Squadron, represented by INEOS Britannia; New York Yacht Club, represented by American Magic; Italy's Circolo della Vela Sicilia, represented by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli; and Switzerland's Societe Nautique de Geneve, represented by Alinghi Red Bull Racing. With the removal of some of the uncertainty about the venue and the dates, it is possible that the location in Europe may prompt additional challenges to go forward. In any case, knowing the location and expected sailing conditions is a critical factor in the yacht design process, and the teams can now make some key decisions in their development programs.

Grant Dalton, CEO, Emirates Team New Zealand: "When thinking ahead to the 37th America’s Cup and the AC75’s racing within a few hundred meters of the Barcelona beach, waterfront, and race village fan engagement zones it will be nothing less than spectacular.”

Terry Hutchinson, Skipper and President of Sailing Operations, American Magic, described his team as "thrilled" with the selection, adding "...As a team we are focused on understanding the changes of the class rule for AC37 and developing our next generation AC75. Knowing the venue now allows for a more detailed look at both wind and sea state conditions optimizing for Barcelona. Operationally we look forward to being back on the water later in 2022."

Sir Ben Ainslie, Team Principal, INEOS Britannia: "We are delighted the iconic city of Barcelona has been chosen to host the 37th America’s Cup. The historic weather data for Barcelona shows what a fantastic sailing venue it will be."


Protocol Released for Next America's Cup

(Nov 17, 2021) The Defender and the Challenger of Record (COR) have published the agreed-upon Protocol for the 37th America's Cup, establishing much of the structure and rules for the next America's Cup Match, though not announcing the location and dates, which are still to be determined but promised to take place between January and November of 2024.

The AC75 Class foiling monohull yachts from the 2021 match will be retained, with some modifications, and crews will be reduced from 11 to 8 sailors. An explicit 100% nationality rule for the on-board crew will be adopted, with nationality determined by passport or majority of recent residency. Challenges from "emerging" nations, in terms of modern America's Cup activity being those who have not entered since 2000 and have never held the Cup, may be granted dispensation from the 100% requirement on an individual basis.

New challenges will be accepted beginning December 1st, 2021, until July 31st, 2022. Late entries may be accepted until March of 2023. Power to control the event will be held by the Defender and COR alone. The decision of the venue and approximate dates of the 37th America's Cup match will be revealed by March 31, 2021.

The updated AC75 Class Rule, now Version 2, and technical regulations were also published. The number of sailing days for the existing Version 1 yachts will be restricted. Article 23 of the Protocol is intended as a binding requirement on competitors that if they win the Cup, the next event must be raced also in the AC75 Class yachts.

Read more at AmericasCup.com

 

2024 Schedule:
Barcelona, Spain

Louis Vuitton Two Rounds Robin:
Aug 29 to Sep 8

Louis Vuitton Semi-Finals:
(First to 5)
Sep 14-19

Louis Vuitton Final:
(First to 7)
Sep 26-Oct 5

America's Cup Match:
(First to Seven)
Oct 12-20, 2024
conditions permitting

See Format Details


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America's Cup Match
Day 1 - Saturday, Oct 12

America's Cup Defense (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
Challenger: INEOS Britannia representing Royal Yaacht Squadron (GBR)
vs.
Defender: Emirates Team New Zealand representing Royal New Zealand Yach Squadron (NZL)

Two Races per Day
Oct 12, Day 1
Race 1: NZL vs. GBR
Race 2: GBR vs. NZL

Forecast:
Winds under 10 kts, chance of showers. (official site)

Day 1 Outlook:
It's here, opening day of the America's Cup Match, the 37th time since 1851 that a Challenger has faced a Defender for yachting's historic prize.

In the last eight defenses, starting in 1995, New Zealand has been on one side or the other of the Match all but once (excepting 2010's Deed of Gift event). That's anything but random luck. And in all of those contests, aside from the 2003 literal and figurative collapse, the Kiwis came out of the gate with impressive speed, and nearly impeccable match racing execution. They won convincingly in 1995, 2000, 2017, and 2021; they fought hard battles in 2007 and 2013, and nearly won the Cup in those years, too.

For 2024, the New Zealanders have shown just a few cards by sailing in the Rounds-Robin (unprecedented for a defender), but they didn't reveal all that much. The team did not use their latest sails, and seemed to leave their door open for their RR opponents rather than slam it shut. The completely reasonable expectation is that they have speed, plenty of it, and are more than ready to meet the challenger.

The surprise from the beginning of this event, barely 6 weeks ago, is that the challenger is INEOS Britannia, not Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (or even NYYC American Magic). Luna Rossa looked sorted and fast in early racing, but had a few stumbles in the LVC Final. American Magic hinted at speed and innovation, but small mistakes added up to elimination in the SF. Certainly INEOS deserves to be here. Skipper Sir Ben Ainslie has always had a solid team when it comes to execution, even in Auckland in 2021 and Bermuda in 2017. Now he has a boat that's at the front of the challenger pack instead of the back.

The real question, as for any First Race of an America's Cup Defense, is what do the challenger and defender really bring to the contest, who is fastest upwind, downwind, tacking, gybing, pre-start, mark rounding, and everywhere. We won't know until that momentous first leg, at the earliest. The first cross is vital, and a lead at the first windward mark may mean a win.

In this second generation (or third version, since the teams were allowed to build two boats for 2021, but only one boat for 2024), GBR, ITA, and USA looked the best performers among the 5 challengers. Though they had variations in their design approaches, with weights, foil dimensions, and sail areas all narrowly restricted, no one boat was so dominant that they didn't need sound tactics and attentive covering to win. So the big reveal hinges on whether TNZ truly does more speed than all three challengers were able to find. The Kiwis lost only twice in the RRs, one to ITA (on DSQ) and once to GBR (on DNS), which isn't much of a clue.

There's dock talk that Ainslie is the better match racer, but underestimating Peter Burling and crew would be a mistake. ETNZ's best wildcard is Nathan Outteridge, added to the team this cycle. Talented, analytical, and possibly the best sailor in the world right now not to have won the America's Cup yet, Outteridge can be very aggressive at the right times, and combined with Burling, the Kiwis look very strong.

GBR's one clear advantage on NZL is that the Brits have come to the match through the LVC selection regatta, which was a fairly epic battle that pushed them to sail as hard as possible, and they improved almost every day. So GBR should be peaking at the right time. The mystery is what NZL has cooked up inside their shed. Saturday, Race 1, we'll start finding out!


Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Day 7 - Friday, Oct 4

LVC Final (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
INEOS Britannia (GBR)
vs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)

Two Races per Day
Oct 4, Day 7
Port Entry vs. Starboard Entry
Race 11: GBR beats ITA, 17 seconds
Race 12: GBR vs. ITA (not needed)
GBR wins series (7-4)

Forecast:
Winds light and variable, up to 5 kts. Waves 0.6m (Official site)

Friday Outlook:
Wind doesn't look promising, and if they do race, super light and spotty winds are a frustration to crews and fans alike.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has their backs to the wall. They have the speed to hang with INEOS Britannia, but between breakdowns and GBR getting early leads, what looked like an unstoppable campaign is still sailing decently, but is also struggling to get the points they need. GBR isn't outclassing ITA, but is just getting it done to get ahead and stay ahead. The LVC Final is coming down to execution. If they get everything right, can ITA even the score?

And if these two teams are a close match, how will ETNZ deal with the Louis Vuitton Cup winner?

Race 11:
Wind comes in much better than the forecasts at 7-9 kts. Close off the line, but GBR gets the cross and stays ahead. GBR leads by 10 seconds at the windward mark. Close match racing throughout, with GBR covering. Deltas are under 10 seconds all the way through, except at the finish, when GBR wins by 17 seconds. INEOS Britannia wins the Louis Vuitton Cup!

INEOS Britannia will challenge the defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, for the America's Cup. Racing begins October 12.

See: LVC Results | Regatta Schedule


Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Day 6 - Wednesday, Oct 2

LVC Final (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
INEOS Britannia (GBR)
vs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)

Two Races per Day
Oct 2, Day 6
Port Entry vs. Starboard Entry
Race 9: GBR beats ITA, 23 seconds
Race 10: GBR beats ITA, 8 seconds
GBR leads series at (6-4)

Forecast:
Winds N in the morning will become ESE to S, 7-15 kts., in the afternoon. Cloudy and cooler, waves 1m height. (Official site)

Wednesday Outlook:
It's a pitched battle, with much advantage to the early leader. Mid to lower range winds are possible, though the forecast is not very settled overnight. If so, it won't be the roaring speeds of the last couple days, but coupled with the 1m seas, demanding enough for the teams. The favored side of the course might be harder to predict. Nobody can win the Final series Wednesday, but a sweep would put one team on Match Point for Friday. Despite their penalty in the pre-start Tuesday, still look for aggressive tactics, especially from GBR before the start.

Race 9:
ITA led at the first cross, but GBR got ahead on the next one and led at the windward mark. ITA chased them around the course, within seconds, but unable to pass. A split late int he race didn't help, along with a brief fall off the foils and a problem with their sail. GBR wins Race 9 by 23 seconds and is leading the series 5-4.

Race 10:
Early lead for GBR and Luna Rossa stays within 10-12 seconds or so at each mark, but can't leverage anything into a pass. GBR wins Race 10, finish delta 8 seconds, leads the series 6-4.

Racing resumes Friday and INEOS Britannia will be on Match Point.


Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Day 5 - Tuesday, Oct 1

LVC Final (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
INEOS Britannia (GBR)
vs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)

Two Races per Day
Oct 1, Day 5
Port Entry vs. Starboard Entry
Race 7: GBR beats ITA, ITA DNF
Race 8: ITA beats GBR, 16 seconds
Series tied at (4-4)

Forecast:
Wind SW 14 kts. becoming 17 kts., gusting to 21. Waves steeper at 0.9m height. (Official site)

Tuesday Outlook:
The Finals are showing that either boat can win, the premium is on not making mistakes. That's always been true in the America's Cup, but there's very little room to recover, and passing has been hard to come by. The favored side of the course has not been hard to call, usually the right upwind in these SW breezes. A small lead, and winning the first cross, gives the leader control. With the mid- to upper-range conditions lately, the other factor to get right is sailing in the lifts. Both teams have a good sense of the wind oscillations in Barcelona, and usually a split for a trailing boat is at best a longshot to play only when other options look worse. As the teams are getting each other's measure, look Tuesday for continued confrontation in the pre-start, and tight match racing strategy throughout. Press the other guy to get him to make the mistake. And keep cycling!

Race 7:
Early lead for GBR in close racing up the beat, 1 second delta at top mark, but ITA has breakage on boat. They will not finish race. Can they even start the next one? Skipper Francesco Bruni reports that ITA had problems with their port foil arm.

Race 8:
After frantic repairs, the wind limit delays for a few minutes and then race is live for 3:23pm start. GBR boundary penalty in the pre-start, they clear it after the starting gun. ITA leads by 12 seconds at the top mark. Course is lengthened, so wind is not fading. Boats seperate on the downwind leg. ITA continues to push ahead, but the boats stay close in heavy air and deep gybes. Delta for ITA is 8 seconds ahead at Mark 2. Wind is swinging direction pretty well. ITA still leading at the second windward mark. Heavy winds keeping the crews on their toes, limiting some close covering. GBR stays close, but ITA is steady enough. Lead is 350m on final downwind, but at these speeds it's not so much by the clock. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli wins Race 8 by 16 seconds! Series is tied at 4-4.

Racing resumes tomorrow, Wednesday, with Races 9 and 10. Early wind forecast is 6-16 kts. Thursday is a scheduled Reserve Day.


Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Day 4 - Monday, Sep 30

LVC Final (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
INEOS Britannia (GBR)
vs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)

Two Races per Day
Sep 30, Day 4
Port Entry vs. Starboard Entry
Race 5: GBR beat ITA, 12 seconds
Race 6: ITA beat GBR, 17 seconds
Series tied at (3-3)

Forecast:
Wind SW 13-15 kts., gusts to 20. Wave 0.6m. On course at race time: Winds are just below limit of 21 kts.

Outlook:
ITA is probably a bit faster, but not enough to dominate, and GBR seems to lose less distance in tacking and gybing now. ITA isn't fast enough to easily pass outright, so starting in the lead is critical, even more so for GBR. Expect INEOS to be very agressive trying to win the start, since that's the best path to victory for them. Luna Rossa still needs to find the favored side of the course, in any case. Tactics up the beats are key, as well as the crucial choices at the leeward gates that set up the first upwind cross on each leg.

Race 5:
ITA off foils in pre-start, 20 seconds behind. GBR protects the right, ITA takes an extra tack, and GBR leads by 5 seconds at the first mark. GBR covers well, then rounds poorly at Mark 4, skidding in the turn, letting ITA get within striking distance. Despite getting out of phase and pressing GBR hard, ITA doesn't find the wind to get ahead, and GBR finishes with a 12-second margin, winning Race 5! INEOS Britannia leads series (3-2).

Race 6:
ITA finds speed on port, builds on early lead. Close margins at all gates, but GBR can't chip away at it from behind. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli wins Race 6 with a delta of 17 seconds! Series is tied at (3-3).

Racing resumes Tuesday with Race 7 and 8. Wind forecast is for SW 10-15 kts, though that was the same as predicted for today and the breeze came in close to the wind limits.


Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Day 3 - Sunday, Sep 29

LVC Final (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
INEOS Britannia (GBR)
vs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)

Two Races per Day
Sep 29, Day 3
Port Entry vs. Starboard Entry
Race 3: GBR beats ITA (ITA DSQ)
Race 4: ITA beats GBR, 6 seconds
Series tied at (2-2)

Forecast:
Light NE winds early becoming SW 10-15 kts. in the afternoon. Waves 0.6m.

Sunday Outlook:
Re-sail of Race 3 (Abandoned due to time limit) and Race 4 (Postponed) from yesterday. The surprise in the very spotty and shifty wind conditions Saturday was that GBR looked more stable and dialed-in for the lightest of conditions. In the RR stage, it was usually ITA that held that designation. Possibly the teams have adapted their boats to the competition a bit for the Final. It's hard to draw too many conclusions, though, when the wind is so inconsistent. Sunday should see solid mid-range winds, and provide a good picture of the capability of each boat in the center of their design envelopes.

Race 3:
Luna Rossa had a broken mainsail batten before the start, they had to lower and replace the main. There wasn't enough time to complete the work before the start sequence began, and ITA was disqualified for outside assistance in the pre-start.

Race 4:
Long series of delays for wind over the limit. Underway. Close quarters in the pre-start, but no penalties. Early lead for Luna Rossa, both on port tack after the start. Turn right at the top of the course, 4 second delta. GBR turns left. Split downwind, ITA to the left side, GBR to the right. They come back together and ITA is 130m ahead. GBR gybes to follow ITA, on same course ITA opens lead to 180m. Into bottom gate, GBR pulls closer after ITA gybes. ITA turns left, GBR right. 6 second delta.

Upwind ITA gets the favored right side, comes back 130 m ahead, tacks to port ahead of GBR. INEOS at speed closes gap to 30m, just off their leeward quarter. They tack at the boundary. GBR is a little further back now, 80m, but right with ITA. Halfway across the course, GBR tacks to port, ITA covers. Wind just over 20kts. Into top gate, on starboard layline, ITA turns left, GBR follows. 5 second delta. 120m lead downwind for Luna Rossa. Out to 150m, both boats on port gybe. On starboard, GBR gains, down to 120m by the gate, ITA turns right, GBR left. 11 second delta. ITA edges lead out further. 19 seconds at Mark 5. Three legs to go.

Lead up to 450m. 20 seconds at Mark 6. 300m lead upwind on last windward leg. ITA left, GBR right. Approaching the layline, GBR has gained, lead is under 100m. They tack for the right gate, ITA crosses GBR and tacks in their path. Both turn right. Delta is 6 seconds onto last leg. 50kts boatspeed each. GBR gybes away early. ITA goes to the boundary. Lead is 150m. ITA crosses ahead, gybes to leeward. GBR closes up to 90m. ITA hangs on. GBR gybes away for finish. ITA follows. GBR down to 75m. 70m. They rip across the finish line. ITA wins by 4 seconds! Probably the best race of the regatta so far. Series is tied at 2-2.

Racing is expected to resume on Monday, Sep 20, a designated Reserve Day, to stay on schedule. Races 5 and 6.


Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Day 2 - Saturday, Sep 28

LVC Final (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
INEOS Britannia (GBR)
vs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)

Two Races per Day
Sep 28, Day 2
Port Entry vs. Starboard Entry
Race 3: ITA vs. GBR (14:10 scheduled)
Race 4: GBR vs. ITA (15:15 scheduled)
Series tied at (1-1)

Forecast:
Wind ESE 5 kts. becoming SE-S 10 kts. throughout afternoon. Seas 0.6m from East. looking ahead to Sunday, winds SW in mid-teens.

Outlook:
Day 1 didn't show either team clearly dominant in higher winds. Luna Rossa had no trouble stretching out the margins mark by mark in Race 1, but passing was not in the cards for Race 2, with INEOS clear ahead and protecting their lead. Look for an all-out effort to win the starts Saturday from GBR. The lighter conditions have generally been a better advantage for ITA, though, as long as they were able to stay on foils. Wherever they start, the Italians are going to be a handful for the Brits, if racing comes off in the forecast under 10 kt. breeze. Calmer seas should help both boats.

Race 3:
Wind Delay (last update 15:45/3:45pm). Start sequence proceeding for 16:10/4:10pm, race is underway. Wind is light and spotty, but above limits. GBR is pointing higher, and showing great VMG, plus getting the wind shift. Early lead at first cross for GBR. Wind is swinging significantly, and will be a major factor. GBR leads by :19 at the first upwind gate. Luna Rossa comes on strong downwind, finding private breeze with bettrer angle after the turn, and takes the lead. Then GBR gets their turn with the wind, and rolls back into the lead. Race Director is sucessively shortinging the course as race goes on, suggesting wind is staying light. At second gate, INEOS leads by :15. ITA has trouble staying on foils, GBR pulls away. At Gate 3, Delta is 1:28. Course is shortened again. At Gate 4, Delta is 1:13. Wind keeps getting weaker. Both boats in displacement mode. Time limit mercifully expires. Race Abandoned. RAcing called for the day. Race 3 will be re-sailed Sunday.


Louis Vuitton Cup Final
Day 1 - Thursday, Sep 26

LVC Final (Best of 13 Series, First to 7 Points):
INEOS Britannia (GBR)
vs.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA)

Two Races per Day
Sep 26, Day 1
Port Entry vs. Starboard Entry
Race 1: ITA beats GBR, 46 seconds
Race 2: GBR beats ITA, 18 seconds
Series tied at (1-1)

Forecast:
Wind SW 10 kts in the morning, becoming SSW 14-18 kts in the afternoon, gusts to 25 kts. Seas 1.3m from SW. Current prediction for future race days is lighter (10kts) Saturday, and very light (4-8 kts) Sunday.

Outlook:
Big time racing now. INEOS Britannia started clicking much better at the end of the Rounds Robin, and dispatched Alinghi Red Bull Racing in the Semi-Finals without too much trouble. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was strong from the start of racing, though had some uncharacteristic misfortune and mistakes in the semis against NYYC American Magic, including broken mainsail components and a fall off of foils, losing three in a row before getting their needed fifth SF win. On pure momentum, GBR is showing promise, but is that improvement enough for them to beat ITA consistently?

The teams have only met twice so far in the 2024 regatta, ITA winning the first time by 1:24, and GBR winning the second time by 0:25. Since the SF, GBR and ITA have had several days off, and performance in the America's Cup is a moving target. The central task is finding ways to get faster, sail better, and not repeat mistakes. One good aspect of the LVC Final is that there are enough races to even out some factors of chance. And there is a slightly bigger window for the teams to take each other's measure and make adjustments that balance their advantages and disadvantages to best effect. These two yachts were clearly consistently fast and well-sailed in the first two rounds, and deserve to be here in the Final. How they might match-up to the Defender will be the lurking question while watching this series. This is also a rematch of the 2021 challenger Final, which ITA won.

Thursday's weather may be at the upper end of the envelope on wind, and a real test for boats and sailors. Wind is expected generally to strengthen going into October and the America's Cup Match, so it's important to get racing experience for the crews, and see who has the best ability to beat the defender, in the mid-to upper range of conditions.

Race 1:
Luna Rossa is ahead by 130m at the first cross, and gains more after an INEOS splashdown. Though the delta at Marks 1 and 2 is only 11 seconds, the lead progressively extends throughout the race. ITA wins Race 1 by 46 seconds and leads the LVC Final series (1-0).

Race 2:
Early lead for GBR, and they defended their preferred side well, sailing in better wind. ITA stayed close most of the way, but couldn't get ahead, and a split didn't pay off for them either. INEOS Britannia wins Race 2 by 18 seconds, and ties the LVC final at (1-1).

Racing resumes Saturday at 2:10 pm.

See LVC Results and Standings


Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
Day 5 - Thursday, Sep 19

LVC Semi-Finals (Best of 9 Series):
SF1, Race 8: ITA beat USA, 1 minute, 1 sec
SF1, Race 9: ITA vs. USA*
*not needed

Luna Rossa wins Semi-Final, advances to face INEOS Britannia in LVC Final

Forecast Conditions:
Winds light and variable, filling in from S, becoming 6-11 knots. Waves 0.8m from the E (Official site).

Outlook:
Remarkable results yesterday, and American Magic is sailing better and better, well-matched with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Yesterday's second race was marred by a breakdown on the Italian boat, in the middle of another very close and hard fought race. America Magic has found ways to prevail, and has improved their low wind manuevers and decision making. Luna Rossa probably appreciated the benefit of finding the weaknesses in their boat sooner rather than later, as the stakes will only keep rising. Still, their broken mainsail gear cost them Race 7, and they can't have something like that continue. NYYC American Magic is already in a must-win position. LRPP needs to avoid that peril. An anything-can-happen Race 9 would be an incredible showdown. Assuming there is enough wind to make a race happen on Thursday, look for very agressive tactical battles. The predicted rain has been pushed to Friday, if racing needs to extend another day.

Race 8, ITA beat USA:
Close start, on time, early lead to USA, an early cross, but ITA rolls under them next them they meet and takes a slight lead. USA keeps missing the wind that ITA is finding, and the lead slowly builds. USA occasionally cuts into the margin, but ITA keeps pulling out again. ITA wins by 1:01 to head to the Louis Vuitton Cup final against GBR! Series score (5-3).


Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
Day 4 - Wednesday, Sep 18

LVC Semi-Finals (Best of 9 Series):
SF2, Race 6: SUI beat GBR, 1 minute, 23 sec
SF1, Race 6: USA beat ITA, (ITA DSQ)
SF2, Race 7: GBR beat SUI, 1 minutes, 10 sec
SF1, Race 7: USA beat ITA, (ITA DNF)

Forecast Conditions:
NE wind early veering to E, 5-8 knots, by race time, increasing in pressure up to 12kt gusts. Continued veering to SE through afternoon. Waves: 0.8 to 1m, from the east. (official forecast). Update: At Race Time, 5.5 kts, peaks at 8 kts, still veering E to SE to SSE as the day goes on. Waves observed 1.1m, choppy, from E. Thursday forecast similar, plus rainy intervals.

Both GBR and ITA start the day leading their respective series (4-1), at match point.

Outlook:
The great racing skipper Yogi Berra said "It ain't over 'til it's over." NYYC American Magic and Alinghi Red Bull Racing are fighting for their campaigns to continue, needing to win every time now. Monday's surprises showed they can do it. USA raced very well, while it was Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli making the one small mistake that cost them the race. USA also has the take away that they were giving it as good as they got while it was a two-boat race. Execute, and keep doing it, is the order of the day. SUI showed they can get it done, too, and that GBR is not flawless, though their Monday win featured a lot more displacement mode sailing than anybody prefers. Alinghi surely believes they can find more ways to win, too. The two favorites know they have time on their side, but no race is a given. Will we see any 4-3 series at the end of the day Wednesday? Or will the Louis Vuitton Cup Final pairing be decided? A pivotal day ahead.

Race 6, SUI beat GBR:
Alinghi Red Bull sailed a flawless race in light winds and a choppy sea state to beat INEOS by 1:23.

Race 6, USA beat ITA:
This race, shortened to 4 legs with the wind dropping to around 5.5 kts at the top gate, featured multiple lead changes and a combination of foiling and displacement modes. At the final windward gate, NYYC American Magic denied Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli a straight path to a mark, sealing the Italians' fate. On the final downwind leg, LRPP, in displacement mode, was disqualified when she sailed out of the boundary.

Race 7, GBR beat SUI:
GBR Wins Series, Alinghi Red Bull Racing is eliminated. INEOS Britannia advances to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, where they will race the winner of the other SF match.

Race 7, USA beat ITA:
Luna Rossa is DNF after failure of their mainsail mechanism during the race. American Magic pulls to (4-3) in the series. Racing again tomorrow as conditions permit.

See LVC Semi-Final Results and Standings

Also: See Unicredit Youth America's Cup Results and Standings


Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
Day 3 - Monday, Sep 16

LVC Semi-Finals (Best of 9 Series):
SF2, Race 5: SUI beat GBR (GBR DNF)
SF1, Race 5: USA beat ITA (ITA DNF)
SF2, Race 6: GBR vs. SUI* PPN
SF1, Race 6: ITA vs. USA* PPN
*if needed

Update: Racing postponed (PPN) until Wednesday.

Forecast:
Wind southerly, 4 to 8 knots, unsettled and shifty. Sea state calm (official site). If racing is postponed from Monday, Tuesday is a Reserve Day, but a similar forecast. Wednesday is light, Thursday is higher wind, up to 17 kts, but prediction is for rain, too.

Outlook:
Elimination day could be here for two more of the five 2024 challenger candidates. Italy and Great Britain have each swept their series so far, and one more win will advance them to the LVC Final. NYYC American Magic and Alinghi Red Bull Racing could exit the event after just 14 races that counted. It's easy to think that a longer event might be better for fans, sailors, and everyone else. Auckland in 2003 featured a repechage round where the quarterfinal losers faced each other for a second chance, giving them time to get their ACC yachts squared away. Having more teams in the event longer works from both the sporting and spectator sides. But that isn't the plan right now. If the Semi-Finals end Monday, it will be nine days off until the Final begins.

Race outlook:
USA has shown they can match ITA in speed at times, but ITA has usually picked better wind, rounded and tacked better, and made fewer errors sailing the boat. American Magic can win a race if they put everything together; they were a boat length away from grabbing the lead at the finish on Sunday, but need to have everything working perfectly. The light air conditions that are expected Monday have been exactly the hardest conditions to sail Patriot in, so far. ITA executes well, is fast in nearly all situations, and seems able to sail a bit lower downwind when they need to. With a reasonably even match-up in the straight line drag race sense, it's the the ability to get an early lead and protect it with tough match race tactics, including relentless covering and winning tactical chess moves before and after the gates, that will be the true test for both teams.

GBR is sailing very solidly, looking stable on foils, and sensible on tactics. Ainslie seems to always sail well, even when he's had a slow boat, and their AC75 is looking anything but slow lately. Where GBR is going to be in the horse race with, say, ITA, when they (likely) meet again is a big question, since both teams are improving as the event goes on, and will have an extended time off before the final. Right now, the British against the Swiss is a different situation. Alinghi has flashes of speed upwind, but downwind haven't been so close in performance. Alinghi's mishaps in the pre-start have put them more or less impossibly behind in some races. It's a steep climb, but they have a talented crew and could still make something good happen. Now's the time.

SUI beats GBR:
Alinghi Red Bull claims a precious win in challenging conditions, finishing the race in displacement mode, with only three minutes to spare before racing was abandoned due to time limit. Series stands at (4-1).  

USA beat ITA:
A close back and forth race with several lead changes, protests, and penalties. Luna Rossa fell off foils in an agressive turn at an inside mark rounding, and NYYC American Magic kept going, winning by well over a kilometer, ITA Did Not Finish. Series stands at (4-1) for ITA.

SUI vs. GBR, R6:
Wind is dropping out. (14:45/4:45pm) Rolling delays, uncertain if more racing today. Update: (15:20/5:20pm) Still delaying. Update: (15:25/5:25pm) Called for the day.

Next:
The Youth America's Cup event begins Tuesday, which was a scheduled Reserve Day for the LVC. The Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals are set to continue on Wednesday.

See Semi-Final Results and Standings


Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
Day 2 - Sunday, Sep 15

LVC Semi-Finals (Best of 9 Series):
SF2, Race 3: ITA beats USA, 26 seconds
SF1, Race 3: GBR beats SUI, 2 minutes, 20 sec
SF2, Race 4: ITA beats. USA, 2 seconds
SF1, Race 4: GBR beats SUI, 48 seconds

Conditions:
Winds 12-13 kts, S to SSE. Waves 1.5 feet.

ITA beat USA:
Luna Rossa Prada Perelli, to leeward of NYYC American Magic, won the start and then led at all gates. American Magic touched down briefly at one of the bottom gates, giving up a distance that was too hard to make up. ITA wins by 26 seconds. Series stands at (3-0).

GBR beat SUI:
Alinghi Red Bull made a difficult manuever with a minute to go in the pre-start, fell off foils, got out of sync with the boat, risked a capsize, although not penalized after GBR hunted them and protested. SUI started very slowly while INEOS Briitannia hit the line at full speed. The lead was already 1 km on the first leg, and still 1:40 at the third mark. GBR Wins by 2:20 at the finish. Series stands at (3-0)

ITA beat USA:
Even start, close throughout with ITA leading. USA reeled them in, but ITA had a boat length as they crossed just before the finish, and edged USA by a 2 second delta at the line. ITA now leads series (4-0). One win to go.

GBR beat SUI:
Racing is close up the first leg, SUI is sailing well, but GBR pulls away throughout the race, as wind builds to 16-18 kts. INEOS Britannia leads series now (4-0). One win to go.

Next: Racing resumes Monday, with the fifth and possibly deciding race in each series. Early forecast is for lighter winds, southerly, 6 knots, possibly not consistent, flat seas. If racing makes the start, it will be trying conditions for the boats.

See Semi-Final Results and Standings


Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
Day 1 - Saturday, Sep 14

SF2, Race 1: ITA beats USA, 7 seconds
SF1, Race 1: GBR beats SUI, 2 minutes, 5 sec
SF2, Race 2: ITA beats USA, 18 seconds
SF1, Race 2: GBR beats SUI, 1 minute, 37 sec

USA vs. ITA:
USA started well, protected their lead for three legs, but ITA closed up after USA fell off foils on Leg 4, and ITA was faster downwind, often finding better wind at other times, and hard to catch once in the lead.

GBR vs. SUI:
Alinghi started ahead, led 11 seconds at Mark 1, downwind GBR got better wind in a split after the rounding, and GBR got ahead and sailed away, especially downwind. 2:05 final margin.

ITA vs. USA:
Early lead for USA, wind getting light, coming off foils at bottom mark and ITA closes up, wind is spotty throughout and lighter, lead goes back and forth, but ITA comes out on top of Leg 3 while USA takes an extra tack. USA shows closing speed on the final downwind, but not enough room or time to make it into a pass, and ITA hangs on to win Race 2. Delta at finish was 18 seconds. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli leads series 2-0.

SUI vs. GBR:
SUI had pre-start problems, but couldn't play their delay card, started with a penalty. GBR sailed away from them. INEOS Britannia leads series 2-0.

See Semi-Final Results and Standings


Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals: Pairings Set

(Sep 13, 20204) INEOS Britannia chose Alinghi Red Bull as their semi-final opponent, leaving Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to race NYYC American Magic. The Semi-Finals are a best of nine series starting Saturday, Sept 14, with two races planned per day for each pair of semi-finalists (four races total per day). Also, as further prerogatives of the Round Robin winner, GBR also their match to be the second race of the day, and to enter the starting area on starboard tack.

Speculation surrounded the possible choice, given INEOS had beaten Luna Rossa twice in a row on the final day to end a Round Robin stage that saw the Italians win every other race against a challenger candidate. Luna Rossa is still a very strong looking team, and American Magic will have to be on much better form to have a chance against Luna Rossa. USA has shown speed, but has also had a lot of small problems turn into bigger problems. Alinghi didn't win a lot of races in the opening stage, but was a tough competitor much of the time.

Sir Ben Ainslie, Skipper and Team Principal, INEOS Britannia, said the expected sailing conditions were a key consideration, in addiiton to assessment of Round Robin competition: "So the forecast for the Semi-Final period was a really important factor in our decision. In all honesty, we didn’t actually confirm our decision until a few hours ago and we had input from our sailing team and coaches as well as our performance, analysis and technical teams.""

All the teams have learned, tried to make adjustments, and should raise their performance in the Semi-Finals. Who is getting better fastest? That's Saturday's question.

See: Regatta Format | Schedule


Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 2
Day 4 - Monday

INEOS Britannia is top of the Challengers,
Orient Express Eliminated
Semi-Finals start Saturday.

Round Robin 2, Day 4 (Monday, Sep 9)
First start: 2:10 pm Local time
Race 28: GBR beats FRA, 1 minute 11 sec
Race 29: SUI beats ITA, ITA DSQ
Race 30: NZL beats USA, 2 minute 22 sec
Sail-Off Race: FRA vs. SUI (not needed)*
Sail-Off Race: GBR beats ITA*
*See explanation in Outlook below

Results:
INEOS beat Orient Express, to send the French out of the challenger selection process, and saving Alinghi Red Bull from a Sail-Off against FRA. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli was DSQ/DNS after a foil problem kept them from starting properly. New Zealand sailed away from American Magic after Leg 1, though it was close before that despite a boundary penalty on USA in the pre-start. Following NZL vs. USA, the GBR win and ITA loss set up a sail-off between GBR-ITA to decide the top spot in the Double Round Robin stage. GBR showed speed throughout, won the sail-off, ranks first in the Challenger standings, and will make theirchoice of Semi-Final opponent known at the Semi-Finalists press conference set for Friday at 5:30pm.

Outlook:

Standings before Race 28:
1 ITA Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 6 pts.
2 GBR INEOS Racing 5 pts.
3 USA American Magic 4 pts.
4 SUI Alinghi Red Bull 2 pts.
5 FRA Orient Express 1 pt.

Outlook:
Round Robin racing is almost over, and the two key results of the opening stage are not yet settled. The first place challenger (Italy right now) gets to make the critical decision on who their Semi-Final opponent is going to be, while last place among the five challengers will have their AC37 experience end, with just 8 races under their belt.

The winner of the first race today, either GBR or FRA, will have a chance at improving their finish. If the French win Race 28 while the Swiss lose Race 29, they would stand tied in last place, and face each other in a single sail-off race to break the tie. The loser would be eliminated. If the British win R28 while the Italians lose R29, both teams would be tied for first place, and have sail-off. Both races are not possible. If the Sail-off is needed, but does not fit Sunday's schedule, then Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday are Reserve Days. If the schedule slips past that, any first or last place tie would be broken according to countback procedures in the Racing Rules of Sailing for the America's Cup (RRSAC). (Ties for other positions will not be broken.)

The First Place challenger candidate's selection of their Semi-Final opponent is pivotal. And though it might seem obvious Team #1 should pick the weakest opponent, sometimes the best strategy might actually to pick the strongest opponent that still seems beatable now, before they get any better. Factoring into this decision will be the perception of performance seen in different sailing conditions in the Rounds Robin, measured against forecasts for the Semi-Finals. Louis Vuitton Semi-Finals start next Saturday, Sept 14.

Round Robin Results
See Round Robin Results, Pairings, and Standings

Round Robin Analyis at CupStats
See Statistics and Analysis of RR1 + 2 Racing


Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 2
Day 3 - Saturday

Round Robin 2, Day 3 (Sat, Sep 7)
First start: 2:10 pm Local time
Race 22: ITA beat USA, 22 seconds
Race 23: GBR beat SUI, 53 seconds
Race 26: USA beat FRA, 15 seconds
Race 27: NZL beat SUI, 38 seconds
Race 25: GBR beat ITA, 25 seconds

Results:
USA got one badly needed win that avoids risk of an elimination sail-off. GBR got two wins, also avoiding that fate, but showing great speed in mid-range wind, and beating ITA, the Italians' first loss against another challenger candidate. SUI lost a key race against GBR, making the FRA-GBR match Sunday a possibilty for Orient Express to tie Alinghi at two points, and force the elimination Sail-Off between the two as the last race of the day Sunday.

USA looked decidely slower against ITA, and got spit out of some tactical interactions because of it, despite a near even start. This is even more of a concern becuase in these conditions INEOS was able to beat Luna Rossa. Alinghi Red Bull looked increasingly strong, but not enough to beat the top form teams they faced today. Emirates Team New Zelaland handled the Swiss without trouble.

Outlook:
This is the make or break day of the Opening Stage of challenger selection. Four out of five teams will get to the semi-finals, but who will go home after this round? SUI's sudden turn toward winning, after struggling for RR1, has put many possibilities in play. Likewise USA's inability to put points on the board. But it's France's Orient Express Racing that is central to the outcome. If FRA wins both races, they are likely set up a tie with at least one other team. GBR and USA each have three points, and each have to race top team Luna Rossa still, so could conceiveably end up tied with France. Any ties for last place will be settled with a Sail-Off race, or a series of Sail-Off races for a multi-way tie. Traditional countbacks will determine the order of multi-boat series, but will only decide an outcome if the sail-off is not possible. Unexpectedly, INEOS, with three races left, could finish in first place overall or be eliminated depending on how events unfold. Of course, Luna Rossa is the favorite, but the standings are up in the air for the start of Saturday's RR2 races. Any team that gets to four points will be safe this round.

What teams needs to do: Alinghi, continue to sail tight races, speed and execution are improving. Luna Rossa, keep the silver pedal to the metal. It's working, and they look better all the time. INEOS, 3-1 against challengers in RR1, winless this round, needs to find their form again; beating SUI early would take the pressure off racing ITA and FRA. American Magic, lead early and stay on foils. Orient Express, win and win!

Buckle up, Saturday could be a wild ride.


Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 2
Day 2 - Thursday

Day 2, RR2 (Thu, Sep 5): 
Race 18: USA beats GBR
Race 19: ITA beats FRA
Race 21: NZL beats GBR
Race 20: SUI beats USA
Race 24: NZL beats FRA

Update: Wednesday's Racing has been moved to Thursday due to weather. Five races will be held.

Outlook:
Competition is getting tense in the RR. Staying out of the bottom slot, or even tied for it, is key for survival.

For SUI, the task is a single race today, but they did win their first race (and first point) against FRA on Day 1 of the second round. Do they have momentum now? Italy is currently sitting on four points, and with only one more win in the next 4 races they will clinch a Semi-Final spot. Ideally they want to be first among challengers, too, at the end of the RR. INEOS Britannia has three points starting the day. Two wins in their two races would secure them safely in the semis, too. American Magic has just two points, and could find themselves vulnerable if Orient Express or Alinghi catches fire. USA needs to win to stay away from those kinds of worries. Orient Express, with just one point so far, has shown speed upwind, but has not match raced as well as the top teams and ITA will be a real test for them today. It's a precarious next couple of days: one challenger will be out of the regatta after only 8 real races, despite years of preparation. One team will get to choose their preferred SF opponent.

SUI and FRA have only three races left to earn points; GBR, ITA, and USA have four races left to do so.

Thursday Results:
Great day for Alinghi Red Bull Racing, mixed day for American Magic, and worse day for Orient Express.

Alinghi sailed a very solid race against American Magic, helped by a pre-start penalty on USA, reinforced by tight match racing from ahead that kept USA from passing, even when AM might have had more speed upwind, and then Alinghi cemented the win when USA fell off foils twice, opening up an insurmountable lead in the increasingly light conditions. The point from the win gives SUI life in the regatta, and put them ahead now of FRA, who is in the elimination slot by themselves right now. GBR's loss to USA in the first race of the day was a boost to American Magic, and had USA beating SUI would have clinched a Semi-Final spot. For GBR the loss keeps them #2 behind Luna Rossa, who just quietly keeps winning and getting stronger. NZL clocked wins against GBR and FRA, which don't affect the standings.

Round Robin Results

See Round Robin Results, Pairings, and Standings

Revised Schedule:
FourFive races are scheduled for Wednesday Thursday, 5 races, Saturday, and 3 races Sunday, unless lightning strikes twice. The Sunday plan leaves room for a Sail-Off race if only one is needed to break critical ties (first or last place). More than one sail-off would probably spill into next week.


Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 2
Day 1 - Tuesday

(Sep, 2024) The second half of the Double Round Robin to select the challenger began Tuesday, though after two races the remainder of the schedule was postponed due to dangerous conditions, with lightning striking the water (very) close to competitors.

Day 1, RR2 (Tue, Sep 3):
Race 16: SUI beat FRA, 1 minute 10 sec
Race 17: ITA beat NZL, NZL DSQ
Race 18: GBR vs. USA, Postponed 
Race 19: FRA vs. ITA, Postponed

Alinghi Red Bull took their first victory of the Rounds Robin againt Orient Express. Luna Rossa won their race after ETNZ was disqualified for sailing outside the boundary.

See 2024 America's Cup Event Format


Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 1 

(August, 2024) Racing started in Barcelona, Spain, to select the challenger for the 2024 America's Cup. First up is a Double Round Robin to choose 4 of the 5 challenger candidates to advance to the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final.

Day 1, RR1 (Thursday Aug 29):
Race 1: FRA beats SUI, 24 seconds
Race 2: NZL beats ITA, 12 seconds
Race 3: GBR beats USA, 14 seconds
Race 4: ITA beats FRA, 1 minute 24 sec

American Magic lost their race, but despite falling off of foils in the pre-start and being penalized for OCS (On Course at the Start), USA came back from a nearly 900m gap to be within 14 seconds at the finish in light conditions. France beat Alinghi in Race 1, though the Swiss sailing a good race with no major mistakes. France struggled early against Italy, especially downwind and at the bottom gate, enough for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to speed out to a sizable lead and hold onto it even after falling off their rudder on Leg 4.

Day 2, RR1 (Friday Aug 30):
Race 5: USA beats SUI, 2 minutes 58 sec
Race 6: GBR wins one point, NZL DNS
Racing Abandoned for the Day (wind)

American Magic notched a nice win handling light air conditions adeptly and getting on foil, and staying on foils, better than opponent Alinghi Red Bull. INEOS had to start their scheduled match in order to receive her point against the damaged NZL, still back in the shed being evaluated after her crane incident last night. The Race Director then declared the race for GBR. Continuing light winds led to abandoning racing for the remainder of Friday.

Racing continues Saturday. Race 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 are scheduled for tomorrow, per updated Sailing Instructions. Races 8 and 12 involve NZL, who stated Friday that they are planning to be racing.

Day 3, RR1 (Saturday , Aug 31): 
Race 7: ITA beats USA, 24 seconds
Race 8: NZL beats FRA, FRA DNS
Race 9: GBR beats SUI, 1 minute 25 sec
Race 10: USA beats FRA, FRA DNF
Race 11: ITA beats GBR, 1 minute 24 sec
Race 12: SUI vs. NZL, PPN (Postponed to Sunday)

France had to withdraw in Race 8, when they had technical problems during the pre-start. They also lost to USA in Race 10, when FRA fell off foils at the end of the fourth leg in light wind, in what had been a close race until that point. France was far enough behind to be ruled DNF, outside the five minute window. Before the start of Race 11, Luna Rossa played their delay card to change jibs, though the race was already in a wind hold, and they may prefer to try for better conditions tomorrow. Also before Race 11, the Race Director announced that the planned Race 12 will be moved to Sunday, a consequence of time considerations after wind holds earlier in the day.

INEOS Britannia (GBR) and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) top the standings with three wins apeice and one races each left to go in the first round.

Day 4, RR1 (Sunday, Sep 1):
Race 12: NZL beats SUI, SUI was DSQ
Race 13: GBR beats FRA, 16 seconds
Race 14: ITA beats SUI, 26 seconds
Race 15: NZL beats USA, 29 seconds

Conditions: winds under 10 kts., swell building from SE.
Alinghi Red Bull RAcing was disqualified before the start for not being within 100 meters of the pre-start box. The team had returned to port to fix a problem with their mainsail before the race, when they found the bolt rope on the luff had come out of the track, and Alinghi could not get back to the course in time. The loss does not affect their challenger selection. SUI sailed 4 legs against NZL anayway, before the race was stopped. GBR sailed a good race against FRA, though getting a port/starboard penalty against Orient Express. The French themselves had been penalized for OCS. Italy showed good speed and higher angles against Alinghi in Race 14, bounced them off their preferred side of the course, and completed the first Round Robin 4-0 against the challengers. NZL leads early off the line against USA, but American Magic passes them, leads until NZL gets some better breeze upwind, and then USA has a slow mark rounding, giving up too much itance on the final downwind.

If all four races are sailed on Sunday, that will complete the first of the two Rounds Robin. Race 16, the first of RR2, was originally scheduled for the last race of the day on Sunday. Iain Murrary, Race Director, announced that RR2 will begin on Sep 2 (a Reserve Day) or Sep 3 (a scheduled race day), depending on weather and timely wrap up of RR1, with a final decision to be announced Sunday. If either of those days is announced a s a Race Day, the other will be considered a Reserve Day. Update: Race Director announced that Modnay will be the Reserve Day and Tuesday Sep 3 will be that start of RR2, with the first four races planned.

RR Results

See Round Robin Results, Pairings, and Standings 


 

Previous Stories:

American Magic: The Fight to Save Patriot

YouTube Video

Dramatic on-the-spot coverage of the all-hands effort from all four teams working together to rescue American Magic's AC75 yacht after her stunning capsize, and the team's resolve to rebuild her and race again by the Semi-Finals.

Watch the video at YouTube (7:51)


American Magic Press Conference

(Jan 18) American Magic Skipper And Executive Director Terry Hutchinson held a press conference in Auckland at 3:00pm/1500h, Monday. He states that the team is working hard with the expectation of having the boat ready to race in the Semi-Final, which begins January 29. The hull has been inspected manually and with ultrasound to locate any hidden damage, and determine the extent of repairs. American Magic's own personnel and many expert boat-builders throughout the New Zealand yachting industry are being engaged to manufacture and install the components needed to repair the hull surfaces and internal structures. All electrical components will have to be replaced, but the team has spares on hand in Auckland. The Foil Control System and associated controls will need to be replaced, also, but the team will swap that system from their first boat, Defiant, into Patriot. Defiant's systems have been maintained in good working order, and are ready to go. Hutchinson said that fortunately the hydraulics system on Patriot remained intact, holding fluid, and water was not taken in. The hydro components are much more specialized to fabricate, install, and tune, and might have been too complicated to replace in time.

Hutchinson was thankful to all the local NZ organizations who came to their aid, including Auckland Harbormaster, Coast Guard, and emergency services. He was especially warm in pointing out the spirit of the other America's Cup teams in leaping into action to help save the boat, and now that she's back on shore, in his competitors offering all possible help to get her racing again.

He attributes the damage to the boat to the height and heel angle at which she fell from her foils onto the water. The visible hole in the hull was due to structural forces that cracked the hull surfaces, not any objects loose inside her hull as some speculated. The initial cause of the capsize the team believes was a sudden steep burst of wind as they were completing their bearaway maneuver.

Though the rules limit the percent of an existing hull that can be modified, repairs returning a damaged hull to the original configuration are not restricted. Likewise, a challenger is permitted to source material and manufacturing in the country of the defense. Putting Patriot back in the water with time to check out all systems and go through the measurement process will take an immense effort, but the team sounds prepared and driven to accomplish exactly that. And then win.

American Magic Statement

Statement from the challenge:

(2320 NZT Jan 17) New York Yacht Club American Magic, the U.S. Challenger for the America’s Cup, capsized in a strong gust of wind while leading around the final mark of today’s second race of PRADA Cup Round Robins. All team members on-board were quickly accounted for by the team’s on-the-water safety personnel and declared safe.

The team’s AC75 racing yacht, Patriot, was damaged during the incident and began taking on water. American Magic received rapid assistance from the three other America’s Cup teams, along with America’s Cup Event Ltd, the race management team, the Coastguard New Zealand, the Auckland Harbormaster, and local fire and police personnel.

American Magic’s AC75 racing yacht, Patriot, after being stabilized, has been towed slowly back to shore and she is now safely back at the base.

(statement ends)


2017 America's Cup Match

Challenger Emirates Team New Zealand, representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron defeats Defender Oracle Team USA, representing Golden Gate YC: Read Match Coverage

Louis Vuitton Challenger Selection Series in Bermuda:
Finals | Semi-Finals | Rounds Robin

Preliminary Events:
2015-2016 World Series Regattas


2013 America's Cup Highlights on CupInfo:

ETNZ/Oracle Team USA statistics for Boatspeed, VMG, Leads, Gains, Winds, Speed Maps, and more.
 Updated through Race 18: See CupStats
Also: Daily Race Coverage | Race Results

America's Cup 2013: 34th Defense: The Basics
Rules: A Basic Guide to America's Cup 2013 Rules

The Boats:
AC72 & AC45 Cats | New AC72's Launched
Track AC72 Sailing Days | Wind Limits: Some History
Foils that Re-Shaped the America's Cup:
Part 1: Pete Melvin | Part 2: Gino Morrelli
Optimizing America's Cup Cats: Andrew Mason


J-Class Foursome

Four J-Class in St. Barts. Photo:©2012 Billy Black
Click image to enlarge. Photo:©2012 Billy Black

Two of the original J-Class yachts, Endeavour and Velsheda, racing modern J's Hanuman and Ranger in the Bucket Regatta in St. Barths. Read More


Crash Time:
AC45 Makes a Splashing Debut in SF

Oracle Racing Capsizes their AC45 Catamaran
Click image to watch video at YouTube.
Video:©2011 americascup.com

(June 13, 2011) Oracle Racing AC45 Spectacular Pitch-pole in San Francisco Bay during exhibition race pre-start:
See Video at You Tube

Crew Shannon Falcone was injured, walking away but taken to the hospital by ambulance for X-rays of his ribs and further evaluation.  Russell Coutts, skippering #5, was thrown through a portion of the wing.  Thankfully, injuries to the crew were not more extensive.  Examination showed that Falcone dislocated rib cartilage, which is painful enough, but did not break any bones.
Read more at Oracle Racing Blog
and see Photo Gallery

Update: Follow-up stories Tuesday:
Reconstructing events, repairing damage, and plenty of interviews...  See Oracle Racing Blog

What Happened?
Conditions were said to be 20-25 kts, with a building chop against an ebb tide. The video seems to show #5 sailing off the wind, heading up slightly, then quickly bearing away and easing the wing.  This maneuver loads up the bows while presenting a broader wing profile to the wind.  With the bows dug in, the wind sends the cat right down the mine, and there wasn't much the crew could do about it once the sequence started.  "We got caught in the pre-start at the wrong angle and paid the price," said Coutts.

This capsize seems to continue a pattern from testing in Auckland, where the AC45 is remarkably stable in many conditions that would cause problems for lesser cats, and the long wave-piercing bows can be very effective at maintaining buoyancy and avoiding this sort of incident, especially upwind.  But if the wingsail gets into an undesired orientation relative to the wind, forces can overwhelm the boat much more quickly than with a soft mainsail.  Somewhat inherent in a hard surface airfoil, it appears to be much harder to depower the wing on short notice when in trouble, as attempts to ease the wing above illustrate.

On the other hand, both increased experience and improved control techniques could lessen the risks, too. There is still a lot to learn about these boats, even for expert crews, justifying the plan to climb the learning curve early with the AC45's and build skills and understanding in preparation for the AC72's which launch less than 13 months from now.


J-Class Regatta in Newport

J-Class yacht Velsheda with bowman on spinnaker pole, Newport, RI. Photo copyright Daniel Forster go4image.com
Walking on water in Newport. Click image for Day 4 gallery. Photo:©2011 Daniel Forster go4image.com

Race Results:

W-L  Sail     Yacht

Race:

1 2 3 4 5
1  J K-7  Velsheda - - - - 1
4  J 5  Ranger 1 1 1 1 -

(Jun 15, 2011) Ranger, a replica of the 1937 America's Cup winner, and Velsheda, one of three original survivors, are racing head-to-head this week in Newport, RI, historic yachts in a setting to match.

Ranger took Race 1 by just one second on corrected time, won Race 2 by 27 seconds corrected, won Race 3, and won Race 4 by 3:19 corrected.  Velsheda won Race 5 by 2:00 corrected.  Racing finished Sunday June 19.  Each race starting at 1 pm, conditions permitting, and sailed in sight of spectators on shore.
See Photo Galleries from Daniel Forster


At CupInfo: More than 900 Books about the America's Cup:
Search the America's Cup Bibliography

Previous Events:

34th America's Cup Challengers and Defender:
2013 America's Cup Teams


2010 America's Cup:
The 33rd Defense
CupInfo's Main Page for 2010


2007 America's Cup:
The 32nd Defense

CupInfo's Main 2007 Coverage:
Results, Feature Stories, and more day-by-day for:

2007 America's Cup: The 32nd Defense

2007 Louis Vuitton Cup - Challenger Selection

Louis Vuitton Acts 2004 to 2007

2007 America's Cup Team Info


Other Previous Events:
Louis Vuitton Trophy, Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, UBS Trophy, and more


Recommended: History of Team New Zealand's historic 1995 America's Cup win:
 Part 1 at NZ Herald


Features:

Bob Fisher

The sailing world will be greatly diminished by the loss of journalist and sailor Bob Fisher, who passed away January 25 at the age of 85. Bob apparently knew everybody in the yacht racing world, was friends with everybody, and had probably not only written about them, but sailed with them, and regaled their adventures together afterward.

There was no greater delight in an America's Cup media center than witnessing the constant procession of friends greeting him and exchanging stories. Bob was a natural, inexhaustible storyteller with experiences worth telling. Whether it was last night's dinner with a billionaire owner, a midnight investigation of the latest America's Cup 12-Meter, races with Ben Lexcen long before there was a winged keel, or the not very surprising admission that the Little America's Cup had been conceived by Bob and his friend Reg White in a pub, he had plenty of them to tell.

Yachting books large and small, at least 30 of them from the tiny Catamaran Sailing to the immense two-volume America's Cup history An Absorbing Interest, were only part of his near constant output. And as much as he moved in sailing at the highest levels, he took as much enjoyment in recounting the building of his first boat as a child, discovering the principle of leeway, belatedly, and in seeing his grandchildren begin to find their own way upon the water.

Fish will be missed.

Read Tributes:
Farewell, Bob Fisher: Rob Peake at Yachts and Yachting
Barry Pickthall via Scuttlebutt: Eight Bells: Bob Fisher
Yachting World: In Memory of Sailing Writer Bob Fisher

Messages and Condolences on Bob's Facebook Page

For a great look at Bob's life and career, see this recent profile of Bob Fisher at Yachts and Yachting:
Bob Fisher, the second Wise and Witty Man


America's Cup Connections to Chicago History

(June 7, 2016) This is the first time for America's Cup racing on Lake Michigan, but connections to the famous yacht race, old and new, can be found in Chicago.
Read article at CupInfo


America's Cup: The Books

CupInfo now hosts the America's Cup Bibliography, an interactive list of over 800 books and other works about the America's Cup published from 1851 all the way up to now.  The bibliography can be searched, sorted, and filtered in multiple ways, and the books have been categorized as well by historic era and genre.

Whether you are new to the history of the America's Cup and just curious to learn more, or are doing serious research, we hope this bibliography will help you discover useful books.  And if even you are a long-time America's Cup reader, you are likely to find something you never knew existed.

Visit the America's Cup Bibliography


Books: Inside the Australia II Keel

Dr. Joop Slooff, Dutch research scientist and expert in fluid dynamics, worked with designer Ben Lexcen on the 1983 12-Meter yacht Australia II which, sporting the innovative winged keel, was the first successful challenger in the history of the America's Cup.  At the time of the challenge, controversies arose about the nature of the keel (was it class-legal and accurately rated?) and the country of origin (nationality rules applied to designers in regard to the country the yacht represented).  Australia sailed off with the trophy after a brilliantly run and hard-fought campaign, but passionate opinions on both sides have not entirely subsided in the years since, either.

In the charged atmosphere of the 1983 match, Dr. Slooff's work was mostly kept out of the spotlight, and, until now, his role in events has not been told in any detail.  But after 33 years, Dr. Slooff has written a memoir of his role in creating the revolutionary appendage and of his witness to the historic match that final summer in Newport.

The book, titled Australia II and the America's Cup: The untold, inside story of The Keel, is available electronically and in hard-copy via Amazon.


A Brief History of the Challenger of Record

Since 1970 there have been 13 matches with multiple challengers, with 12 teams serving as the initial Challenger of Record (COR).  Historically, one-third of the original COR's have resigned their position.  Including the upcoming 35th Defense of the America's Cup scheduled for 2017, the initial COR has resigned four times; three times also withdrawing from competition, and one time remaining a challenger. 

Read more about the Challengers of Record at CupInfo, including a table listing all CORs since 1970


 

Winging It Book Cover
©2013 McGraw-Hill/International Marine/Photo ©2013 Gilles Martin-Raget

(Dec 15, 2013) The story of sailing for the 2013 America's Cup is told in a new 224-page book, from McGraw-Hill/International Marine. Winging It focuses on the sailing and racing of the 34th America's Cup, including selecting the AC72 yachts for the event, the races of the Louis Vuitton Cup, and the epic America's Cup Final that featured a stunning comeback and gut-wrenching loss.  Authors Diane Swintal and Robert Kamins covered the event in San Francisco for CupInfo, and Steve Tsuchiya witnessed the match on the water from start to finish.


Chasing the Big Cats

ETNZ Chase 1.  Photo:©2012 Chris Cameron/ETNZ
Photo:©2012 Chris Cameron/ETNZ

(Aug 21, 2013) A chase boat to support a 72-foot America's Cup wingsail multihull that can top 40 knots is a challenge in its own right.  Chris Salthouse of Emirates Team New Zealand explains how the Kiwis are tackling the problem: two hulls, four engines, and Chris's younger brother Greg...

Read more at CupInfo


Picturing the America's Cup


Stars&Stripes in Fremantle.
Photo:©1987 Daniel Forster/ go4image.com

Photographers Jürg Kaufmann and Daniel Forster have teamed up for the 33rd Defense.  CupInfo talked to them about what they've seen at the America's Cup over the years, plus how they approach the art and technique of sailing photography.

CupInfo: You have both been to many America's Cups, Daniel going back to 1977. Which was your favorite as a photographer?

Daniel: My favorite one as a photographer was the 1987 Cup in Perth/Fremantle. Every day by 11:00 am the Fremantle Doctor arrived, 25-30 knots of wind with big waves and bright sunshine and the 12mJI yachts sailed, unlike here!

Read Interview at CupInfo


2010 America's Cup: Dogzilla Stories

BMW Oralce Trimaran first sail photo
Up on one hull, BMW Oracle Racing, 9/3/09.
Click image to enlarge and see more.
Photo: ©2008 Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW Oracle Racing

BMW Oracle's monster multihull won the 2010 America's Cup in an unforgettably bold display of technology, imagination, and adventure.

Read collected stories of her launch and preparation.

Read CupInfo's coverage of the 2010 America's Cup Match


And be sure to see the Features Page for many more articles, interviews, history, and fun stuff for Cup Fans.

Also see news archives for:

2021-2024: A Few Stories | 2014-2017: 4th Q 2014 - 2015 2016 -1st-2nd-Q 2017
 2013: 2nd Q | 1st Q  2012: 4th Q | 3rd Q | 2nd Q | 1st Q  2011: 3rd-4th Q | 2nd Q | 1st Q 
 2010: 4th Q | 1st-2nd-3rd Q  2009: 3rd-4th Q | 1st-2nd   2008: 3rd-4th Q | 1st-2nd Q
 2007: 3rd-4th Q2nd Q | 1st Q   2006: 4th Q | 2nd-3rd Q | 1st Q   2005: 4th Q

News stories above are archived chronologically. Also see regatta coverage of past America's Cup Matches, Louis Vuitton Cup, and more at Previous America's Cup Events


Disclaimer:
CupInfo and this site CupInfo.com are not associated with the official America's Cup organizations, America's Cup Properties Inc., America's Cup Events, the America's Cup Event Authority, America's Cup Race Management, the Prada Cup, the Louis Vuitton Cup, or other official America's Cup entities, groups, teams, yacht clubs, or web sites.