ACWS Cascais: Day 1

Artemis Racing led throughout Race 1 of the opening day of the America's Cup World Series, Saturday, and placed 4th in the second race. Photo:©2011 Gilles Martin-Raget/americascup.com

(Aug 6) Artemis took one win and Oracle 4 took two wins in the opening fleet races Saturday, while ETNZ sustained the best average across all three races to edge into the overall lead.  Despite his two wins, Oracle 4's James Spithill sits only in fourth place with the impact of a disqualification pulling down his total.  What happened?  Oracle 4 was outside the designated area in the pre-start and failed to take the resulting penalty before the next mark.

"We had a problem with the [race communications] system,” said Spithill. “We were outside of the boundary with two minutes to go but our screens were blank.  The screens came back on after we went around the first mark and obviously it said ‘You’re disqualified.’  I was like, really?  Anyway, that’s just sorting out a few bugs in the system and us getting used to the boundaries.” 

View AC Open Results and Scoring

 Watch replay coverage on YouTube

Saturday (Aug 6) schedule:
Fleet racing, 8 teams, up to 3 fleet races expected today.  Wind light, seas minimal.
 

Race #3:
Start Sequence underway! Oracle, ETNZ, and Artemis at the front at the first mark.  Oracle4 (Spithill) into the lead, ETNZ following close behind. 

At the bottom Spithill turns left, and ETNZ right at the bottom gate trailing by about 15 seconds.  Again good pressure initially for the Kiwis.  GreenComm rounds in 3rd, Artemis in 4th.  Emirates gaining on Oracle4, crosses close behind, and a short tacking duel ensues, Oracle4 trying to cover, ETNZ looking to get back to the left for better wind.

At the top mark, going into the 4th of 5 legs, Oracle4 rounds ahead, but their lead is down to about 10 seconds.  Kiwis chasing Spithill downwind.

Rounding the bottom again, heading into the final leg, Oracle4 still ahead, ETNZ close, and Artemis a more distant 3rd.  GreenComm rounds with Oracle5 at a 2:45 delta to the leader.

Oracle4 wins Race #3, ETNZ in second by about 29 seconds.  Artemis 3rd, Korea 4th, Oracle5 5th, China 6th, Energy 7th, GreenComm 8th, Aleph 9th.  ETNZ finishing ahead of Artemis moves the Kiwis to the top of the standings.

Race #2:
 Start at 45 minutes past the hour.  Foggy to rainy conditions.  The gun goes off, Artemis gets a nice jump at the committee boat end, Oracle4 (Spithill) and ETNZ are also near the front going up Leg 1 with hulls flying.  Spithill rounds about 14 seconds ahead of ETNZ, followed by Artemis, and they take the right.  China rounds and snags some lines, narrowly misses fouling Korea just behind them.  Boats keep to the right again, finding better breeze on that side.  Oracle4 opening up a solid lead. 

Oracle4 leads by about 25 seconds around the bottom, followed by ETNZ, Artemis, and Oracle5 in a bunch.  ETNZ goes left at the gate, and Aleph goes after them.  Offshore breeze coming in from the other side, though, lures the others away at the gate.

At the top mark, Oracle4 narrowly leads, ETNZ has gained nicely and is right on their heels.  Oracle5 rounds in 3rd barely 20 seconds off the lead.  Artemis and Aleph in 4th and 5th as the boats head onto the last downwind leg.

Artemis gains on the downwind, passing Oracle5. Oracle4 turns left at the gate, and heads up the right side of the course on the final leg, while ETNZ splits from them, gains a bit briefly, then comes back and tries to get the right. Oracle4 lets them go, not defending the righthand side.

Finish coming up, Oracle4 still leading and consolidates by tacking in front of ETNZ, but the Kiwis close in while Oracle completes their tack.  Oracle is laying the finish, though, and has it sealed up, beating ETNZ by about 19 seconds.  Oracle5 in 3rd by 1:48, Artemis in 4th. Aleph 5th, China 6th, Korea 7th, Energy 8th, Green Comm 9th.

Race #1:
Started in about 5 knots of wind, penalties to China and ETNZ at the start, and a clean getaway toward the pin end for Artemis, but race abandoned early on the first leg due to a wind that evaporates completely.  Restart expected soon as wind is filling in again.  New warning signal at about 50 minutes past the hour.

Wind veering right and filling in. Cats able to fly hulls now.  Start sequence coming soon, with a start at 55 minutes past the hour.  Start sequence proceeding, much better wind.  Boats clustering trying to take pin end.  A clean start, with Artemis and Oracle leading, penalty for Spithill (OR#4) for sailing out-of-bounds in the pre-start.

Oracle (Coutts), Oracle (Spithill), and ETNZ first around the top mark.  Spithill called DSQ by Race Committee, for not taking his penalty on the first leg.  Spithill looks at first like he will complete the race and sort it out later.  Oracle (Coutts), Oracle (Spithill), ETNZ, and Artemis leading downwind.

Artemis, Energy, and ETNZ lead around the bottom mark.  All boats round and stick with the right hand side and its more solid breeze on the upwind third leg.  Some hulls flying, two more legs to go.

Artemis leads Energy by about 30 seconds rounding the 4th mark, with ETNZ close behind.  Artemis is still leading as the bottom mark approaches, and they go right at the gate this time, trying the left-hand side of the course this time.  ETNZ and Energy split the gate about 1:30 behind Artemis, Energy following Artemis.

Big lead for Artemis up the last leg.  Energy leading ETNZ slightly.  Artemis wins Race #1 decisively by 1 minute 32 seconds.  ETNZ trying to shoot to the line almost nipped Energy, but the French take second place by 3 seconds.  Oracle (Coutts) finishes 4th.  Korea 5th, China 6th, Aleph 7th, Green Comm 8th, Oracle (Spithill) DSQ.