ACWS Cascais: Day 2

ETNZ led the fleet for much of Day Two's Race and finished at the top of the standings for the first 4 races.
Photo:©2011 Gilles Martin-Raget/americascup.com

Race 1 (40-minute Fleet Race):
Started at 1415 in Cascais.  ETNZ leads the fleet on the second leg, and in real wind today.  Breeze building and the Kiwis caught it first.  ETNZ takes the left gate, and goes back up the right side of the course.  Oracle5 round 30 seconds behind, Energy team splits to the right gate.

ETNZ gets a nice lift heading upwind on the 3rd Leg.  Oracle5 (Coutts) in second, but not close, and China still in 3rd on the windward leg.  Mark rounding approaching, ETNZ takes the left.

Spithill battling China for 3rd place at the top mark.  ETNZ loses a crewman overboard, the boat won't return to pick him up, but the Kiwis sail on with the lead though only four crew remaining. Oracle5 chasing them, with China and Oracle4 just behind.

At the final bottom mark, Oracle4 (Spithill) has passed China, making it ETNZ, Oracle5, Oracle4, and China running 1-2-3-4.  Now to windward on the final leg of the race.

Oracle5 (Coutts) gaining on ETNZ, as the Kiwis try to cover a bit, though down one man.  Kiwis cross ahead of Oracle5, but need benefit of starboard tack to do it. Energy gains on China, jockeying for 4th.  Coutts into the lead on Virtual Eye, lack of crew and righting moment is hurting the Kiwis.

Second cross comes, Oracle5 (Coutts) on Starboard now, and they are ahead of ETNZ.  The finish is close and Coutts can just make the RC boat, winning Sunday's fleet race.  ETNZ is 2nd, Oracle4 is 3rd, followed by China.

It turns out ETNZ crew Winston Macfarlane went overboard when the winch handle he was grinding on broke, however ETNZ as a team hung on to second place, racking up a string of 3-2-2-2 in the four fleet races to win the "AC Open" phase of the Cascais regatta. 

See "AC Open" Results
 

The AC45 yachts spent the night on moorings just offshore. Photo:©2011 Gilles Martin-Raget/americascup.com

Sunday Outlook:
The opening day saw a lot of learning on all sides, but proved the ability of the wingsail cats to race in even the lightest conditions.  The most experienced teams with the biggest training programs usually sorted to the front of the fleet yesterday, and while passing was limited on the short courses, it still remained close and tactical.  Sunday features one single fleet race, intended to be twice as long as each of Saturday's three contests, which should help better reveal how fleet race tactics play out with these new boats.  The fleet race will be followed by a speed trial, in which each boat will take turns over a measured course to see who can get their one-design boat across the fastest.

Conditions (Aug 7):
Race start expected 1445 in Cascais, 9:45 am ET US. Wind: NW 10-12 knots early, becoming 15-18 kts, with gusts into the 20s. Sunday program: one 40-minute Fleet race, plus the "AC 500" speed trial over a measured course.

Watch live coverage on YouTube and
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Rest Day Stories - Tuesday Aug 9

(Aug 9) On Oracle: Daniel Fong will replace the injured headsail trimmer Simon Daubney, who broke his hand in practice last Friday. Read Oracle Press Release

On Artemis: Journalist Bob Fisher recounts his guest ride onboard the Swedish team's AC45: "Please Terry, take me again; and that goes to all the skippers. I cannot possibly get enough. I’m a junkie for this type of racing."  Read more at Americascup.com

On Team Korea, who held a boat-blessing ceremony Tuesday, Skipper Chris Draper:  “We learned a lot over the last days so we have a lot to talk about and we have a lot of races coming.  We rested up for a day.  There’s only five of us, and we’re not in the privileged situation of rotating crew.”  Read Rest Day update from ACEA

On the past and future: The AP's Paul Logothetis raised a surprising question at this point in time, "What about Alinghi and Ernesto Bertarelli?"  Luca Devoti responded:  "He's always welcome here, he's welcome as a competitor or to come sail on my boat with me.  What happened was a dark page in the cup, so we need to close the books on that and move forward now."
Read AP story at Mercury News