Cup Spy Sept 28: Two AC75s training off Barcelona

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 29 Sep 2023 12:57 NZDT 29 September 2023

Cup Spy has left New Zealand for a couple of weeks. Over the coming fortnight - due to limited facilities - we can only produce a very limited analysis of the daily activities from the teams. Normal service will resume on October 10.

Three teams sailed on Thursday - Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic from Barcelona

AC37 Joint Recon Team Reports:

Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC75 - September 28, 2023 - Barcelona

Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailing session was marked by hydraulic problems with their AC75, which has been inside the shed for a month.

ARBR team rolled their AC75 at 12:00hrs, and after the mast procedure, the yacht was craned into the water and placed alongside the chaseboat for almost 4 hours.

They tested the foils, and right after, they were apparently having issues with the hydraulic systems, having engineers on board trying to locate and fix the problem by rotating the mast and moving the jib car traveller.

By 15:54hrs, they docked out and towed the boat for 30 minutes before stopping in front of El Forum. There were 16knts from 200º when they hoisted the main and J at 16:40h.

At 17:15h, after one unsuccessful sailing attempt they grabbed the tow line and two technicians went onboard for another 40 minutes. They were looking at the main and the main traveller.

With the issues apparently solved, they foiled upwind for ten minutes doing 4 tacks, 2 of them fully foiling. They ended the session at 18:11hrs, when they lowered the sails and towed to boat back to the port.

The team docked in at 19:20hrs and they expect an early session for tomorrow.

Emirates Team NZ - AC75 - September 28, 2023 - Barcelona

Emirates Team New Zealand's third consecutive AC75 sailing session this week saw the team sailing in southerly winds in the 12 to 16 knot range and which kicked up a light to moderate chop on the waters off Barcelona.

Te Rehutai rolled out of the shed on time at midday and after a 30 minute rigging process was in the water by 1235hrs. The team docked out on time at 1330hrs and by 1347hrs had the M2-1 mainsail and J3-6 headsail hoisted just inside the harbour entrance. By 1355hrs the boat was out of the harbour and up on foils in a 12-13 knot breeze from 180. After a brief upwind stint on starboard the crew – helmsmen Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge with Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney on flight control / sail trim – bore off downwind and accelerated to an estimated 40 knots plus.

Rather than go all the way downwind however, after three or four minutes the boat did an arcing high speed round up on to a close-hauled course and put in three foiling tacks before stopping at 1405hrs.

Similarly to yesterday, speeds upwind were in the low to mid thirty knot range. The boat was up and foiling again at 1415hrs on a long fast downwind run with four gybes before a stop at 1430hrs when a chase boat came alongside but there was no crew rotation observed.

Setting off again at 1440hrs the crew did a short upwind stint before tacking and bearing way downwind for several minutes on two boards at the start of three one lap practice races around a virtual windward / leeward racecourse.

That session lasted 30 minutes before a stop at 1505hrs for cyclor rotation and a change to the J4-6. The wind by now was up at a solid 16 knots from 190-200 degrees.

The final session of the day lasted 45 minutes and saw three more practice laps before a final upwind leg to the harbour entrance.

Sails were down by 1612hrs with the boat back at the dock at 1625hrs.

American Magic - LEQ12 - September 28, 2023 - Barcelona

AM rolled out their AC40 “America” from the shed at 09.05 am. The boat was craned to the water at 09:35hrs and the team docked out at 11.30hrs, as planned. The CMN-3 main and their J2 with no window were hoisted inside the port. Similarly, “Magic” was rolled out at 09.40hrs, craned to the water at 10:15hrs and docked out two minutes behind America. The CMN-1 main and a J2 with triangular head were hoisted inside the port.

For the first hour and fifteen minutes the training consisted of speed testing upwind and downwind, switching sides and positions in between the two boats. The conclusion was very clear. America was faster and higher on the upwinds and lower and faster on the runs. No matter if they were to windward, to leeward, to the left, to the right or even starting in tricky positions. America was consistently faster and with better angles than Magic, all the time.

After speed testing for an hour and a quarter approximately, the wind increased and both boats stopped to replace their respective J2s for J3s. However, Magic seemed to have a problem. America hoisted their J3 and stayed standing-by for half an hour. The President of Sailing Operations and the COO could be seen onboard Magic trying to find a solution to the problem with one of them getting under the deck through the front hatch. Unfortunately, at 13:40 the team was forced to lower the main on Magic and tow it back to be base, slowly, on displacement mode. It took them more than an hour and a half to get it back to the dock.

On the other hand, at 13:40hrs America continued with the training on their own, mostly sailing on a straight line on target speeds and angles. Tom Slingsby and Michael Menninger who were originally on Magic were moved onboard chase two and later got onboard America, rotating in between the three helms and trimmers.

It seemed like on port tack they sailed with more twist on the jib leech than on starboard tack.

As regards maneuvers, a much greater percentage standing on their foils than the past two days. The stronger the breeze the easier with these foils on America.

America was sailed back to the port, where sails were lowered at 16:48hrs, the boat was back in the dock at 17:05hrs, craned out at 17:35hrs and back in the shed at 18:10hrs.

Sebastian Peri Brusa – Recon on NYYC AM

Additional Images:

This commentary was written and compiled from video, still images and statistical content extracted from the AC37 Joint Recon program and other material available to Sail-World NZ including photo files, and other on the water coverage from the 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2021 America's Cups. Its format is intended to give Sail-World readers a snapshot of all teams' progress on a given day or period.