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HomeRegattaAmerica's CupHistory Beckons in Barcelona: A Pivotal Day for the Louis Vuitton 37th...

History Beckons in Barcelona: A Pivotal Day for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match

One way or the other, America’s Cup history will be made in Barcelona at the conclusion of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match that starts today. For Emirates Team New Zealand, the Defender, they have a chance to win for a third consecutive time – and no team has ever done that before. For INEOS Britannia, the Challenger of Record, they have put a British yacht in the Match for the first time since 1964 for a trophy that has eluded the country that started it all, with a race around the Isle of Wight in 1851.

Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Barcelona is the battleground for this thrilling duel and today we have two scheduled races where these two titans of world sailing will be going head-to-head to size each other up and see who can snatch an early advantage. This morning in Barcelona, low cloud cover has been hanging over the city and out to sea but that is expected to clear with the thermal breeze coming in at around 7-13 knots this afternoon accompanied by a southerly swell of 0.8 metres. For the two AC75s, this could be a perfect speed test and an early sighter of potential.

The great unknown going into today is the relative speed of the Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 ‘Taihoro’ which has been on the sidelines whilst the Louis Vuitton Cup concluded. INEOS Britannia came through that series, beating Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, so are battle-hardened and well into their onboard processes. Can the British catch the Kiwis cold or will the upgraded ‘Taihoro’ in its final race trim be too fast? Those questions will be answered today.

Alongside from the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, today we have the conclusion of the first ever Puig Women’s America’s Cup where the Semi-Final series concluded just before sundown last night. After four super-tight fleet races, Athena Pathway and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli emerged as the top two and will contest a one-race, match-race, Grand Final scheduled to start at 14:58 CET. Don’t miss it.

CHECK BACK HERE AT 14:15 CET FOR LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE RACECOURSE OF THE FIRST RACE OF THE LOUIS VUITTON 37th AMERICA’S CUP MATCH  

Race 1

Ian Roman / America’s Cup

After a drizzly dock-out for both boats, the racecourse is testing the lower wind limit of 6.5 knots and Race 1 of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match is under postponement. Stand by for further updates.

Race Committee announces a new start time of 14:35 CET and have begun the wind-sampling process. Further delay to 14:40 CET and then a further delay to 14:45 CET. Further delay to 14:50 CET. Wind is coming.

The clouds are clearing, the wind sampling is complete and the first race of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match is underway. Coming in from the port end, ETNZ dial in at 2 minutes 10 seconds whilst the IB are late having being off the foils and are forced to tack at the right boundary to come into the start.

ETNZ tack underneath IB and lead them into the box with just over a minute to go to the start. ETNZ lead out to the right boundary and tack around. IB go longer and then tack back for the line. ETNZ aim for the port end of the line and nail it. IB up to windward and it’s a drag race to the left boundary. ETNZ first to tack and look like making the cross so IB tack beneath and sit in disturbed air.

Drag race now to the right side and ETNZ gaining here. IB first to tack before the right boundary, ETNZ carry on a little further and then tack back. Both boats head to mid course on starboard before IB tacks and gets face-planted by ETNZ who are heading over to the starboard layline.

At the first gate, ETNZ take the port marker and bear away with a 24 second lead. IB follow and gybe immediately, covered by ETNZ who tack on the right boundary. IB click into good breeze left and close the distance before gybing on the left boundary. IB look rapid down this run and have already gained 100 metres. ETNZ gybe cover on IB’s line on starboard gybe, and then cover again as IB gybe back to the left boundary. ETNZ cover and cover again to set up on the port layline into the leeward gate. Ahead of the marker, ETNZ gybes and takes the port marker to round up with a delta down to 15 seconds.

IB tack immediately around the leeward gate, covered by ETNZ who are defending the right side of the course. Drag race up the course on starboard tack before IB tacks back to the right and are covered by ETNZ closely. Long port tack to the right boundary and ETNZ stepping out. IB forced to tack away and again covered by ETNZ. Long starboard tack now, following IB to the left boundary. IB tacks, covered by ETNZ with the second gate now in sight.

ETNZ bears-away at the port marker as the Race Committee lengthens the legs to 1.85 nautical miles with a lead now out to 36 seconds. IB come in on the port layline to bear away at the starboard marker and split tactics downwind initially. ETNZ gybe cover early and then bounce off the left boundary. Lead out to more than 600 metres with two legs left to run after the next leeward gate.

ETNZ gybe on the puffs down the course and come into the leeward gate, gybing onto the port layline and rounding the starboard marker (looking downwind) to head up with a lead at 40 seconds. Spotting that IB has taken the port marker to head right, ETNZ tack early to cover and then cover again at the right boundary and cover IB to the left boundary. Classic match-racing, ETNZ not allowing IB to get any leverage.

Very even upwind here, no-one stepping out but it’s boundary to boundary to boundary and ETNZ just covering IB’s every move. At the final windward gate, the wind goes light and both boats come in from the port layline with ETNZ bearing away for the run home at the starboard marker with a lead of 56 seconds. Very light now and both teams need to join up the puffs down the course. Eyeing IB’s rounding at the starboard marker, ETNZ gybe cover immediately and power down the course on starboard gybe.

ETNZ survive some downrange gybes to come into the finish line off the starboard layline having played the puffs down the right side of the course, to come in flat and record the opening win of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. Finishing delta was timed at 41 seconds.

Race two of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match is scheduled to start at 1622 CET. Check back here for live updates from the race course.

Race 2

Ian Roman / America’s Cup

At 2 minutes 10, IB drives in hard and goes for the cross. ETNZ come in bang on time and gybe round to follow IB who tack around and then follow ETNZ but ETNZ come back at IB aggressively on starboard tack before trailing IB down to the right boundary. ETNZ tack around high on the line with 20 seconds to go and then come in aggressively on IBs line. ETNZ starts at the starboard end and tack away immediately to the right side. IB started much faster there and hold the advantage.

IB head on to the left boundary and tack and with ETNZ tacking out right, at the first cross IB are forced to duck. IB now head right whilst ETNZ carries on left before tacking back. At the tack back, IB are on starboard but ETNZ click into a lift and make the cross. Very close racing here.

At the top gate, ETNZ nail the starboard layline and round the port marker with a lead of 11 seconds as IB splits tactics and rounds at the starboard marker. ETNZ gybe cover as they see IB picking up pace down the left and IB takes the lead with the starboard advantage, crossing ahead. IB looks fast downwind. Split tactics as both boats go boundary to boundary and on the gybe back, ETNZ holds the starboard advantage and re-take the lead.

Into the first leeward gate both boats go for the starboard marker with ETNZ rounding after a downspeed gybe followed by IB who come round and tack immediately away. ETNZ head left to the boundary before tacking and follow IB across the course. IB tack on the right boundary and ETNZ are crossing but decide to go for a leebow tack which forces IB to tack immediately away to the right.This is all about picking the puffs.

ETNZ go far left before tacking as IB goes right and tacks. At the cross IB have gained but ETNZ just ahead and head right. At the second windward mark, ETNZ opts to come in on the starboard layline and tacks around the starboard marker to go left down the run. IB tacks around the port marker and splits the tactics going right down the run. ETNZ spot the move and gybe cover immediately, the wind is building to the right and IB are into it first. A gybe at the boundary from IB brings IB onto the transom of ETNZ who cross and go right for the breeze.

ETNZ gybes at the right boundary whilst IB have sailed to the left of the course and as they come back together ETNZ have gained and gybe on IB’s bow. Into the leeward gate there’s nothing in it as ETNZ round up on the starboard marker as IB gybes away to the port mjarker and it’s a 10 second delta.

ETNZ bears away at the port marker with a lead out to 28 seconds as IB heads left down the run to split the tactics. ETNZ gybes on the right boundary to cover the IB bear-away and come across on good breeze with the lead now out to over 450 metres. Legs now down to 1.1nm and two legs left.

ETNZ go left up the third beat initially and then tack to cover IB out right and as they come back, ETNZ have gained and tack on IB’s bow, forcing them away to the right which looks unfavoured. IB sail hard right and pick up new breeze as ETNZ covers the move and comes right with the lead out to 250 metres as the windward gate approaches and the Race Committee shorten the legs to 1.2 nautical miles.

ETNZ rounds the leeward gate fast on one board at the starboard marker and tacks immediately as IB rounds at the port marker 32 seconds behind. Classic match-race move from ETNZ they are offering no leverage here and cover smartly as IB tacks back to mid course. IB tack back to the right but ETNZ are well in command here on leg 7 and round the final windward gate, coming off the starboard layline, to bear away at the port marker for the run to the finish with a lead of 33 seconds.

IB round the starboard marker to split tactics and as they do, ETNZ gybe off the right boundary to cover and come onto IB’s line and gybe for a long starboard down to the starboard layline before one final gybe to the finish. It’s 2-0 to Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. Final delta is 27 seconds.

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