No walkover in America’s Cup
For those looking for a clear indication as to who has the upper hand in the 36th America’s Cup, the opening day delivered no guidance. Each team won a race, proving just how closely matched the two teams are and how the cup looks unlikely to be a walkover for either.
Luna Rossa took home its first point in the series, marking the day of the Italian team’s first victory ever in an America’s Cup match.
“It’s been an interesting and important day,” says Max Sirena, Luna Rossa’s skipper. “There was a lot of expectation on the part of both teams to understand the performance of the two boats.
“For us it was really interesting because we raced in a wind range that is definitely more favourable for their boat and their configuration, and the fact that we have seen that by racing well we can beat them is good news for us and gives us even more confidence.”
The Italian team has been tipped as a favourite in lighter breezes whereas New Zealand are recognised as the favourite in stiffer conditions.
ETNZ claims gains made in lighter air
“I think we’ve made pretty big gains across the board, but probably especially in the lighter airs,” Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) skipper Peter Burling said pre-race of the improvements made while the Prada Cup unfolded.
“The light air was probably our most perceived weakness in the Christmas Cup but now it’s been something that we really feel like we’ve made some pretty massive steps forward in that area. We’re pretty happy with our performance in that area now.”
After today’s result, both teams will be looking for advantage. As Burling says, when the margins on the boats get smaller and smaller, any loss (in the starting box or around the course) is very hard to come back from.
Crew work key to success
Much will come down to crew work, Stuff points out. Eliminating mistakes will be crucial and Burling made no secret they had slipped up in that second starting routine.
“But it was great to finally go racing. For us as defender, it’s been quite a while,” he says.
“Obviously, everyone has been watching Luna Rossa and they have got a lot better than they were in December. I’m sure they will keep improving, and we will keep improving.”
Maintenance and analysis
Sirena has a series of analysis meetings planned with the Luna Rossa team.
“Tomorrow we will have a series of meetings to analyse what we did well and our mistakes, but obviously the day is positive: to be back on shore with a 1 – 1 in a wind range of 13-18 knots, where they certainly felt more confident, gives us a lot of energy. If we race well we can do something special,” he says.
According to the New Zealand Herald, most experts were tipping a pronounced edge to the defenders– with some opining that it would barely be a contest – but that wasn’t the case.
Like the Italians, Emirates Team New Zealand will use Thursday for maintenance and analysis, with Burling confirming the team has ‘no intention’ of going out on the water. Due to the Covid-19 enforced delay, Thursday is the last scheduled lay day of the regatta, with back-to-back racing after that and hence the only extended opportunity to analyse performance.
“We haven’t really had a good chance to go back over everything and make some good decisions,” says Burling. “Now it’s a great opportunity to really dive into the learnings from [Wednesday] and get as prepared as we can for the weekend, because whoever puts their best foot forward this weekend will decide it.
“We have prepared for a good fight, and it’s going to be a good series,” says Burling.
Learning opportunities
“Today was a good learning opportunity for us to really come into the weekend strong.”
That learning opportunity will see ETNZ looking to eek more out of Te Rehutai, which showed plenty of promise in stages, slick through turns and fast downwind, says, Stuff.
But, as mentioned at the outset, there is no clear winner in sight.
“This is going to be desperately close and the stage is set for the mother of all sporting contests,” says Magnus Wheatley for Rule69blog.
“It’s all on the water now, where it should be, and the winner will be the one with the best execution.
“On paper it’s one-all. In reality it’s advantage Luna Rossa.”
Images courtesy of Studio Borlenghi.
Despite a long awaited series, personally I am more than a little disappointed overall, and not just because of Team Ineos results. I feel that the competition overall needs a revamp, we need a greater number of competitors, as shown by the issues raised when USA could not complete the racing program. The cost must be reduced to bring in other interested sailing nations and their teams to widen appeal for the sport, and, I am afraid that in the main, the racing has been largely boring and sterile. Its the same as F1, if a decent team gets a good start then its almost a foregone conclusion regards the outcome. I long to see yachts close racing as its so much more exciting than the current procession. Overall, my feeling is that the event, the teams competing and the racing style need a rethink if interest is to be maintained, and we can get our sport on decent tv coverage.