Emirates Team New Zealand continued to train in the their two boat AC40 program, on a bright sunny day, in the Rangitoto Channel off North Head – otherwise known as Course C, or the Stadium Course from the 2021 America’s Cup

This was also the venue for Auckland’s early match racing going back into the mid 1980’s.

Today’s four hour session, which we watched in its entirety, was not a rip-roaring match racing slug-fest that were the signature of those early Citizen Match Racing series.

We saw what a couple of starts, at the start and end of the session, which ended in a beat to a permanent mark. The racing was relatively close between the two AC-40s. Whether the LEQ12 was sandbagging, or matching the AC40’s pace, plus a bit – was for the crews to know.

In between races, there were some pre-start hookups and impressive tight inside turns. Big part of the session was spent with the boats reaching back and forth across the 12kt SSW breeze, sailing very fast – probably over three times windspeed. When heading in the same direction, one usually tried to get over the top of the other.

Beam reaching is an unusual angle for the foiling monohulls as, other than in a pre-start phase, there is no beam reaching in an America’s Cup course. However it is a reliable way of testing, or example, the differences between two different wingfoils, or other components – where the test piece is on one side and the known performer on the other – assuming the wind pressure and direction are the same for both runs.

Another explanation of today and its fast reaches and start line approaches, was to get data for the development/verification of race software applications, and their ability to calculate time on distance. But we speculate.

There was several periods of downtime with each AC40 tied up alongside its support boat, and most of the crew getting off.

With ETNZ’s two boat testing, usually, the two AC40 crews are quite different in their experience. The Burling, Tuke, Outteridge and Maloney combination tend to stay with the LEQ12 – removing the variability of crew ability from the testing results.

When the crew lists have been published in the Recon File System, the Kiwi AC40 One Design usually is crewed by a mix of experienced crew and those coming in as part of the sailing squad expansion. Part of that is preparation for the Youth and Womens America’s Cup.

The day was a great one for sailing with a consistent breeze, and for the crew in the AC40 One-Design it was a good opportunity to get them further up their learning curve, and familiar with what the AC40 One Design is capable.

From what could be seen the AC40 is capable of being spun on a dime, and at high speed. The racing as such that we saw today was quite different from the America’s Cup starting, which can be a lot more aggressive, and conventional match-racing another level of aggression again.

It would be very interesting to see what happens with development of a match racing playbook, if one of the teams picks up former world match racing champion and SailGP skipper Phil Robertson – who can exploit the edges of the AC40, and apply his rapid fire match race expertise to the America’s Cup situation.

Having seen two successive days of the AC40’s sailing against each other on the inner harbour, there is no doubt that they are great boat, which in practiced hands will produce some great match racing at a speed that has never been seen before. The question is then is whether the AC40 characteristics can be carried over into the AC75.

The only hitch of the day came as the LEQ20 was starting to head for home, and there seemed to be an issue with foil control, causing a small nosedive from which the LEQ12 recovered, followed by a minor dive back in again before sailing for several hundred metres very heeled and in displacement mode. Whatever the issue, it seemed to be resolved, the LEQ12 was tacked and sailed home foiling but at a reduced speed.

What happened in the Cup – Feb 27, 2023:

• Emirates Team New Zealand continued with their two boat AC40 program – see Richard Gladwell’s perspective watching from North Head above, and the report from the AC37 Joint Recon team below.
• INEOS Britannia did not sail.
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli did not sail.
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing did not sail.
• American Magic have decommissioned their AC75 and will not start training again until the beginning of March – later this week.
• Orient Express Team (formerly French K-Challenge) – no update.

Emirates Team NZ – LEQ12 – Auckland – February 28, 2022 – Day 22

From the AC37 Joint Recon Team [Alastair Moore AC-Recon]:

Both yachts were rigged and floating by 11.10, the usual team brief was given by Ray Davies with the team all assembled on the dock around Chase 1.

At midday on the dot the AC40 and LEQ12 we released from the dock and towed the short distance down to Mechanics bay to hoist sails. The head board was loaded at 12.23 and the main was on the lock at full hoist on 12.28. The #3 jib was now hoisted, well down range for it but the LEQ12 got her self up onto her foils, this first session was very light with the yacht tacking and gybing through very large angles to stay foil borne.

At around 13.30 the breeze faded so both boat stopped and changed head sails. The AC 40 going with a #1 and the LEQ on her #2. After a little bit more waiting the breeze built and moved a little more S.

At 13.50 the yacht was off the chase boat and looking to line up against the AC40 for some pre start practice. We had 2 pre starts in light patchy conditions requiring the AC40 to be towed up to enter (a little late). First pre start was about 13.54 with the second going into a one lap race around a 1.8 NM course.

The second start entered about 14.04 with the LEQ12 having port entry.

After this the yachts stopped with chase boats alongside for approximately 10 minutes.

At 14.30 the yachts dropped their chase boats and started sailing in a few more knots of breeze.

The pre start practice continued with another 4 with the first start in this block entering the box about 14.34. of these four the LEQ12 won 3 and lost one.

The yachts had another 10 minute break with chase boats alongside but were up and foiling again at 15.15 for another two practice starts.

The first of these two had an entry time of around 15.19 with the 8th and final one entering the box about 15.24.

I scored the last two one each. A lot of sailing in a short amount of time today. Feel the LEQ12 gets faster and more predictable each day.

Session Statistics – Emirates Team NZ – LEQ12 – Auckland – February 27, 2022 – Day 21

• Weather: 23°C 20% cloud cover, Sunny
• Wind Strength: 12kts
• Wind Direction: SSW
• Sea State: Slight
• Roll out: 1110hrs Dock Out: 1200hrs
• Dock In: 1615hrs Crane out: 1627hrs
• Total Tacks: 36 – Fully foiling: 30; Touch & Go: 5; Touch Down: 1
• Total Gybes: 37 – Fully foiling: 34; Touch & Go: 3; Touch Down: 0

Crew: (LEQ12) Nathan Outteridge, Peter Burling, Andy Maloney, Blair Tuke (AC40) Josh Junior, Liv Mackay, Sam Meech, Marcus Hansen

Additional Images:

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-world.com/nz