Cup Spy

YachtBoatNews03/03/2023

822 4 minutes read

What happened in the Cup – March 1, 2023:

American Magic rolled out their new AC40 One Design and sailed it for over five hours off Pensacola in 12kt winds. They performed 74 manoeuvres dry tacking/gybing in 57 of them – a good result for their first day of sailing. Their Dry Tack/Gybe % of 77% compared very well with the Brits 80% who are now on Day 9 of their AC40 OD program. It is not known what direction the US program direction will take from here. Their AC40 boat number is AC40-5. The Swiss are AC40-4; INEOS has AC40-2 (swapped building slot with ETNZ) and ETNZ has AC40-3 and 40-1).
Alinghi Red Bull Racing rolled out their AC75 with a new deck layout and other changes after a two-week period in the building shed. See report here See report here
INEOS Britannia sailed in the AC-40 in One Design configuration (see report below). Their LEQ12 test boat went into the shed on February 8, for repairs after a capsize and battery fire, but what was also planned as a three-week upgrade block – due to be complete around the beginning of March.
Emirates Team New Zealand did not sail due to a lack of wind in Auckland. The AC75 stayed behind a partially opened shed door today.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli did not sail out of Cagliari.
Orient Express Team (formerly French K-Challenge) – no update.

American Magic – AC40 – Day 9 – March 1, 2023 – photo © Paul Todd/America’s Cup

American Magic – AC40 One Design – Pensacola – March 1, 2023 – Day 1

From the AC37 Joint Recon Team:

The new AC40 was craned in at 8:45, dock out was 9:45. The team began tow testing at 10:40 and concluded at 11:01.

American Magic – AC40 – Day 9 – March 1, 2023 – photo © Paul Todd/America’s Cup

The AC40 was towed at 20k in very light air and flat water.

It took a little over an hour to get the M1 and J1 up, but then the team sailed 3 hours and 20 minutes in this configuration.

American Magic – AC40 – Day 9 – March 1, 2023 – photo © Paul Todd/America’s Cup

The team then hoisted the J3 and sailed on it for 15 minutes. The breeze picked up to around 12k as the J2 was raised and the team elected to sail for almost another hour.

The AC40 then began sailing at 12:25, completed 74 maneuvers, covered a distance of just over 80nm, 17 W/L’s, and was on foil for 165 minutes total.

American Magic – AC40 – Day 9 – March 1, 2023 – photo © Paul Todd/America’s Cup

Top speeds were approximately 23k upwind and 33k downwind.

Sailing ended rather abruptly at 16:42 after “some valves got stuck” and the yacht “shut off” (according to the interview with Paul Goodison).

No sailing is expected tomorrow

Athena – AC40-2 – INEOS Britannia – AC40 – Day 9 – March 1, 2023 – photo © Ugo Fonolla / America’s Cup

Session Statistics – Pensacola – March 1, 2023 – American Magic – AC40-One Design – Day 1

Weather: Mostly cloudy 72 degreesF
Wind Strength 12kts
Wind Direction: SW
Sea State: <1ft chop
Roll out: 0845hrs Dock Out: 0945hrs
Dock In: 1730hrs Crane out: 1810hrs
Total Tacks: 37 – Fully foiling: 28; Touch & Go: 6; Touch Down: 3
Total Gybes: 37 – Fully foiling: 29; Touch & Go: 7; Touch Down: 1
Dry Tack/Gybe % = 77%

Crew: Paul Goodison, Tom Slingsby, Michael Menninger, Andrew Campbell

American Magic – AC40 – Day 9 – March 1, 2023 – photo © Paul Todd/America’s Cup

Athena – AC40-2 – INEOS Britannia – AC40 – Day 9 – March 1, 2023 – photo © Ugo Fonolla / America’s Cup

INEOS Britannia – AC40-One Design – Mallorca – March 1, 2023 – Day 9

Top sailing journalist, Justin Chisholm was on the water, as part of the AC37 Joint Recon Team, and made various observations on the British boat:

After 48 hours of constant downpours and strong winds on Mallorca since INEOS Britannia’s last sailing day, on Monday, the sun returned to the Mediterranean island for the team’s ninth sailing session aboard its one design AC40.

After a 1030 rollout the British yacht was launched at just after 1100 and off the dock an hour later. Outside the harbour a pleasant 8kt southerly breeze had established itself by the time the crew – Giles Scott and Ben Cornish (helming) with Australian pairing Iain Jensen and Luke Parkinson (trimming) – had the M1-1 mainsail and J2-1 headsail hoisted.

Over the next 30 minutes this breeze quickly shifted right to 250 and ramped up to 13 – 15 kts as the team launched into a 70 minute foiling session saw the boat predominantly in the air other than three brief touchdowns (one on a tack and two on gybes).

After changing to the J3 the second session saw the team practice racing for five and a half laps of assured maneuvering around a one-nautical mile windward/leeward course.

The session was curtailed after 35 minutes when the sailors became aware of an oil leak down below. Time was called at 1500 and after a slow speed tow in the boat was back on the dock at 1600.

Session Statistics – Mallorca – March 1, 2023 – INEOS Britannia – AC40-OD – Day 9