The conclusion of Race 15, marked the end of the first of two series of Round Robin racing, in the Louis Vuitton Cup. The second round begins on Tuesday. 

Grey skies covered Barcelona today, and the 10-12kt NE breeze was the best yet.

The Swiss Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailed twice today. They had the misfortune to come up against what are clearly the two top boats in the regatta – Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

Their opening encounter against the Kiwis began on a flat note, when the Swiss had more mast problems. Fortunately the issue with the sail track was spotted in time and a carbon patch applied to the offending area. The repair was effected at their dock, well off to the side of the course area, and the Swiss were still heading to their start when their entry period started, and outside the course boundary.

For reasons which are not particularly clear a team will be disqualified if they are more than 100metres outside of the course boundary. Our guess is that the purpose of the rule is to force some degree of pre-start engagement, and that sitting out the pre-start waltz is not permitted.

 American Magic vs – Emirates Team NZ – Race 15 – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

To their credit the Swiss and Kiwis decided to overlook Alinghi’s faux pas, and they started and continued until Leg 4, when the Kiwis decided they’d had enough. For the Swiss there was little point in continuing, as any race against the America’s Cup Defender is a non-scoring one in the Challenger Selection Series.

But Arnaud Psarofaghis and friends did well to hold the Kiwis to a flat 17-18sec margin for the first two rounding marks, but allowed it to double on the next upwind, before calling it a day on Leg 4.

The Swiss have dropped two rigs this year. While the reasons why have not been publicly explained, there was plenty of speculation and evidence that their first dismasting was caused by the mainsail track opening up, and that appeared to be the issue again today. But they had the repair kit, and a carbon patch available, and maybe go some encouragement from the day.

 Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – Race 14 – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © Ian Roman / America’s Cup

The British were few centimetres too eager at the start and had their transgression multiplied by a factor of 150, and were given the regulation 75 metre penalty by the Chief Umpire.

That small break was retained by the French at the top mark (13 secs), but the Brit’s downwind speed saw them take the lead at Mark 2 – does their high sided hull get measured as extra sail area? However the French were able to light the afterburner of their Kiwi designed AC75 and led around the next two marks, before the British reeled them in at the final mark and scooted down Leg to win by 16 seconds.

The outcome gave the British another win point to give them a 3 win, 1 loss score in and second place in the Challenger only standings.

 American Magic vs – Emirates Team NZ – Race 15 Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

The French are often described as being a “day late and a dollar short”, but they do have a good design, that can do the job for them if it is aimed in the right direction, and they do have a crew that competes with distinction on the SailGP circuit, and they look like being the surprise packet of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing were on the receiving end of another sailing lesson from Luna Rossa, who sits on the top of the Challenger leaderboard with a 4 win no loss record. The Swiss did well to hold the Italians to a 4sec margin at Mark 1, but the race blew out from there with Luna Rossa being 250metres ahead and winning the race by 26ecs. The body language told its own story aboard Alinghi, and what they can do in the last half of the Round Robin will be watched with interest. Alinghi Red Bull Racing – Race 14 – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

The final race of the Round Robin was saw American Magic lead around the first mark, in their match against Emirates Team New Zealand. The Kiwis did not appear to have a speed edge but tried playing the shifts, however the Goodison/Slinghby helmed US team held the Kiwis out until past the halfway stage of the race, when the Kiwis got in phase and slid through the US team downwind on Leg 4.

The Americans had speed wobbles o the final mark rounding when their rudder lost grip and a 16sec margin almost doubled at the finish.

Tomorrow is a rest day, and the second phase of the Round Robins start on Tuesday.

No changes can be made to the declared configuration of the boats and the immediate objective is to make the cut for the Semi-Final.

Race Summaries:

Wind strength 12kts 070° (ENE). Overcast skies. Moderate seaway.

Race 15: American Magic vs Emirates Team New Zealand

Split tack start – ETNZ went right American Magic left. Kiwis had 50 metre lead but when the boats crossed there was a narrow margin to NZL. USA took lead just before Mark 1.

Mark 1: 03m 59secs USA led NZL by 10secs. Margin 120 – 140metres on Leg 2
Mark 2: 07m 34secs USA led NZL by 9secs lead out to 170-180metres
Mark 3: 12m 18secs USA led NZL by 5secs lead now 50 metres on Leg 4. Both boats took opposite boundaries. There was a lead change halfway down the leg. NZL crossed ahead
Mark 4: 15m 58secs NZL led USA by 8 secs or 90 metres on the water. Lead stretched out to 170 metres as Kiwis kept a loose cover on USA.
Mark 5: 20m 52secs NZL led USA by 16secs. USA’s rudder lost grip on the water during rounding of Mark 5.
Mark 6: 24m 10secs NZL led USA by 29secs. Margin on the water 400 metres.

Race 14: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Swiss led by 5m off the start line, with Italy to leeward. The Italians moved through to lead by 30 metres on Leg 1

Mark 1: 03m 14secs ITA led SUI by 4secs. ITA led by 132metres
Mark 2: 06m 05secs ITA led SUI by 11secs. Lead now 400metres. Course lengthened to 1.7nm.
Mark 3: 10m 05secs ITA led SUI by 28secs. Lead now out to 500metres on Leg 4. Course lengthened to 1.8nm and 080° axis.
Mark 4: 13m 31secs ITA led SUI by 21secs. Swiss trailed by 260 metres after a late decision to cross the course and round the starboard gate mark. Windspeed shown as 12kts
Mark 5: 18m 28secs ITA led SUI by 16secs. Both boats sailing at 42kts – separation 268metres, extending to 300metres toward the end of the leg.
Finish: 22m 8secs ITA led SUI by 26secs or an on the water margin of 400metres.

Race 13: INEOS Britannia vs Orient Express Racing Team

INEOS Britannia led into the start with Orient Express on their hip. The Brits were over the line by 16cms and were penalised 75metres – dropping back behind Orient Express. The French extended to 175 metres on Leg 1.

Mark 1: 4m 12sec FRA led GBR by 13 secs. Lead reduced to 15metres on Leg 2
Mark 2: 7m 58sec GBR led FRA by 03 secs. After Brits came across on starboard with right of way and French were forced to pass astern and then round left hand Gate 2. Lead change half way up FRA ahead, but GBR came back on port and crossed ahead of FRA on starboard – too close and Umpires judged that GBR had not kept clear as a give way boat, and they were penalised dropping 75metres behind FRA.
Mark 3: 12m 39secs FRA led GBR by 20secs. Lead was 150metres on the water
Mark 4: 16m 00secs FRA led GBR by 12secs. Brits moved into the lead midway up Leg 4 – lead now 70metres.
Mark 5: 20m 12secs GBR led FRA by 11secs or 200metres. Boats sailing at 40kts
Finish: 22m 57secs GBR led FRA by 16secs ir 250metres. Boats sailing at 39kts – 40kts going into the finish.

Race 12: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs Emirates Team New Zealand

The Swiss team had mast track issues before the start, but the start got underway in a solid breeze. The Swiss were DSQ’d for being 100 metres outside a boundary at the entry time. Alinghi’s mast issue was repaired with a carbon patch.
Mark 1: 03m 10secs NZL led SUI by 17secs
Mark 2: 05m 59secs NZL led SUI by 18secs
Mark 3: 09m 26secs NZL led SUI by 45secs

Both boats gave up sailing on Leg 4

Louis Vuitton Cup Points and Leaderboard after Day 4

 Louis Vuitton Cup and Standings with and without the Defender – after the conclusion of racing Sept 1, 2024 – photo © America’s Cup Media

Series format

There are two phases of Round Robin racing, four races are scheduled to be sailed, with six teams competing and two of those will be sailing twice. The day’s pairings can reread from the graphic below.

Pairings Round Robin 1 & 2 – Louis Vuitton Cup – August 29, 2024 – September 8 – Barcelona – photo © AC Media

Weather Prognosis:

America’s Cup Weather Partner PredictWind has provided a dedicated Race Weather Center offering fans access to detailed daily weather breakdowns, live webcams and historical weather data to daily weather breakdowns written by meteorologists.

Forecast Race Day 4:

Weather Prognosis – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © AC Media

Sunday September 1 In the morning some showers around Barcelona will be gone for the racing. This unsettled weather in the morning makes the wind forecast a bit uncertain for the afternoon. In the early afternoon, the wind is expected East-North East around 6 to 10 knots. It will trend right into a more East-South-East. The sea state will be relatively calm with waves around 0.5 meter. The sky should be clearing up and sunshine will make a comeback in late afternoon.

Course Location:

Course – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © AC Media

Crew Lists:

Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – Race 12 – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © AC Media

INEOS Britannia vs Orient Express – Race 13 – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © AC Media

Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – Race 14 – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © AC Media

American Magic vs Emirates Team NZ – Race 15 – Day 4 – Round Robin 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup – September 1, 2024 – Barcelona – photo © AC Media

by Richard Gladwell