Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup: Race Highlights and Rolling Coverage

Catch all the latest news from Barcelona as Emirates Team New Zealand and Ineos Britannia go head-to-head for the 37th America’s Cup.

August 23, 2024

Welcome to our daily coverage of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup, where the world’s top sailing teams battle it out on the waters off Barcelona. From thrilling races to strategic manoeuvres, join us as these elite sailors push the limits of speed, skill, and innovation in their quest for sailing’s most coveted trophy.

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The 37th America’s Cup is go as INEOS Britannia challenge Emirates Team New Zealand

The 37th America’s Cup in 2024 has reached a pivotal moment as INEOS Britannia defeated Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli from Italy to win the Louis Vuitton Cup Final and book a clash against the defending champion, Emirates Team New Zealand, in the ultimate showdown.

Racing aboard cutting-edge AC75s – foiling monohull yachts that sail up to four times faster than the wind – the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup represents the pinnacle of the sport.

In addition, the event showcases the future of the sport with the Puig Women’s America’s Cup spotlighting top female athletes on a world stage. The stakes have never been higher, as every race counts toward claiming the ultimate title.

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Uncover the stories behind America’s Cup, from High-Speed Thrills of the AC75s Boats to Intense Rivalries Between Teams, Experience the Passion and Dedication of Sailors Vying for Ultimate Glory on ‘Flying on Water’ on Red Bull TV HERE.

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Barcelona, 18 October 2024: Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup: Day 5 Recap – Emirates Team New Zealand reassert dominancy to take 6-2 lead over INEOS Britannia

After INEOS Britannia clawed their way back into contention for the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup on Wednesday with two wins to cut the Kiwi lead to 4-2, the two boats went out on Friday in shifty conditions to see which way the momentum would go now.

With the breeze at 11-13 knots for the start of Race 7, INEOS got the better of their rival early on however they soon lost distance out left on the big shift as Emirates Team New Zealand came in on a long starboard layline to lead by 12 seconds at the starboard marker.

At the second leeward gate, the Kiwi boat executed a smooth gybe to help build up a lead of 29 seconds by the next starboard marker with that lead stretching to one minute and 13 seconds by the end of the day’s first race, which saw them extend their series lead comfortably to 5-2.

Race 8 saw Emirates Team New Zealand head to the left boundary early on in rapid fashion, then switch over to the right side of the course to create a crucial lead of 15 seconds at the starboard marker.

INEOS Britannia then went two boards down as they touched down briefly before gybing on the left boundary, the Kiwis extending that lead to 41 seconds at the port marker as the British struggled.

Sir Ben Ainslie took his boat out hard left to try and cut the deficit, but it was too little too late as Emirates Team New Zealand closed out a 55-second victory to leave them on the brink of a successful America’s Cup defence with just one more win needed to lift the trophy in Barcelona.

Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Standings (After 8 of 13 races)

1. Emirates Team New Zealand – 6 points
2. INEOS Britannia – 2

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Barcelona, 16 October 2024: Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup: Day 4 Recap – INEOS Britannia register first wins to keep Cup hopes alive

With fluctuating wind speeds and bumpy water, conditions were looking tricky for the teams as they lined up for a potentially pivotal day of America’s Cup racing on Wednesday.

Heading into Race 5 with the momentum of a commanding 4-0 series lead behind them, it was nevertheless Emirates Team New Zealand who blinked first. The Kiwi boat was caught in the waves and foiled during the pre-start, meaning they were late to the line, allowing their British rivals a big headstart. INEOS Britannia took the opportunity they were given, keeping high over the choppy waters and sailing a faultless race to come in 1m 18s ahead of the New Zealand boatto win Britain’s first race in the America’s Cup since 1934.

Race 6 played out in a similar fashion, once more in choppy conditions, but with wind speeds picking up. It was INEOS Britannia who again took the advantage at the start, timing their approach perfectly as New Zealand tacked. The gap between the boats gradually crept up over the early stages, hitting 200m by the end of the third leg, with the British vessel looking slightly more comfortable in the conditions. With plenty of open water between the boats, the British team were able to sail more conservatively, matching the Kiwis’ movements over the second half of the race to bring things home with 100m to spare.

INEOS Britannia’s skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie, said: “A solid effort from the team. [There’s] still a long way to go, but the comeback is on. Every day we’re getting better at driving this boat.”

Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Standings (After 6 of 13 races)

1. Emirates Team New Zealand – 4 points

2. INEOS Britannia – 2

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Barcelona, 14 October 2024: Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup: Day 3 Recap – Emirates Team New Zealand stretch lead to 4-0 over INEOS Britannia

With the wind stronger again on Monday, the two boats went out to water on the Reserve Day for the fourth race of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. INEOS Britannia started with urgency as they sought to bank their first win of the ultimate sailing series, however Emirates Team New Zealand soon got into their rhythm and picked up breeze to the right to leave them level at the first gate.

The Kiwi boat soon edged ahead and, after covering tenaciously, they tacked onto the port layline to extend their lead to 13 seconds around the second windward gate. Sir Ben Ainslie and the British boat tried every trick in the book to eat into the deficit – including exploring the middle-left of the course – nevertheless Emirates Team New Zealand rounded the last starboard marker 24 seconds up.

Keeping their concentration down the final run to the finish, the Kiwi boat nailed a great gybe onto starboard and crossed the line for a 23-second win and a daunting 4-0 lead in the race to seven wins and the trophy.

Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Standings (After 4 of 13 races)

1. Emirates Team New Zealand – 4 points

2. INEOS Britannia – 0

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Barcelona, 13 October 2024: Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup: Day 2 Recap – Emirates Team New Zealand go 3–0 up as INEOS Britannia penalised

Emirates Team New Zealand’s quest for a record third straight championship victory looked a little more likely after Races 3 and 4 of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain, on Sunday.

The defending champions continued their imperious form from Saturday’s two opening match races to win Race 3 by a comfortable margin before Race 4 was cancelled due to lack of wind, leaving the Kiws 3–0 up on the British boat after just two days of action.

Emirates Team New Zealand had been fast and aggressive right from the start during the opening two races and Race 3 was no different. With light north-easterly winds of 7-10 knots, they once again made an aggressive start to quickly establish a comfortable lead over INEOS Britannia.

The two boats had also almost collided during pre-start manoeuvres and the British boat skippered by Ben Ainslie was handed a 75-metre penalty for failing to keep clear from which it never recovered.

Ending the first stage, New Zealand were already 150m ahead and extended their lead to over 600m by the finish of the 27-minute race, crossing the finish 52 seconds ahead of the British. It was another inch-perfect display of match race sailing.

The fourth race of the series was later postponed to Monday, October 14, after the wind faded away, as had been predicted by race control, and INEOS Britannia will be hoping that the single-race day is their chance to get on the scoreboard and turn the tide of the match.

Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Standings (After 3 of 13 races)

Emirates Team New Zealand – 3 points
INEOS Britannia – 0

Barcelona, 12 October 2024: Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup: Day 1 Recap – Emirates Team New Zealand Take Early 2–0 lead

On a historic day for sailing, the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match got underway, with defending champions Emirates Team New Zealand aiming to secure a hat-trick of victories in the sport’s most prestigious race and challenger INEOS Britannia – the first British finalist boat since 1964 – chasing an inaugural win for the nation that established the race.

A 30-minute delay waiting for the wind to pick up to the six-and-a-half knot minimum for racing did nothing to dampen the anticipation of the thousands lining the water’s edge, but when the day’s two races finally got underway it was early advantage to the defenders.

INEOS Britannia encountered a last-minute battery problem right before the start of Race 1, meaning the boat arrived late into the start box. This allowed Emirates Team New Zealand to seize control of the race instantly and the Kiwis performed flawlessly through all six legs to win by a comfortable 54-second margin.

“There’s a long way to go yet, so don’t worry, we’ll keep pushing,” commented INEOS Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie directly after the first outing.

True to his word, Race 2 was a much closer affair, although the result remained the same. The two boats sailed neck-and-neck through the first two legs, swapping the lead five times,. However New Zealand – who fitted a smaller jib and rudder for Race 2 – sailed perfectly and made better use of the favourable conditions on one side of the course to pull ahead again and win by 27 seconds.

The opening day of racing ended with Emirates Team New Zealand celebrating a perfect 2–0 start to the best-of-13 series and their quest for a record third consecutive America’s Cup, while INEOS Britannia’s analysts will be working hard to improve the boat’s performance ahead of Sunday’s Race 3 and Race 4.

Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Standings (After 2 of 13 races)

Emirates Team New Zealand – 2 points
INEOS Britannia – 0

Barcelona, 12 October 2024: Puig Women’s America’s Cup: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Seal First-Ever Women’s Crown

Taking to the water in the interval between Races 1 and 2 of Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match, the first Puig Women’s America’s Cup final saw Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Britain’s Athena Pathway battle for the historic title.

Both crews delivered a brilliant, battling race from start to finish, but it was the calm and collected Italian boat skippered by Giulia Conti which secured a few crucial metres advantage from the start and then held strong in the face of relentless pursuit by the British boat to lead all six legs and cross the line victorious by just eight seconds.

Barcelona, 11 October 2024: Puig Women’s America’s Cup: DAY 6 Recap – Athena Pathway Secures Victory in Final Group A Race

The Puig Women’s America’s Cup delivered high drama on Day 6, with Athena Pathway claiming victory in the final Group A race. After a delayed start due to light winds, the Race Committee finally gave the green light, setting the stage for a crucial race that would decide the top three teams advancing to the Semi-Finals.

Athena Pathway took an early lead, executing a perfect tack off the start, but faced challenges downwind as they briefly fell off the foils. NYYC American Magic capitalized, surging ahead mid-course. However, Athena Pathway found pressure on the right side of the course and reclaimed the lead, securing first place with a time of 13:56. Emirates Team New Zealand finished just five seconds behind, taking second place, while NYYC American Magic celebrated a strong third-place finish at +1:09. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Alinghi Red Bull Racing struggled with foiling in the light winds but managed to complete the race in fourth and fifth, respectively, while Orient Express – L’Oréal Racing Team did not finish.

Following the race, the Group A standings solidified the top three teams: Athena Pathway, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, and Emirates Team New Zealand, who will now advance to the Semi-Finals.

Puig Women’s America’s Cup – Group A Results:

Athena Pathway – Time: 13:56
Emirates Team New Zealand – +0:05
NYYC American Magic – +1:09
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team – +1:31
Alinghi Red Bull Racing – +2:04
Orient Express – L’Oréal Racing Team – INR (Did Not Finish)

Puig Women’s America’s Cup – Group A standings after six races:

Athena Pathway – Women (GBR): 46 points
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team (ITA): 39 points
Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s Team (NZL): 27 points
Alinghi Red Bull Racing Women’s Team (SUI): 27 points
NYYC American Magic Women’s Team (USA): 16 points
Orient Express – L’Oréal Racing Women’s Team (FRA): 16 points

Barcelona, 11 October 2024: Puig Women’s America’s Cup: Semi-Final Day Recap – Sail Team BCN Takes First in Final Race

The Semi-Finals of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup saw intense racing, with Sail Team BCN taking a commanding win in the final race of the day. In breezes ranging from 12-14 knots, the teams faced tough competition as they battled to secure spots in the final. The first race of the day saw Sweden’s Swedish Challenge Women’s Team powered by Artemis make a strong move early, but it was Sail Team BCN who capitalized on a clean start to take control. Athena Pathway faced a penalty early on but recovered to finish third, while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli fought their way into fourth.

As the day progressed, the tight racing continued, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Athena Pathway battling it out for crucial points to secure a place in the match race final. The final race saw thrilling tactics as teams fought to stay on the foils amidst shifting wind conditions. In the end, Sail Team BCN crossed the line first, securing their spot with 10 points, while Swedish Challenge followed closely in second place. Athena Pathway and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli secured their places in the final, setting up a thrilling showdown for the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.

Final Race Results (Semi-Final Round 4):

Sail Team BCN Women: 10 points
Swedish Challenge Women’s Team powered by Artemis Technologies: 7 points
Athena Pathway – Women: 5 points
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team: 3 points
Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s Team: 2 points
Jajo Team DutchSail (Women’s): 1 point

Standings after Semi-Final Series:

Athena Pathway – Women (GBR): 27 points
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team (ITA): 27 points
Sail Team BCN Women (ESP): 24 points
Swedish Challenge Women’s Team powered by Artemis Technologies (SWE): 15 points
Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s Team (NZL): 12 points
Jajo Team DutchSail (Women’s) (NED): 7 points

Athena Pathway and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli will now face off in the highly anticipated match-race final on Sunday for the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.

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Barcelona, 10 October 2024: Puig Women’s America’s Cup: DAY 4 Recap – First win for Alinghi Red Bull Racing

The Puig Women’s America’s Cup brought fierce competition on Day 4, with Alinghi Red Bull Racing clinching a pivotal win in challenging conditions. Although the day began with plans for two races, only one could be completed due to light winds.

The race saw Emirates Team New Zealand take an early lead, looking strong as they rounded the first mark. However, a sudden change in wind conditions led to a dramatic turn of events. As the Kiwis struggled to maintain their foiling capabilities, Alinghi Red Bull Racing capitalised on the situation, overtaking them to secure first place. Athena Pathway managed to recover from an early setback, finishing a commendable second, while NYYC American Magic celebrated their first podium finish in third.

Following the single race, the Race Committee made the decision to abandon the remaining races of the day due to insufficient wind conditions. They rescheduled the races for the next day, set to begin at 1000 CET.

Puig Women’s America’s Cup – Group A standings after five races

1. Athena Pathway – Women (GBR) 36

2. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team (ITA) 36

3. Alinghi Red Bull Racing Women’s Team (SUI) 25

4. Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s Team (NZL) 20

5. Orient Express – L’Oréal Racing Women’s Team (FRA) 12

6. NYYC American Magic Women’s Team (USA) 11

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Barcelona, 5 October 2024: Puig Women’s America’s Cup: DAY 1 Recap – Alinghi Red Bull Racing Women’s Team (Group A)

The inaugural women’s event in the America’s Cup’s 173-year history featured six teams competing in fully-equalized AC40 yachts in Group A. Alinghi Red Bull Racing Women’s Team raced alongside Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team (ITA), Athena Pathway – Women (GBR), Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s Team (NZL), Orient Express – L’Oréal Racing Women’s Team (FRA), and NYYC American Magic Women’s Team (USA).

The first race saw the British team take an early lead, finishing first ahead of New Zealand, while Alinghi Red Bull Racing held third.

In Race 2, Athena Pathway led early, but the Italians capitalized on a key wind shift to win, with Alinghi Red Bull Racing finishing second.

In Race 3, the Italians powered into the lead, while the British and French fought closely behind, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli securing the win.

Race 4 continued the fierce competition as the Italians and British engaged in a thrilling duel, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli emerging victorious again. At the end of Saturday’s action, the Italian team held a four-point lead over the British, while Alinghi Red Bull Racing Women’s Team earned 15 points overall to finish fourth.

Puig Women’s America’s Cup – Group A standings after four races

1. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Women’s Team (ITA) 33 points

2. Athena Pathway – Women (GBR) 29

3. Emirates Team New Zealand Women’s Team (NZL) 18

4. Alinghi Red Bull Racing Women’s Team (SUI) 15

5. Orient Express – L’Oréal Racing Women’s Team (FRA) 11

6. NYYC American Magic Women’s Team (USA) 6

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Barcelona, 4 October 2024: Louis Vuitton Cup Finals: DAY 7 Recap – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS Britannia

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), helmed by Jimmy Spithill, knew they had to dig deep to stop their exit from the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals with INEOS Britannia taking port entry under light winds with a 6-4 lead.

At the first gate, the British boat held a 10-second lead around the starboard marker with INEOS Britannia keeping a close gybe cover on the port layline to take the starboard marker at the first leeward gate with the lead at nine seconds and then the port marker with a lead of 11 seconds.

Luna Rossa headed to the left side of the course to cut the lead to four seconds as the Race Committee shortened the windward leg to 1.6 nautical miles down the penultimate downwind leg.

INEOS Britannia led by 200 metres before gybing on to their line just past halfway to the finish and held their nerve to bank a 17-second win and the Louis Vuitton Cup. They will now face Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match from October 12.

Luna Rossa starboard helm Spithill said: “I just want to say well done to INEOS Britannia, to Ben [Ainslie] and his team, just an awesome effort. They started that team I think a decade ago, and to bounce back and win having got so close last time when we knocked them out, and then today they were the better team. I thought we had a great boat and it’s difficult to really put into words, but all I can do is just thank all of my teammates and clearly congratulate the team for doing such an awesome job.”

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Barcelona, 1 October 2024: Louis Vuitton Cup Finals: DAY 5 Recap – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS Britannia

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), helmed by Jimmy Spithill, came into Tuesday’s action and Race 7 buoyed by their win in the second race on Monday and winds pushing the upper limit of 21 knots again for their Louis Vuitton Cup Final series against INEOS Britannia that stood at 3-3.

The British boat started on port entry and the Italians on starboard as the two boats struggled to get the upper hand early on. Luna Rossa, though, forced INEOS Britannia to tack back towards the left boundary to get a slender lead as they both bore away at speeds in excess of 50 knots.

Unfortunately, Luna Rossa suddenly came to a halt after a nosedive with issues around their jib track area and pieces of combing coming off as the crew inspected their damage. The British boat continued on in an effort to secure a point with the Italians officially retiring halfway up the fifth leg to ensure that occurred to give INEOS Britannia a 4-3 series lead.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli port helm Francesco Bruni reported onboard that it was caused by the “balance between the sails and foils” with the team repairing the jib track fairing and then executing a test run for Race 8.

In Race 8, INEOS Britannia went for a tack on the boundary to incur a penalty which meant that, after the start, they needed to get behind by 75 metres. The Italians soon extended that to 150 metres after a long starboard tack along the boundary to the middle of the course and, by the port marker, they possessed a 12-second lead which was cut down to eight seconds at the first leeward gate by Sir Ben Ainslie’s crew.

Spithill and his crew decided not to engage their opponents too much to round the starboard marker with a seven-second lead at a thrilling 55 knots. The two boats continued to gybe and tack around each other with the Italians protecting the right side of the course into the final windward gate to lead by 16 seconds as both boats went to alternate boundaries.

Luna Rossa made no mistake on the first gybe to stretch their lead to over 350 metres with one final gybe on the port layline seeing them home into the finish with two boards down to record a 16-second win that levelled the dramatic series to 4-4 as worldwide fans enjoyed another thriller.

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Barcelona, 30 September 2024: Louis Vuitton Cup Finals: DAY 4 Recap – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS Britannia

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), helmed by Jimmy Spithill, entered Monday’s action with the Race 5 port entry looking to get on top of their Louis Vuitton Cup Final series against INEOS Britannia. The Italians gybed at the boundary and sailed deep, but fell off the foils and needed to recover quickly to tack away to the right side and stop the British going clear.

INEOS Britannia rounded the gate with a lead of just five seconds, the Italians exiting the gate at speed with the next run down to the leeward gate seeing the advantage only increased by one second. The British boat then executed a good cover in the final approaches before tacking on the port layline and leading at the second windward gate by seven seconds, hitting 52 knots on the bear-away.

Spithill and his crew managed to cut that down to five seconds as both boats headed to the left boundary with the British extending it again to nine seconds by the final leeward gate. Luna Ross finally got an opening soon after a poor rounding by INEOS Britannia, but couldn’t make enough inroads as the British boat performed their final gybe perfectly to win by 12 seconds for a 3-2 series lead.

Race 6 saw Luna Ross with the starboard entry and are forced to tack first, however hit back immediately to fend off the British boat and tack on the starboard layline to the first gate with a four-second lead. Emboldened, the Italians cover off the British moves and pick their pressure patches expertly to increase their lead to 13 seconds by the second leeward gate.

At the third windward gate, Luna Rossa rounded with a lead of 17 seconds and headed immediately to the left boundary while INEOS Britannia was forced into one extra manoeuvre. At the final leeward gate, the Italians came in on the port layline and double-board rounded with the lead at 13 seconds and again headed to the right boundary immediately while the British looked for leverage to the left.

Luna Rossa came out strong at the final gate with a lead of 19 seconds and, after gybing on the starboard layline, they hit the finish line at 51 knots to win by 17 seconds and make it 3-3 overall with Tuesday seeing even more thrilling action in what is turning into a fascinating regatta.

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Barcelona, 29 September 2024: Louis Vuitton Cup Finals: DAY 3 Recap – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS Britannia

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), helmed by Jimmy Spithill, escaped from Saturday at 1-1 after the only race was timed out due to lack of wind and they were looking for an uptick in form for Sunday’s first race of the day. This time the Race Committee had to wait for the wind to lessen from the upper wind limit of 21 knots and, sadly for the Italians, they had a mainsail issue with broken battens in the upper sections so were forced to drop sails and re-hoist as the clock ticked down to the start.

The race was called to start with Luna Rossa still changing their sails and, with under two minutes to go, the Chief Umpire had no option but to disqualify the Italians due to the team Chase Boat being alongside with INEOS Britannia awarded the race win to take a 2-1 series lead.

Fortunately for Spithill and his crew, after frantic preparations and wind delays, they took to the start line for Race 4 with the Italians forcing an early advantage. With INEOS Britannia struggling for rhythm, Luna Rossa moved a boat length clear and fixed on the port layline for the windward mark as both AC75 boats flew down the course at high speed.

Frustration started to build on the British boat after their penalty calls were rebuffed with Luna Rossa holding onto a slender five-second lead before setting up on a long port layline to round the starboard marker cleanly and move 300 metres clear coming in from the left boundary.

With Italy’s lead up to 19 seconds racing at 46-48 knots, a final gybe onto the starboard layline brought them into the port marker that they rounded with two boards down and headed immediately to the right boundary up the final windward leg with a crucial 20-second advantage.

INEOS Britannia, though, powered back into contention and were the first to gybe however the Italians covered it and held their nerve down the finish straight to win by just four seconds in a thriller to make one win each on the day and 2-2 overall heading into Tuesday’s next race day.

Spithill said: “Probably the most frustrating part of the day was just the wind limit, but we did get the race off and from there the boys just bounced back brilliantly, especially after that unfortunate issue with the mainsail. It was an awesome race, just a full-on street fight and we love that sort of stuff, it was a lot of fun. It’s just great for the team to be under that sort of pressure that sort of stress and load, because you need to be able to go through that as a team. Once again, the guys just didn’t falter, just kept their heads up and executed, but also full credit to INEOS Britannia. They just kept coming, but ultimately that’s a good one for the team to take away.”

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Barcelona, 28 September 2024: Louis Vuitton Cup Finals: DAY 2 Recap – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS Britannia

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), helmed by Jimmy Spithill, had to wait nearly two hours for a southerly ‘Migjorn’ thermal breeze to get above 6.5 knots so Race 3 could get underway on Saturday just after 1600 CET in the first-to-seven-points Louis Vuitton Cup Final series with INEOS Britannia.

After Day 1’s racing saw the two boats share the honours at one race win each, sailing fans on the shore in Barcelona and watching worldwide were hoping for more drama on Saturday despite the light wind.

INEOS Britannia came off the line to windward and held a high-mode all the way to the left boundary, creating enough gauge to cross and cover Luna Rossa’s first tack then Sir Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher clicked into a beautiful right shift as the first leg came to an end.

Nineteen seconds down at the port gate marker, Spithill and Francesco Bruni got the Italian boat back into contention only for the British boat to get over the top of them and force them to gybe away – INEOS Britannia then surging into a healthy lead over the next two-and-a-half legs.

Unfortunately for them, the race was timed out after 45 minutes with both boats in displacement mode when the wind shut down on the fifth leg of the six-leg course to leave the series tied at 1-1.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli port helm Bruni said: “Between the boats, it was hard to pick up on any difference between performance profile because the wind was so puffy and shifty. We didn’t have a great start, but we managed to stay close and to find our moments. We will take the luck.”

Spithill and the Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli crew will be looking to get back on track on Sunday when the breezes are expected to be in the 12-14 knot range to provide some thrilling racing again.

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Barcelona, 26 September 2024: Louis Vuitton Cup Finals: DAY 1 Recap – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS Britannia

Race 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals kicked off at 14:15hrs CET, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA), helmed by Jimmy Spithill, on port entry and INEOS Britannia (GBR) on starboard. Wind conditions were just under 20 knots, marking one of the most extreme conditions the AC75s have raced in since the Prada Cup in Auckland.

The start saw both boats entering late, with Spithill steering Luna Rossa deep into the start box while the British boat trailed behind to leeward. INEOS Britannia tacked towards the starboard boundary but quickly fell 135 meters behind. Luna Rossa, under Spithill’s command, maintained only a loose cover and rounded Mark 1 at an impressive 52.3 knots, extending their lead to 240 meters.

Despite a high-speed wobble on Leg 4 that momentarily reduced their lead, Spithill and his team regained control and stretched out to 443 meters on Leg 5, ultimately finishing 770 meters ahead. INEOS Britannia skipper Ben Ainslie acknowledged that “the Italians had the legs on us” and noted that they seemed to thrive in the challenging conditions. Under Spithill’s expert helming, Luna Rossa achieved a top speed of 52.3 knots and an average VMG of 24.2 knots, securing a strong start as they took the first match of the finals.

However, in Race 2, INEOS Britannia responded with a commanding performance to level the series. Starting at 15:49hrs CET, the British team, with a port entry advantage, seized control early and never relinquished it. They led from the first mark, rounding 7 seconds ahead of Luna Rossa. Despite Spithill’s efforts to close the gap, INEOS Britannia maintained their advantage, showing improved speed and tactics. By Mark 4, the Brits had extended their lead to 13 seconds, consistently keeping Luna Rossa at bay.

As they rounded the final mark, INEOS Britannia held a 17-second lead and crossed the finish line 18 seconds ahead, securing an end-to-end victory. Ainslie and his crew showed resilience and adaptability, turning the tables on Luna Rossa to make it 1-1 after Day 1.

With the series now tied, the battle between Jimmy Spithill’s Luna Rossa and Ben Ainslie’s INEOS Britannia promises to deliver more intense racing as the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals continue.

Barcelona, 26 September 2024: DAY 1 – The Louis Vuitton Cup Finals – PREVIEW: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. INEOS Britannia

The atmosphere in Barcelona is electrifying as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli prepares to face INEOS Britannia in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final.. This crucial series will determine who earns the right to challenge Defender Emirates Team New Zealand in the final Match of the 37th Louis Vuitton America’s Cup. The first team to reach 7 points over two race days will claim victory in the Challenger Selection Series. Luna Rossa will enter the pre-start box on port tack for the opening race.

At today’s pre-final press conference, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s skipper Jimmy Spithill captured the intensity and excitement of the upcoming clash: “We’ve come through some very tough semifinals and now we will face one of the strongest challengers of this edition,” said the Australian helmsman. “I expect tough, hard-fought matches, and yes, it will be a real fight to get ahead. Then again, that is the purpose of Challenger Selections, to identify the strongest and most prepared challenger to face the Defender.”

Spithill emphasized the team’s readiness and respect for their opponents: “We are very familiar with both the British crew and their way of sailing. We have studied it extensively in the Round Robins, but we also know that the team we will face tomorrow is not the same it was a few weeks ago. There are many variables to consider, but we are ready.” Reflecting on his journey with the team, he added, “Since I’ve been with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli I’ve learned how strong Italy’s bond is with the sea, with sailing, and with the Cup. We’re hungry to win.”

For those wanting to catch up on all the action that led to this finals clash, watch Season 1 Episode 9 of Flying on Water HERE. INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa are just one win away from the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, while Alinghi Red Bull Racing and American Magic refuse to back down, with challenging weather adding to the drama.

The stage is set for an intense, thrilling series as both teams compete for a chance at the ultimate prize in sailing.

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Barcelona, 19 September 2024: DAY 5 – Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals

With INEOS Britannia booking their place in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final on Wednesday, it was left to NYYC American Magic and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to battle it out on Thursday for the remaining place as the challenger boats target the ultimate duel with defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome.

Race 15: NYYC American Magic vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

The Americans made a brilliant start to lift fan spirits back on shore as Luna Rossa were forced to tack away quickly, which the Americans tried to cover as a drag race to the right boundary ensued. The Italians soon got the upper hand, though, to lead by 20 seconds at the first mark playing the shifts well. Tom Slingsby’s boat gybed on the left boundary to come back on starboard gybe, however Luna Rossa dug in to make a big gain by the final leeward gate to lead by 22 seconds. The Italians then turned expertly downwind to the finish to claim a one minute and one second win, which sees skipper Jimmy Spithill and his crew advance to the Louis Vuitton Cup Final where they will now face INEOS Britannia.

Group 1 standing: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli beat NYYC American Magic 5-3 in best-of-nine series

The Louis Vuitton Cup Final takes place from September 26 to October 7 with Emirates Team New Zealand back in action against the winner from October 12 in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match.

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Barcelona, 18 September 2024: DAY 4 – Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals

After a rest day, the fourth day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals was another chance for Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic to claw back the leads that their respective opponents had built up. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome.

Race 11: INEOS Britannia vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing

The Swiss boat nailed the start, however the British boat tacked to leeward and pulled ahead to create an early lead of over 100 metres. Alinghi Red Bull Racing soon rolled over the top of INEOS Britannia to surge out into a lead of around one minute at the halfway mark. When INEOS Britannia struggled through an initial gybe, the Swiss extended their lead to 1000 metres and got the final port layline to the windward mark spot on to bring ‘BoatOne’ over the line one minute and 23 seconds ahead to make the semi-final scoreline 4-2 and keep their hopes alive.

Race 12: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs NYYC American Magic

The Americans produced a superb start to put down their marker for the day, but Luna Rossa found a powerful rhythm to forge a lead as the wind strength dropped to just 5 knots. The boats went boundary to boundary repeatedly to try and find the wind with the Race Committee shortening the course. At the final windward mark, Magic came in on starboard and forced Luna Rossa off the port layline to stop them from tacking. NYYC American Magic then powered through the downwind leg with Luna Rossa sailing outside the course by 85 metres to be disqualified. NYYC American Magic cross the finish line anyway to cut the lead to 4-2.

Race 13: INEOS Britannia vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing

INEOS Britannia earned a penalty for an early entry, however headed to the right side of the course thereafter to pick up some speed and claim a slender lead. By the top mark, Sir Ben Ainslie and his crew rounded with a 25-second advantage – powering downwind at speeds touching 40 knots – and then covered the Swiss cleverly to keep a healthy lead. At the final leeward mark, INEOS Britannia turned with a gap of 39 seconds back to Alinghi Red Bull Racing who tried every trick in the book to get back on terms nevertheless the British boat won by one minute and 10 seconds to secure their place in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final and eliminate the Swiss.

Group 2 standing: INEOS Britannia beat Alinghi Red Bull Racing 5-2 in best-of-nine series

Race 14: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs NYYC American Magic

Skipper Tom Slingsby ensured NYYC American Magic started strongly, but Luna Rossa eked out a small advantage when the boats came together only for the Americans to regain the lead on a starboard gybe. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli soon got the upper hand again in a pressure patch out right, then NYYC American Magic went left to surge into a lead of their own. The boats then came together to create the decisive moment of the race as the Italians incurred a component failure on the mainsail traveller system that forced them to retire. NYYC American Magic duly completed the course to score the crucial win and take their Cup tilt to Thursday.

Group 1 standing: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli leads NYYC American Magic 4-3 in best-of-nine series

Skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis for Alinghi Red Bull Racing said: “We started to sail the boat pretty well yesterday and today, but it was too late. It’s been a privilege to be here and to be part of this competition. Massive thanks to all the guys, to all the shore team, boat builders, the designers, the supporters, to the partners, and particularly the team principals for giving us the opportunity to do this. The boat performed well, but we missed some opportunities on the sailing side.”

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Barcelona, 16 September 2024: DAY 3 – Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals

The third day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals saw Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic looking to keep their America’s Cup chances alive with respective race wins. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome.

Race 9: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs INEOS Britannia

Alinghi Red Bull Racing entered their win-or-go-home clash with the in-form British crew using their biggest J1 jib to combat light conditions. After the Swiss were called over the line by just four metres to receive a 75 metre get-behind penalty and INEOS Britannia built a lead of one minute and 10 seconds at the first leeward gate, they fought back brilliantly as the Brits fell off their foils. They then faced a race against time to claim the win before the race limit of 45 minutes. Thankfully the wind picked up enough for BoatOne to cross the line first and survive.

Group 2 current standing: INEOS Britannia leads Alinghi Red Bull Racing 4-1 in the best-of-nine series

Race 10: NYYC American Magic vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

The Italians started strongly in the second and final race of the day to eke out an early lead of 17 seconds as they both struggled to make use of the little wind on offer. The American boat, though, headed right on the second upwind to get back into contention as the Italians received a penalty for boat boundary. They incurred another penalty soon after, however kept pace with the Americans who sailed around the outside at the starboard marker to power into a lead which they never gave up. It means NYYC American Magic survives to another competition day too.

Group 1 current standing: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli leads NYYC American Magic 4-1 in the best-of-nine series

Nico Stahlberg, Cyclor for Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “In that race, we were sailing against the clock. We knew there was a time limit. By the end, we weren’t trying to get on the foils anymore. The only focus was getting to the finish line as fast as possible, and there was somehow this feeling of pushing but also waiting because there was not much we could do. It was so hot in the cockpit, like a sauna. I was sweating a lot, but in the end, it paid off, and we were so happy. Crossing the finish line, whether flying or not, a point is a point, and it was really important for us.”

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Barcelona, 15 September 2024: DAY 2 – Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals

The second day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals saw Alinghi Red Bull Racing and NYYC American Magic with a point to prove after both teams lost their opening two races yesterday. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome.

Race 5: NYYC American Magic vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Trailing 2-0 after day one, NYYC American Magic desperately needed a victory and quickly got up to a speed of 47 knots but it was Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli who reached the first leeward gate with a 15-second advantage. With no passing lanes available for the Americans, Luna Rossa continued to press the advantage and extended their lead to 32 seconds. There were no mistakes from the Italians down the final run as they secured victory by 26 seconds to take a 3-0 lead over American Magic.

Race 6: INEOS Britannia vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing

With INEOS Britannia leading 2-0, the question was whether Alinghi Red Bull Racing could mount a fightback. The Swiss team were determined to gain a fast start but after almost colliding with the Brits fell off the foils and Britannia sailed up the course unopposed. At the first leeward mark, the British team led by more than 90 seconds and it proved impossible for Alinghi Red Bull Racing to fight back. INEOS Britannia then cruised to victory by 140 seconds to go 3-0 up in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final.

Race 7: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. NYYC American Magic

Desperate to avoid falling four races behind in a first-to-five series, NYYC American Magic came out fighting and trailed the Italians by just six seconds at the first windward mark. Following some tight racing with both boats tacking in sync, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli reached the final marker with just a three-second advantage. The American team held on to the left boundary and desperately tried to make up ground but ran out of time as Luna Rossa won by just two seconds to move 4-0 up.

Race 8: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs INEOS Britannia

With their backs to the walls, Alinghi Red Bull Racing came out fighting in the final race of the day as they went tack for tack in the opening exchanges. INEOS Britannia was then able to gain control, reaching a speed of 49.6 knots to build up a 21-second lead by the first leeward gate. The Swiss refused to give in and tried everything to get back on level terms but Britannia’s superior speed was clear for all to see as they secured a 48-second victory. Despite trailing 4-0, the Swiss team have shown in the past they can overcome adversity and will start afresh tomorrow as they bid to win all five points available.

Arnaud Psarofaghis, Skipper with Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “To be honest, the British have looked almost untouchable lately, so we really need to find the key to beating them. We know we’re not going to reinvent the wheel tomorrow. We just need to do what we can with what we have, be really proud of what we do, and fight until the end.”

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Barcelona, 14 September 2024: DAY 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals

The first day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals took place under bright sunshine as Alinghi Red Bull Racing looked to make a strong start after excelling during the Round Robin stage. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome.

Race 1: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. NYYC American Magic

A fascinating match-up that was expected to go down to the wire, NYYC American Magic made the first move as they took a 20-second lead at the first leeward mark. A shaky rounding at the third marker allowed Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to come back into the race as they moved to within four seconds of their American rivals. The Italians continued to pile on the pressure and by the fourth marker had established a lead of 22 points. Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni then ensured there were no late mistakes as Luna Rossa claimed victory by seven seconds.

Race 2: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs INEOS Britannia

After handpicking Alinghi Red Bull Racing, it looked as though INEOS Britannia had made the wrong decision as the Swiss chose a brilliant layline to move into an 11-second lead. However, the British team immediately responded, eclectic to take the left side and picking up impressive downwind speed. Alinghi had no answer to Britannia’s speed who led by 42 seconds at the second leeward marker. The British then found even more speed as they moved more than 1,000 metres ahead, eventually securing victory by 125 seconds.

Race 3: NYYC American Magic vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

After a narrow loss in the first race, NYYC American Magic were looking for a fast start and by the first marker had built up a lead of 10 seconds. Disaster then struck as the Americans fell off their foil and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were able to immediately capitalise. The Italians soon built up a 20-second lead but American Magic were refusing to give up. The final downwind leg turned into a gybing battle, pushing the cyclors to the limit, but it was Luna Rossa who held on to claim victory by 18 seconds.

Race 4: INEOS Britannia vs. Alinghi Red Bull Racing

In a huge match-up, disaster struck early for Alinghi Red Bull Racing as they fell off the foils and earned a boundary penalty. This helped INEOS Britannia to move into a commanding lead of some 850 metres by the first marker. The Swiss team refused to lay down but the Brits refused to give up any opportunities, demonstrating huge speed on the downwind runs. Producing an error-free performance when it mattered, INEOS Britannia took the win by 1 minute and 37 seconds to go 2-0 up in the semi-finals.

Maxime Bachelin, Helmsman with Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “I feel frustrated. It’s not the start we want to have in the Semi-Final. Losing the first two races is pretty bad. We just got caught in trouble. Sometimes things don’t go your way. But we need to reset for tomorrow and find the best way to get the boat up to speed. It’s not over yet. There are still a lot of points up for grabs before the final, so we’ll push for that.”

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Barcelona, 13 September 2024: Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals Line-Up

Alinghi Red Bull Racing finally found out their opponent on Friday for the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals when Sir Ben Ainslie confirmed that INEOS Britannia had picked them in the first-to-five series.

After topping the standings at the end of the Round Robin series, the Brits also selected starboard entry in their first encounter against the Swiss and chose the second start of the day.

Italian boat Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – the surprise runners-up in the overall standings – will take on NYYC American Magic as the four remaining challenger boats target a place in the Final.

Racing starts on Saturday September 14 through to September 16 before the first planned Reserve Day on September 17 with two races planned for each semi-final per day. The schedule allows for racing to run through to Thursday September 19, plus there are a further four Reserve Days, if required, spanning Friday September 20 to Monday September 23.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis revealed: “I am quite pleased, actually, to race against INEOS Britannia. They showed great performance in the Round Robin, and if we want to win this thing then I think we need to learn from the best – and I think that they are the best team to get us ready to get through the semi-final and the final. I think I would have picked Ben as well.”

Meanwhile Ainslie explained: “It’s not a decision that we take lightly, with the whole team getting involved – the data analysts looking at the performance of different teams, we’re looking at the weather forecasts with the meteorologists, and even things like the unfortunate situation with Paul Goodison, who is a good mate of mine, so all of these sorts of things go into a decision.”

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Barcelona, 9 September 2024: DAY 8 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 8 of the Louis Vuitton Cup saw Alinghi Red Bull Racing in action on the final day of the round-robin stage as they looked to progress to the next round of the competition under sunny skies.

Race 28: Orient Express Racing Team vs INEOS Britannia

The French needed to win the first race on Monday to have any chance of progressing to the semi-final stage and soon went behind to the British boat. Ben Ainslie rounded the top port marker with a 25-second lead, then extended the gap further at the second windward mark under just eight knots of breeze to one minute and 24 seconds. Orient Express tried one last move down the right side of the course, however lost by one minute and 11 seconds to confirm their exit from the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Race 29: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Alinghi Red Bull Racing could afford to relax a little ahead of the second race of the day knowing their place in the next stage of the Louis Vuitton Cup was confirmed by Orient Express’s exit. With the countdown clock ticking down, the Italian boat sailed off course to go far beyond the boundary and were consequently disqualified with Alinghi Red Bull Racing awarded the win to finish the round-robin format on three points.

Race 30: Emirates Team New Zealand vs NYYC American Magic

Emirates Team New Zealand’s final race before their Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup defence saw them benefit early from the Americans falling off the foils into displacement and a further boundary penalty. They hit back, though, to cut the Kiwi lead to seven seconds at the first windward mark with the defending champions extending that to 31 seconds by the leeward mark. NYYC American Magic then succumbed to displacement mid-way up the final beat to lose by two minutes and 37 seconds.

Race 31: Sail-Off – INEOS Britannia vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

The sail-off to see who could bank the top challenger spot in the round-robin stage saw Ainslie nail the windward and pull clear to reach the top mark with an 18-second lead. With the Italians struggling for form following their earlier disqualification, INEOS Britannia picked the shifts and pressure beautifully to build a 33-second lead with just three legs left to run. They extended that to 42 seconds by the finish to secure top spot in the challenger standings, so they can now control their own destiny.

The semi-final stage sees the remaining challenger boats split into two groups with Alinghi Red Bull Racing in action from September 14-19 to see who makes the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup from September 26 to October 7. Defending champion Emirates Team New Zealand will now not race again until October 12 in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match.

Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 8, the standings are as follows:

1) Emirates Team New Zealand – 8 points

2) INEOS Britannia – 7 points

3) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 7 points

4) NYYC American Magic – 4 points

5) Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 3 points

6) Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point ELIMINATED

Silvio Arrivabene, Co-General Manager for Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “The Round Robin was a really big rollercoaster ride, and that’s often the case in match racing regattas, unlike fleet racing. It’s just about getting to the next stage. The Round Robin spanned two weeks, and a lot of things happened, with different wind conditions and all the boats having issues. Today we were ready to fight and were hoping to get a good race with Luna Rossa. But at the end of the day, we’re through, and now we have a couple of days to rest on the one hand, and on the other, we can study, gather all the input, and then come back ready for the Semi-Finals.”

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Barcelona, 7 September 2024: DAY 7 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 7 of the Louis Vuitton Cup saw perfect conditions arrive just in time for a crucial day for teams fighting for survival and those seeking a place in the semi-finals. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome and the current standings.

Race 22: NYYC American Magic vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

For the first time in seven days, the opening race of the day saw ideal conditions for racing and it was NYYC American Magic who moved into an early lead. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli quickly responded and there was plenty of close racing as the boats crossed tacks upwind. The slick Italians then built a sizeable advantage by the fourth marker and refused to give up the advantage as they eased away to a 22-second victory.

Race 23: INEOS Britannia vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing

In one of the day’s crucial matches, Alinghi Red Bull Racing were seeking a third successive victory but struggled to match the speed of INEOS Britannia in the early stages. The British team hit speeds of 43 knots downwind and by the fourth mark had built up a substantial 39-second advantage. The Swiss tried their best to battle back as they skidded around the starboard marker and went straight into a tack but INEOS Britannia made zero mistakes as they cruised to a 53-second victory.

Race 26: NYYC American Magic vs Orient Express Racing Team

After their opening loss against Luna Rossa, NYYC American Magic were in need of a point-scoring result and got the perfect start as they crossed the first leeward gate with a significant advantage. Orient Express Racing Team looked to be gaining up the second beat but the Americans pressed their advantage and were able to build up massive speed when it mattered to secure victory by 15 seconds. That win ensured that NYYC American Magic will be in the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Race 27: Emirates Team New Zealand vs Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Following a defeat to the British, Alinghi Red Bull Racing were hoping to lay down a marker against the defending America’s Cup champions. However, it was Emirates Team New Zealand who recovered from a poor start to take control of the race and lead by seven seconds at the first marker. The Swiss attempted to move back into contention but some great sailing from the Kiwis on the final upwind saw them stand up to the pressure and secure a 38-second victory.

Race 25: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs INEOS Britannia

After a dominant win earlier in the day, INEOS Britannia once again got off to the perfect start and by the third marker had built up a substantial lead of 22 seconds. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli simply had no answers as Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher superbly guided the British team around the final gate to inflict a first defeat by a Challenger on the Italians.

Tomorrow we will find out who else will reach the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Orient Express Racing Team must beat INEOS Britannia to draw level with Alinghi Red Bull Racing, while the Swiss will guarantee their spot if they beat Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. If the two teams are tied on points then they will compete in a race-off.

Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 7, the standings are as follows:

1) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 7 points

2) Emirates Team New Zealand – 7 points

3) INEOS Britannia – 6 points

4) NYYC American Magic – 4 points

5) Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 2 points

6) Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point

Barnabé Delarze, Cyclor with Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “Tomorrow is going to be a big day. We’ll try to control what we can control, and for everything else, there’s no point getting nervous about it. For our race, we just have to do our best and try to take it by the horns.”

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Barcelona, 5 September 2024: DAY 6 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 6 of the Louis Vuitton Cup saw Alinghi Red Bull Racing coming off a morale-boosting win against the French, on Tuesday, with the Swiss team approaching its second Louis Vuitton Cup match opposite NYYC American Magic determined to keep up the pressure.

Race 18: NYYC American Magic vs INEOS Britannia

With weather conditions far better than Wednesday, NYYC American Magic emerged with a 20-second lead at the first gate as both teams favoured the right side of the course looking upwind. At the second windward mark, INEOS Britannia completed a sublime port tack layline, and cut the deficit to just 16 seconds. However, a poor gybe in the middle of the course allowed the Americans to cross on the starboard layline, and sail across the finish line from Ben Ainslie’s crew 13 seconds ahead.

Race 19: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs Orient Express Racing Team

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli took an early lead thanks to a boundary penalty at the start, and extended this lead to 27 seconds by the second beat to windward. The French team couldn’t respond, and Luna Rossa, in top form, rounded the second leeward gate with a 40-second delta. They kept the pressure on the left boundary, ultimately winning by a comfortable one minute and two seconds.

Race 21: INEOS Britannia vs Emirates Team New Zealand

The Kiwis held the windward station early, building a 24-second lead by the first gate. The British team had a strong run, rounding the leeward gate just 15 seconds behind. However, their joy was short-lived, as Emirates Team New Zealand, guided by Pete Burling and Nathan Outteridge, shifted into a higher gear during the final run. By the finish, they had extended their lead to over two minutes, securing a dominant victory.

Race 20: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs NYYC American Magic

After recording their first round-robin point on Tuesday, the Swiss team gained an early advantage when the Americans incurred a 75-meter entry penalty for entering the box before their scheduled two-minute mark. The Swiss then executed a port tack cross right on the layline to the windward gate, rounding with a 10-second lead. By the second gate, they had extended their advantage to 23 seconds.

Excellent sailing from Arnaud Psarofaghis and Maxime Bachelin kept them superbly on the foils, allowing them to round the final windward mark with a substantial lead. The Americans managed to reduce the gap to 38 seconds by the finish, but the Swiss still secured another crucial victory point.

Race 24: Orient Express Racing Team vs Emirates Team New Zealand

Orient Express gave Emirates Team New Zealand an uncontested start, allowing the Kiwis to build an early 700-meter lead. However, the French team stormed back into the lead in just five knots of wind. Unfortunately for them, a final gybe into the first leeward mark saw them fall into displacement. Emirates Team New Zealand capitalised on this, extending their lead to secure a massive victory and wrap up the day’s action.

Saturday’s next competition day sees another five races with Alinghi Red Bull Racing facing INEOS Britannia and then Emirates Team New Zealand off the Spanish coast, as the round-robin stage nears its conclusion.

Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 6, the standings are as follows:

1) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 6 points

2) Emirates Team New Zealand – 6 points

3) INEOS Britannia – 4 points

4) NYYC American Magic – 3 points

5) Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 2 points

6) Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point

Maxime Bachelin, Helmsman Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “Today we really had to play against the Americans in the early legs, because we were quite close right after the start. There were a lot of tacks, and we were demanding a lot from the Power Group. But they kept smashing it, they loved it. They told us on the comms, ‘Go for it, guys, keep tacking, we’re good.’ So it was a really great effort from them. By the end, when we felt comfortable with enough distance, we just played it safe – no crazy manoeuvres, avoiding too many tacks. I think that’s just our way. We don’t need to win by 500 metres; we can win with 10 metres, it’s enough.”

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Barcelona, 3 September 2024: DAY 5 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 5 of the Louis Vuitton Cup was set up to be a crucial one for Alinghi Red Bull Racing as they looked to avoid elimination at the end of the two round-robin stages. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome and the current standings.

Race 16: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs Orient Express Racing Team

The first race on Tuesday saw a battle between the two crews, who had struggled the most in last week’s first round-robin action. With unstable conditions out on the water, the Swiss crew kept their nerve superbly to take the race to the French team and pull away for their first point thus far.

Seconds before the start, Swiss supporters held their breath as BoatOne came off its foils, however, a quick recovery saw the Swiss race across the line first. A French mistake on the first leg – when they lost the rudder completely on the exit of a tack – left Maxime Bachelin behind at the top mark as their opponents hit an impressive 43 knots on the bear-away to sustain a healthy lead.

The Swiss team then kept it together in shifting conditions to win by a comfortable one minute and 10 seconds. Now, with a point on the board, it puts the Swiss team back in the game for the Semi-Finals.

Race 17: Emirates Team New Zealand (Port Entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

The second race of the day saw the high-scoring heavyweights of the Louis Vuitton Cup duel it out as an aggressive start by the Italians saw the Kiwis fall off their foils to hand a massive advantage to their opponents. Emirates Team New Zealand, though, responded brilliantly as a big broach from Luna Rossa on an exit to a tack allowed them to close down to just 16 seconds at the first windward mark.

At the second windward mark, Luna Rossa played the shifts well in the final quarter, extending the lead to 23 seconds. They slapped a tight cover on the Kiwis, rounding the final windward mark 59 seconds ahead. By this time, the wind had dropped to just eight knots. When a significant lightning strike was seen just a few hundred metres down the racecourse, Emirates Team New Zealand wisely sailed outside the boundary immediately. As a result, the Race Committee disqualified them, handing the race win to the Italians.

Due to the incoming rain, thunder and lightning that hampered the later racing, there was no further action on Tuesday and there could be more changes to the match schedule ahead of Wednesday’s racing.

Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 5, the standings are as follows:

1) Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 5 points

2) Emirates Team New Zealand – 4 points

3) INEOS Britannia – 4 points

4) NYYC American Magic – 2 points

5) Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 1 point

6) Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point

Arnaud Psarofaghis, Skipper Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “From the beginning, we really focused on our own race because the conditions were so tricky. On a day like today, you can easily put yourself in a really bad spot and end up with no breeze compared to the other boat, so you need to stay focused until the end. When you’re at the bottom, you can only go up. Right now we’re going in the right direction. Tomorrow we’ll go out there with the same energy that we had this morning, go for every point, and we’ll see what happens at the end of the week.”

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Barcelona, 1 September 2024: DAY 4 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 4 of the Louis Vuitton Cup saw perfect conditions for racing as the first of the two round robin stages came to a close. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome and the current standings.

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

There was a solid breeze as the first race of the day got underway. However, it wasn’t long before there was an issue for Alinghi Red Bull Racing and they were forced back into the Port Vell. The Swiss team managed to repair their mast but fell foul of the boundary requirement on their return to the course and were ultimately disqualified.

Race 13: INEOS Britannia vs Orient Express Racing Team

This was expected to be a close battle between two evenly matched sides and that was exactly how it panned out. The lead changed on numerous occasions but ultimately it was a fired-up INEOS Britannia who recovered from two penalties to snatch victory and leave Orient Express Racing Team with just one point from five races.

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

In their second race of the day, Alinghi Red Bull Racing were desperate to secure their first point of the round robin stage. The Swiss team grabbed an early lead but by the end of the first leg Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had taken control. The Italians never looked like letting their lead slip away and eventually secured victory, finishing 26 seconds ahead of Alinghi.

Race 15: NYYC American Magic vs Emirates Team New Zealand

The final race of the day was a classic as two teams with something to prove commenced battle. There were plenty of lead changes as the teams tried to gain the upper hand with some pin-point execution. However, it was Emirates Team New Zealand who came up with some masterful positioning on the second downwind leg to overtake NYYC American Magic and secure a served victory.

There will be no racing on Monday, with most teams electing to take a maintenance day before the second round robin gets underway on Tuesday with what could be a crucial first race between Orient Express Racing Team and Alinghi Red Bull Racing.

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Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 4, the standings are as follows:

Emirates Team New Zealand – 4 points
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 4 points
INEOS Britannia – 4 points
NYYC American Magic – 2 points
Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point
Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 0 points

Silvio Arrivabene, Co-General Manager of Alinghi Red Bull Racing: “Today we got our ducks in a row, and we had a good start against probably the strongest team, and certainly the strongest match racers in the fleet at the moment. We were able to stay in the game during the race, so I’m really proud of the guys, and it’s a way of breaking free from these past three days which have been difficult. The mission in this regatta is just to beat whoever you need to beat to get through to the next stage. And that’s completely open, and we’re going to be extremely focused on achieving that come Tuesday morning.”

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Barcelona, 31 August 2024: DAY 3 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 3 of the Louis Vuitton Cup was all about low-speed foiling as light winds ensured that patience was the order of the day. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome and the current standings.

Race 7: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs NYYC American Magic

Two evenly matched teams got proceedings underway on Saturday and it was NYYC American Magic who moved into an early lead. However, a poor tack on the opening upwind leg by the American presented an opportunity for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli who powered ahead and secured the victory.

Race 8: Emirates Team NZ vs Orient Express

Having successfully repaired their boat, Emirates Team NZ ended up racing unopposed against the French after Orient Express were forced to retire before the start due to mainsail issues.

Race 9: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs INEOS Britannia

Alinghi Red Bull Racing were looking to bounce back after their defeat yesterday but found the early going tough and were trailing by two and a half minutes by gate four. The Swiss team closed to within 400m towards the end of the race as INEOS Britannia struggled to stay foiling but the British team hung on to claim victory.

Race 10: Orient Express vs American Magic

With very light winds, both teams started under a tow to get foiling and it was American Magic who moved into a substantial lead by the end of gate one. Orient Express threatened a fightback before falling off the foil and never recovering. American Magic went on to claim victory by 2750m, with their French rivals unable to finish.

Race 11: INEOS Britannia vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Following a 15-minute delay as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli changed their jib, the Italian outfit made a fast start and by the end of gate one had established a lead of one minute 21 seconds. INEOS Britannia then fell off the foil as they moved toward the second gate and were unable to get back up to speed, with Luna Rossa Magic claiming their second win of the day.

Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 3, the standings are as follows:

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 3 points
INEOS Britannia – 2 points
Emirates Team New Zealand – 2 points
NYYC American Magic – 2 points
Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point
Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 0 points

Augustin Maillefer, Cyclor on Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI): “Emotionally, during the race, you’re just focused. You don’t have time to think too negatively. You know it’s not the situation you want to be in, but directly, what can you do? You do everything you can until the end, and we saw on the final leg that actually it could have paid off. You have to stay as a team, working together, because if you don’t, it makes nothing work.”

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Barcelona, 30 August 2024: DAY 2 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 2 of the Louis Vuitton Cup did not go to plan as just one full race was completed before the wind dropped below the required 6.5knots and the rest of the day’s action was cancelled. Below is a breakdown of what happened on Friday.

Race 5: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs. NYYC American Magic

In light airs, both teams spent a significant portion of the race off their foils, waiting for the wind to pick up. With conditions failing to improve the race committee eventually called for the finish at the end of leg four, by which point NYYC American Magic had built up a significant lead and scored their first win of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Alinghi Red Bull Racing picked up some new breeze at the top of the course and held it down the final leg, sailing brilliantly but losing by two minutes and 58 seconds.

Race 6: Emirates Team New Zealand vs. INEOS Britannia

After a long delay waiting for sufficient wind, INEOS Britannia crossed the start line alone and were immediately awarded the win. That was because Emirates Team New Zealand were ashore fixing their damaged boat.

Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 2 the standings are as follows:

INEOS Britannia – 2 points
Emirates Team New Zealand – 1 point
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 1 point
Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point
NYYC American Magic – 1 point
Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 0 points

QUOTES

Nils Theuninck, Cyclor on Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI): “I would say the learning from today is to stay out of the gas of the other boats in these light winds. It’s been hard to train for that in the last two years because we’ve been training alone. Today’s race was all about staying on the foils – or getting back flying again – so we had to ensure the Driving Group always had enough power to trim the sails as they wanted. It was a really strong effort from the cyclors in today’s race, and we had plenty of power in the tank, but obviously a disappointing result. There’s still a lot of racing ahead of us, so let’s make every race count.”

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Barcelona, 29 August 2024: DAY 1 – Louis Vuitton Cup

Day 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup delivered exhilarating races, keenly observed by His Majesty King Felipe VI of Spain. Below is a detailed breakdown of each race outcome and the current standings.

Race 1: Alinghi Red Bull Racing vs. Orient Express Racing Team

Alinghi Red Bull Racing faced a strong challenge from the French Orient Express Racing Team. After a delayed start due to unstable wind conditions, the French team took an early lead and maintained their dominance throughout the race, securing a win. Alinghi Red Bull Racing, despite their efforts, was unable to close the gap and will now focus on their next race against NYYC American Magic.

Race 2: Emirates Team New Zealand vs. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

In this highly anticipated rematch of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta Final, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli initially gained the upper hand. However, Emirates Team New Zealand executed brilliant tactical maneuvers, taking the lead and securing a victory they never relinquished.

Race 3: INEOS Britannia vs. NYYC American Magic

The third race saw INEOS Britannia pitted against NYYC American Magic. The American team encountered early difficulties, falling off their foils before the race began, which handed the British team a clear advantage. Despite a strong recovery effort by NYYC American Magic, INEOS Britannia secured a win by a narrow margin of 14 seconds.

Race 4: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. Orient Express Racing Team

The final race of the day featured Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli against the determined Orient Express Racing Team. The Italians leveraged smart match-racing tactics on the opening windward leg and employed a high mode off the start line to gain a slim but crucial lead. Despite intense pressure from the French team throughout the six-leg course, Luna Rossa held their advantage to secure the victory, showcasing their prowess and strategic acumen.

Current Standings

At the conclusion of Day 1, the standings are as follows:

Emirates Team New Zealand – 1 point
INEOS Britannia – 1 point
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – 1 point
Orient Express Racing Team – 1 point
Alinghi Red Bull Racing – 0 points
NYYC American Magic – 0 points

QUOTES

Nicolas Rolaz, Trimmer on Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI): “In this breeze, when you fall behind, it’s hard to catch up, the boat needs a lot of adjustments, and we also need to keep our eyes out to look for the best pressure and best wind. Obviously, our strategy wasn’t the best today. We believed the right side was pretty strong, and our forecast supported that. In the end, we got smashed by the left. The guys we’re up against also know how to read the wind and how to defend, so it was almost over from the beginning. We had a good catch-up in the downwind, but it wasn’t enough. It can sometimes be hard to accept, but that’s sailing. We know it can happen.”

Augustin Maillefer, Cyclor on Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI): “On a day like today, you have no time to pause onboard because straight lines aren’t really straight lines – you’re always having to adjust to the wind. So, for the cyclors, it was really hot today, with a constant feeling like you have to push harder to catch up. We were chasing the French, and of course, we wanted it the other way around. For the next days, everyone will focus on their task and we’ll show what we can do as individuals and as a team.”

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Barcelona, 25 August 2024: DAY 4 – Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta

On the fourth and final day of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona, Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s final race against the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli squad was also their most action-packed.

Barcelona lived up to its reputation for changeable conditions and on a shifty course marked by large swells and easterly winds. The neck-and-neck match race saw the Swiss boat come out strong to take an early lead off the start line, with an OCS penalty given to the Italians. However, after Alinghi Red Bull Racing came off their foils midway through the second leg, Italy managed to close the gap and went on to win the race.

Later in the day, the final winner-takes-all match saw Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to be crowned winner of the preliminary regatta. Alinghi Red Bull Racing closed out the event in fifth place overall.

Crews will now have a three-day break from competition before the next event, the Louis Vuitton Cup, begins on Thursday, August 29.

QUOTES

Silvio Arrivabene, Co-General Manager: “Today the guys executed the start plan well. They managed to put some pressure on the other boat, forcing them to go early, so some good match racing. Now obviously we need to address what happened in the second leg, when we had an issue in the gybe. But apart from that, I think we showed that we were in the race, we were leading it, and we stayed close to the leaders afterwards. So it’s a pretty good way to finish the week really.

“The focus during this regatta has been on practising race scenarios, not just straight-line speed when you’re alone on the water, but next to another boat, fighting for one side of the course, defending that side, and so on. There is only so much you can do in isolation. Racing is what truly helps you grow in this sport, so this preliminary regatta has been extremely valuable as it’s the only short window before the actual race next week to assess where we stand.”

Watch all the action from Day 4 of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta on Red Bull TV HERE

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Barcelona, 24 August 2024: DAY 3 – Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta

On the third day of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona, Alinghi Red Bull Racing were in action during two races, but were unable to register wins. Match 1 against INEOS Britannia saw an extremely close start, leading to an intense drag race between the Swiss and British teams on the first leg. The British boat rounded the top mark slightly ahead and despite Alinghi Red Bull Racing fighting hard, managed to maintain their lead until the finish to take the win.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing were in action again just 80 minutes later against Emirates Team New Zealand. After the teams split off early, the Kiwis were just ahead for the first crossing, forcing Alinghi Red Bull Racing to tack away for clean air, and when the wind dropping to 7 knots, the unbeaten New Zealand boat broke away and sailed to a comfortable win.

Elsewhere in today’s regatta,France’s Orient Express Racing Team scored a win over NYYC American Magic when the American boat was forced to retire with a technical problem, while INEOS Britannia were defeated by Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli drink their second race of the day.

Ahead of the Preliminary Regatta’s final day, Alinghi Red Bull Racing now has one win and three defeats to leave them fifth in the overnight standings. Tomorrow they face Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in their final match, followed by the Grand Final race between the top two ranked teams.

QUOTES

Arnaud Psarofaghis, Skipper: “Against both teams we knew more or less their game plans and we could adjust our pre-start sequence accordingly. The wind was a bit up and down, which made for some interesting choices. After the start line in the first race, when we slowed down and pushed the British back to the left, we should have probably been more aggressive and attacked back to put more pressure on them. When they came back, they gained a small advantage on the left, and we ended up bow to bow, unable to defend. From there, the race was more about trying to chase them. But it will be very interesting for us to review it later.”

The race against Team New Zealand, particularly the pre-start, went pretty well. We executed the plan we wanted and got the start on the side we aimed for. We could have come out a little faster, but I think it’s a matter of adjusting small details. They did a good job of pushing us into one corner. After that, they made a little gain on the right just after the start, and although we managed to come back a bit on the upwind, they chipped away at us on the first downwind, making our life a bit harder.”

Watch all the action from Day 3 of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta on Red Bull TV HERE

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Barcelona, 23 August 2024: DAY 2 – Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta

On the second day of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta in Barcelona, Alinghi Red Bull Racing faced a tough challenge against NYYC American Magic. In what was a very cleanly sailed match on both sides, the Swiss Challenger for the 37th America’s Cup narrowly missed out, as the American team maintained an early lead to secure the win.

Today marked the first head-to-head between the Swiss and American teams in their AC75s for the 37th America’s Cup. After a slightly delayed start, Alinghi Red Bull Racing found themselves on the back foot, desperately seeking opportunities to overtake NYYC American Magic. Despite both boats executing a near-flawless race, the Americans capitalized on their early advantage, controlling the course and ultimately crossing the finish line almost a minute ahead.

This result leaves Alinghi Red Bull Racing with one win and one loss in the regatta. Looking ahead, the Swiss team faces a challenging double race day tomorrow, first against Challenger of Record INEOS Britannia, followed by a match with the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.

QUOTES

Nicolas Rolaz, Trimmer, reflected on the race: “We know that in these conditions, there aren’t many passing lanes, and we had to nail the start. Unfortunately, we didn’t sail that well in the pre-start, which made our race pretty hard. We got caught pretty high in the box and then went for the push a bit late. They managed to close the committee door, so we didn’t get the perfect slingshot. They pulled off a better start than us and forced us to tack. At that point, the race was already almost over.”

Rolaz continued – “Tomorrow we’ll be a bit more aggressive in our pre-starts and try to change the little details that made us struggle today. And we won’t forget that it’s a training regatta. We still have a lot of potential to unlock in the boat, and we’ll be even faster tomorrow.”

Watch all the action from Day 2 of the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta on Red Bull TV HERE

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Barcelona, 22 August 2024: DAY 1 – Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta

Alinghi Red Bull Racing marked the start of the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta with a victory over the French Orient Express Racing Team in the first match race of the event. While the Swiss Challenger had a solid start on Day 1, the team remains focused on keeping the momentum through the next weeks of competition.

After a week filled with challenges, including a rig failure just two days prior, Alinghi Red Bull Racing showed their mettle on Day 1. The Swiss Challenger had a strong start, with BoatOne leading the charge as they crossed the line at over 45 knots. Throughout the race, the team maintained their lead through clear communication and flawlessly executed maneuvers, leaving no room for error. The French Orient Express Racing Team trailed by 13 seconds for much of the race, but Alinghi Red Bull Racing extended their advantage in the final leg, crossing the finish line 36 seconds ahead.

With this win, Alinghi Red Bull Racing has set the tone for the rest of the regatta, though the team remains focused on keeping up the momentum in the weeks to come. Tomorrow, they will compete in the first match race of the day against NYYC American Magic.

QUOTES

Bryan Mettraux, Trimmer/controller: “The goal is to treat a day like this as if it’s just another training day. It’s the best way to keep doing things as we did in the past. It was a really beautiful day on the water, with really nice conditions. We’re still improving our way of sailing the boat, continuing to understand how it works, and we had a great match against the French. We know that there are a lot of people working hard to give us the chance to sail these boats, and it’s great to see them all here when we dock out. The energy and the atmosphere was amazing.”

Théry Schir, Cyclor: “Today was my first competition since last racing in Tokyo. I’m really happy with the result today, because it’s the first official race we’ve done, and it’s the first win. It felt amazing to be on the start line and feel the pressure again. We still have a long way to go, so we have to stay calm, but it’s a positive thing to go into tomorrow with the mindset of knowing we’re able to do it. We are so pumped for what’s to come!”

Rodney Ardern, Sailing Team Manager: “The guys identified that they had the start under control, and then executed their pre-race plan pretty well. They sailed the boat fast with good communication around the course and managed to extend their lead, so it was a good day.”

“I think everyone’s happy to get off on the right foot. We’ve got to meet all these challengers a few more times, so it’s early days, of course, but we got a little bit of a gauge. We can see that we make mistakes, and everyone else is making mistakes, so we need to minimise those.”