Spy Trophy – Day 21: Louis Vuitton Trophy – Britannia becomes Challenger for the first time in 60 years By Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 4 Oct 18:29 UTC INEOS Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – Louis Vuitton Trophy – Final – Race Day 7 – Oct December 4, 2024 © Ian Roman / America’s Cup
Louis Vuitton Cup Finals – Day 7 or Day 21 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenge Picks Series.
The Royal Yacht Squadron took another step towards winning the America’s Cup, by racing comprehensively in Race 11 of the Louis Vuitton Cup to take the Challenger Selection Series by a margin of 7 points to 4 points.
The fate of the Italian competitor representing Circolo della Vela Sicilia was sealed when he lost two races on Thursday. The British mission was to win one of the remaining three races, which they achieved at their first opportunity.
Today’s race was like all the other races that ended in the final – there was no change in the score after the two would-be contenders rounded the 1 mark. Often, there were only a few seconds to round the decisive mark – although the two AC75s They often circled around opposite gates and then took off on opposite sides of the often eight-legged track.
Friday’s forecast was for lighter breezes of 12 to 15 knots that prevailed for most of the race. This sparked some debate within the teams about the correct choice of jib, with the Italians opting for a larger sail than the British.
INEOS Britannia opted for some unusual tactics before the start, practicing into the wind and sailing in a circle around the right-hand start mark in an attempt to control the start. However, they broke that, made a quick move to the starboard start mark, sailed a perfectly timed final reach down the start line, crossed by gunfire, and reached 40 knots with Luna Rossa to windward and aft sailing at 35 knots. Slowly, as the Italians picked up speed, they fell onto the exhaust; They were forced to turn away and onto the right (right) side of the track. The British duly covered the lead over 60 meters and began doing business.
At mark 1, the British were 10 seconds ahead, rounding the right gate, coming from the right side of the track and actually making a precise 270 degree turn around the mark, while the Italians, approaching from the same side from 150 meters back, cruised around the opposite mark at 50 knots, Go on the left side of the track. But it was not enough, and at the next intersection and for most of the race, the margin was around 200-300 metres.
Italian hearts began to flutter on Leg 5 when the two boats split after Luna Rossa chose to turn 270 degrees around the starboard gate and went to the starboard side.
It was necessary to clarify what the British were thinking, but it was time for the Italians to take some risks, and they did. When they first closed the tracks, they had made some progress towards the British lead, but when they converged again, there was less than a boat’s length to go.
There was no significant difference in wind strength, with the breeze being a steady 15 knots and a direction of 206°-208°. The two AC75s rounded the same right-hand gate at mark 5, but the margin had dropped to just 4 seconds or 22 metres, and it looked as if for the first time in 11 races, there might be a mid-race lead change.
But that was not to be the case as the Italians continued their steady lead with a lead of less than 10 seconds for the next two marks and extending it to 17 seconds or 300 meters at the finish.
For the Britons, victory in the final was a monkey’s away, and the nation that presented what later became the America’s Cup had its first chance in 60 years to win it again.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s departure from the Louis Vuitton Cup marked the end of 24 years and eight season starts for their captain Jimmy Spithill. The Australian has sailed to his native Italy and the United States, winning the 2010 and 2013 America’s Cups.
Final – Match 11: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start: 12:15 UTC
Mark 1:03m31s GBR led ITA by 10 seconds
Mark 2: 06 minutes 29 seconds GBR led ITA by 09 seconds
Mark 3: 10 minutes 21 seconds GBR led ITA by 11 seconds and closed Luna Rossa on the tempo – close to lead change
Mark 4: 13 minutes 20 seconds GBR led ITA by 7 seconds
Mark 5: 17 minutes 23 seconds GBR led ITA by 4 seconds
Mark’s 6:20m 16s led GBR ITA by 8 seconds
Mark 7: 24 minutes 05 seconds GBR led ITA by 9 seconds
Mark 8: 26 minutes 46 seconds GBR led ITA by 17 seconds
Friday, October 4, 2024: Race Schedule – Finals, Games 11 and 12:
Final – Match 11: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox Entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start: 1215 hours UTC – Match 12: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Port Startbox Entry) ) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start: 1315 UTC
Virtual eye
After the race, you can replay the highlights, or the entire race using ARL’s Virtual Eye by clicking here, clicking ‘Watch Previous’ and then selecting the race you would like to watch. This viewer is 3D so you can zoom in, out, turn, up and down just like you would in a helicopter.
Course website:
Weather forecast:
America’s Cup Weather Partner PredictWind has introduced a dedicated race weather hub that gives fans access to detailed daily weather breakdowns, live webcams and historical weather data for daily weather breakdowns written by meteorologists.
Friday, October 4, 2024: Race Schedule – Finals, Games 11 and 12:
Final – Match 11: INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Port Startbox Entry) vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Starboard Startbox Entry) Start: 1215 hours UTC – Match 12: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) (Port Startbox Entry) ) vs INEOS Britannia (GBR) (Starboard Startbox entry) Start: 1315 UTC
Current predictions for the race today 21:
Friday, October 4, 2024
In the morning, the sea winds blow from the northwest. By midday the winds will die down and you will struggle to build from the south as usual. In the afternoon, we expect light and variable winds, reaching speeds of up to 5 knots.
It will be a sunny day but with cooler temperatures reaching 21°C; Which is not suitable for the development of thermal winds.
Saturday 5 PM, southwesterly winds are expected at 6 to 8 knots, slightly stronger than the previous day. Clear skies with rising temperatures.
Written by Arnaud Monges, former meteorologist for the America’s Cup team
Virtual eye
After the race, you can replay key points, or the entire race using ARL’s Virtual Eye. This is the tool that Inside Tack uses to illustrate various points – using the AC75s’ actual tracks.
You can go live to Virtual Eye America’s Cup coverage by clicking here, clicking “Watch Previous” and then selecting the race you want to watch. Virtual Eye is a 3D viewer so you can zoom in, out, pan, up and down just like you would in a helicopter.
Crew lists
