Announcement

**Prince of Whales** · 12-17-2020, 11:26 AM

Her Highness may not be very happy with the Black Slipper.

**Photoboy** · 12-17-2020, 02:46 PM

FCS Dispute Raises ETNZ's Cockles

The foil cant system (FCS) is a one design supplied component designed and developed by ACE for all competitors. It has been used since the inception of this class.

- All teams are responsible for the installation, ongoing maintenance and operating procedures of their own systems.

- All teams are provided with full operating and maintenance instructions and programs to ensure effective and reliable performance.

- For the past few months there is a weekly coordinated call between all teams every Friday in an open and transparent environment to discuss the system and address any developments collectively.

- The maintenance and start up schedule that has been developed is a comprehensive schedule that is shared and in possession of all teams.

- In Emirates Team New Zealand’s experience if all maintenance and start up procedures are followed correctly; the system operates as designed.

- Emirates Team New Zealand has no access system to ensure these procedures are followed by any of the teams.

- In answer to INEOS TEAM UK’s suggestion that they only received a software update at 12pm yesterday.
o This is completely incorrect and inaccurate.
o The last software update was delivered to all teams last Friday following extensive consultation with all teams. Not midday yesterday.

- As far as The Defender is aware INEOS TEAM UK’s Foil Cant System is fully operational.

**Photoboy** · 12-18-2020, 10:40 AM

Day 1 Frustrations For Ineos

Frustrating first day of racing for INEOS TEAM UK in America’s Cup World Series

The first day of racing in Auckland for INEOS TEAM UK in the America’s Cup World Series did not go to the team’s plan with problems in the foil cant system (FCS), a one-design supplied part.

The team was looking forward to the start of racing with a 14-18 knot breeze welcoming the four competing teams on the Hauraki Gulf.

Before racing started, however, the team was forced to delay docking out due to a valve driver board malfunction in the FCS. The team quickly replaced it with a spare supplied system, only for it to overheat ahead of the first race against American Magic. After another set of repairs, made on the water by the engineering team, BRITANNIA made it to the start line with a matter of seconds to the start. The AC75 boat, however, proved difficult to manoeuvre, causing a nosedive.

The second race of the day, against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, saw the FCS battery shut down completely, and INEOS TEAM UK retire from racing.

Speaking once safely ashore Team Principal and Skipper Ben Ainslie said:

“We had issues with the ‘one design’ supplied foil cant system. We tried to race but ultimately the battery failed. We did not have control of the boat all day.

“It’s clear that the teams need to come together and fix this (the FCS). With the amount of time and energy that goes into these campaigns it is certainly frustrating to lose a day’s racing. This could happen to any team, but it would be a lot worse if it happened to someone in the Challenger Series or the Match itself. We all need to come together to resolve this.

“Earlier in the campaign there was a problem with the supplied foil arms and all the design teams worked together to solve that. Let’s hope we can do the same to solve the FCS.

“It was a challenging day, but we will regroup and hopefully have a better day tomorrow.”

INEOS TEAM UK Trimmer and two times America’s Cup winner Joey Newton summarised the day:

“As we all know in sport it does not always go your way. We need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and get back on with it”.

The INEOS TEAM UK team will work through the night to attempt to repair the issue and hope to make it out back out on the water for Day 2 of the America’s Cup World Series tomorrow when the team are scheduled to race twice against the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.

**Photoboy** · 12-18-2020, 12:17 PM

Day 2 Race 5-8: Ineos Still Winless

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli win race 5 against American Magic

Race 5
Start: 1512
Port: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team
Starboard: New York Yacht Club American Magic
Course: 6
Axis: 000
Length: 1.8nm
Current: 0.9 knots at 050
Wind speed 12-15kt
Winner Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli 0:12

© COR36 / Studio Borlenghi
After an unconventional pre-start in which Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) were dealt a penalty for entering the start box early. They managed to clear this with a couple of tacks, but the real drama was to happen just a few minutes up the first leg.

Having kept their noses clean and pulled out the makings of a good lead, American Magic (USA) came close to a capsize during a tack when the windward foil seemed to be slow in being raised out of the water. The incident looked precariously close to a capsize but what wasn’t in doubt was how it had affected their standings in the race as the Challenger of Record took the lead.

At the first windward gate the Italians had maintained a healthy lead but two gybes at the bottom of the downwind leg cost them distance and the Americans were now just 9 seconds behind.

From there, the race remained tight but Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailed a confident and clean race to take the win by 12 seconds. Their first win in a race where both boats have finished.

*******************************

Emirates Team New Zealand win race 6 against INEOS TEAM UK

Start: 1550
Port: Emirates Team New Zealand
Starboard: INEOS TEAM UK
Course: 6
Axis: 001
Length: 1.82nm
Current: 0.8 knots at 050
Wind speed 12-15kt
Winner Emirates Team New Zealand 1:32

There were early signs of some boat on boat action in the pre-start as INEOS TEAM UK (GBR) attempted to pin a penalty on Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) seconds before the start. The move didn’t work, despite a protest by the British team, but it provided a burst of action in the opening stages of this race.

The breeze had shifted to the left forcing both boats to start on port tack and resulting in a drag race up the first part of the beat.

The Kiwis were first out to the righthand boundary and came back at INEOS TEAM UK as they tacked onto starboard. Sir Ben Ainslie matched the tack, well to leeward and with a decent lateral separation between the two there was little in the way of engagement and more in the way of covering tacks. But just as Emirates Team New Zealand were settling into the makings of a healthy lead, drama as the home team came perilously close to hitting the glass fibre 900kg windward mark in a mis-communication between helmsman Peter Burling and tactician Glenn Ashby who was positioned to leeward and talking him into the rounding.

“No lower, no lower, no lower….listen to me…”, shouted Ashby at Burling as he called the windward mark rounding. “…sorry”, came the clipped reply. A near miss that could have been catastrophic.

Meanwhile, INEOS TEAM UK took the lefthand mark and rounded cleanly to trail by 20 sec. By the bottom mark the Kiwis lead had increased to 30 sec.

On the next lap, the drama came when Emirates Team New Zealand fluffed a gybe in their approach to the bottom gate as the rudder appeared to stall. The boat performed a high speed wheelie. Smart thinking by the crew saw the jib eased quickly and the windward foil raised as Burling headed downwind to avoid a capsize. They managed to recover and rounded the mark cleanly, but it had cost them 5 sec shaving their lead from 45 to 40 seconds.

The third and final lap delivered no more in the way of dramas and saw the Kiwis extend their lead to 1:32 by the finish.

********************************

New York Yacht Club American Magic win race 7 against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Start: 1637
Port: New York Yacht Club American Magic
Starboard: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Course: 8
Axis: 001
Length: 1.62nm
Current: 0.6 knots at 051
Winner New York Yacht Club American Magic 0:30

The return match between American Magic (USA) and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) was the third race of the day. The breeze had shifted further to the left and the course had been adjusted to match with four laps. On the entry into the start box, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli came in early and were dealt a penalty. Two starts, two penalties so far, but there was more to come.

Then some classic match racing action as the boats duelled to the righthand side of the start area which saw Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli put a penalty on American Magic. But in the heat of the moment the Italians were unable to accelerate away from the issue and the Americans put a penalty back on Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. To be stopped in the water with your American opponent screeching away means that it doesn’t take long to give the 50m distance that is required to clear a penalty.

As the race settled down, American Magic were leading and headed out towards the left hand side of the course. By the time they reached the windward gate it was clear that they had chosen the better side of the course and rounded 21 seconds ahead of the Italians.

Little had changed in the distance between the two by the first leeward gate with both boats taking the left hand mark, 20 seconds apart. On the water the distance was around 140m. This time American Magic seemed more keen to cover their opponent, matching them tack for tack to protect their lead, with good reason.

At the second windward gate Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had cut the deficit in half to round 10seconds behind. By the bottom of the downwind leg the distance had increased a little to 14 seconds as the Italians performed a perfectly executed starboard mark rounding that rolled into a tack as if they were on rails.

Once again, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had gained upwind to close the gap to just 5 seconds. By the end of the third lap the distance had grown once again to 15 seconds, a pattern was starting to appear with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli faster upwind, American Magic quicker downwind.

A pattern in the tactics was appearing too with another very similar pattern of play on the final upwind leg as American Magic matched Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli tack for tack to protect their lead. And this time, protect it they did as the Americans rounded the windward mark for the final time, 16 seconds ahead.

With the finish line in sight and confidence high, American Magic cruised to victory, stretching their lead to 30 seconds.

***********************

Emirates Team New Zealand win Race 8 against INEOS TEAM UK

Start: 1715
Port: INEOS TEAM UK
Starboard: Emirates Team New Zealand
Course: 6
Axis: 001
Length: 1.85nm
Current: 0.3 knots at 055
Breeze 10-14 kts
Winner Emirates Team New Zealand 1:42

The final race of the day saw the second helping of the day’s sparring between INEOS Team UK (GBR) and Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL). While there was little engagement between the two in the pre-start, Sir Ben Ainslie made a better job of setting up to cross the start line on time and at speed.

Meanwhile, the Kiwis who were already rather deep into the starting box, appeared to stall out in a pre-start gybe. The result was that Emirates Team New Zealand were not going to be able to make the start on time, leaving the door open for INEOS TEAM UK to sail away unhindered up the first beat.

The Brits rounded the left-hand mark of the first windward gate in the lead, but Emirates Team New Zealand had already hauled back a big chunk of the lost distance to round just 12 seconds behind. The Kiwis chose the right-hand mark resulting in a split from their opponents. When they came back together to cross, Emirates Team New Zealand had taken the lead, at least for the time being. The shifty and puffy breeze had favoured the British route down the right hand side of the course and placed them back in the lead at the next cross.

Then, as the third cross approached as the pair came into the bottom gate the lead had now swung back to Emirates Team New Zealand as they rounded the left hand mark, 4 seconds ahead of INEOS TEAM UK who chose the opposite mark.

By the top gate on the second lap, the Kiwis leading margin had increased to 31 seconds, despite INEOS TEAM UK appearing to match Emirates Team New Zealand’s straight line speed. By the bottom, Peter Burling’s team lead was 47 seconds.

With just one lap left, the breeze had dropped a few knots making it more of a struggle for the teams to keep their boats on the foils. Mark roundings became more tricky as their approaches into manoeuvres were adapted with the occasional momentary splashdowns through tacks.

By the final leg the die had been cast and the Kiwis took a win over the British team by 1 min 42 secs. Another win for the home team, but two completed races for Sir Ben Ainslie after some difficult days.

**Photoboy** · 12-19-2020, 12:11 PM

Kiwi's Take The Prada Cup

19th December 2020

EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND WIN THE PRADA ACWS AUCKLAND

As if written into the script, the final race was the one that mattered when it came to who would take the PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland trophy. With Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic on even points, a win against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli would give the Kiwis the point that they needed to take the trophy.

And that’s what happened. Emirates Team New Zealand won the last race by 0:16 seconds over Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and opened the bottle of G.H. Mumm Champagne on the Race Village main stage in front of their fans.

all images © Borlenghi Studio /COR

RACE SUMMARY

RACE 9 – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli beat INEOS TEAM UK

Start: 1620
Port: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Starboard: INEOS TEAM UK
Course: 6
Axis: 016
Length: 1.78nm
Current: 1.3 knots @ 333
Wind 8-12 knots
Winner Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

As the race boats headed out to the course there were questions about how the weather would play out. With a forecast for light breezes and the race area positioned to the leeward of Rangitoto, the concern was that the breeze would prove fickle in the lee of the island.

The pre-start saw both boats enter on time and at speed but there was no tactical engagement between the two.
Instead, as the clock counted down to the start Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) and INEOS TEAM UK (GBR) both chose to line up on starboard for a perfectly timed start.
As the pair headed out to the left hand side of the course Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were to windward and were inching out an advantage over INEOS TEAM UK.
The first tack came from Sir Ben Ainslie’s team, the Italians followed suit to cover them. A few minutes later INEOS TEAM UK tacked back onto starboard, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli followed to maintain their cover and so the pattern continued to the top mark. Each time the Italians squeezed out more distance and rounded the first gate 30 seconds ahead.
After that the race was a one sided affair and as the breeze dropped the British team struggled to stay on the foils.
As Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli rounded the gate at the bottom of the course for their last beat to the shortened race, (finishing at the windward gate on leg 5), they were a full leg ahead of INEOS TEAM UK who remained stuck in the water, unable to fly.

By the finish the Italians who hadn’t experienced any flight problems were almost 2 legs ahead.

RACE 10 – Emirates Team New Zealand beat New York Yacht Club American Magic

Start: 1655
Port: Emirates Team New Zealand
Stbd: New York Yacht Club American Magic
Course: 6
Axis: 017
Length: 1.5nm
Wind 9-10 knots
Winner: Emirates Team New Zealand 1:19

As Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) and American Magic (USA) came into the start box neither seemed keen to engage in a pre-start duel. Indeed, as the clock counted down to the start itself, Emirates Team New Zealand were at the pin end of the line while American Magic were at the committee boat end. Both were at speed and on starboard.

When the pair came back together, after the Kiwis had tacked onto port, the Americans used the starboard tactical advantage that they had to tack in front of Emirates Team New Zealand. Advantage American Magic.
Eventually the Kiwis tacked away, unable and unwilling to live in the dirty air of the Americans, who were able to continue to work the right hand side of the course handing them a slight further advantage but the margin was still slim.
Meanwhile, Emirates Team New Zealand fluffed a tack momentarily and splashed down, slowing them in the process, all of which helped to hand American Magic few more metres.

By the top gate on the first lap, American Magic took the right hand mark to lead Emirates Team New Zealand by 12 seconds.
But by the bottom mark Emirates Team New Zealand had hauled American Magic in to trail by just 3 seconds as they went through the leeward gate.
The big race changing moment was to come at the top of the second beat when the Americans fell off their foils through a tack and parked up just short of the windward gate. The mistake proved costly, handing the lead to the Kiwis who rounded the windward mark 54 seconds ahead.

From there Emirates Team New Zealand cruised to victory sailing the final lap unchallenged to win by 1min 19 seconds.

RACE 11 – New York Yacht Club American Magic beat INEOS TEAM UK

Start: 1735
Port: INEOS TEAM UK
Starboard: New York Yacht Club American Magic
Course: 5
Axis: 016
Length: 1.53nm
Wind 8-15knots
Winner New York Yacht Club American Magic

The problems started for INEOS TEAM UK (GBR) as they were dealt a penalty for an early entry into the start box, a blow that was to have implications later on.
From here there was little real engagement. Instead, there was a hint that New York Yacht Club American Magic were keen to take the match to INEOS TEAM UK as they set up to leeward as the pair crossed the start line on time and at speed.

American Magic got immediately the lead and continued to fly stretching their lead.

At the top of the first beat the Americans were a minute ahead as they passed through gate 1. Through the bottom gate little had changed and the physical distance between the pair was now around 800m.
Up the second beat American Magic slipped over the boundary and were dealt a penalty, they needed to give 50m away, a tiny amount given their lead, but an unforced error nonetheless.
Meanwhile, with the wind gradually dropping Sir Ben Ainslie team were struggling up the beat. By the time they had passed through gate 3 they were 3min 29sec behind.

As the breeze continued to drop even American Magic struggled to recover from a bad tack. But in this race they had a big safety margin and as INEOS TEAM UK went through the penultimate gate they were 5min 48 seconds.

RACE 12 – Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Start: 1815
Port: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Starboard: Emirates Team New Zealand
Course: 6
Axis: 017
Length: 1.5
Current: 0.3 knots @ 325
Wind 6-9 knots
Winner Emirates Team New Zealand 0:16

There was everything to play for in this last race and the show the teams put on didn’t disappoint.

At the start Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli showed their intent by performing a perfect port tack shortly after forcing Emirates Team New Zealand down into an area of the start zone nicknamed ‘coffin corner’ by the sailors. It certainly was for Peter Burling who was forced to follow the Italians lead who were already over 200m ahead.
By the first gate, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were ahead by 32seconds. But the margin was about to grow quickly as Emirates Team New Zealand pinched around the top mark and came off their foils in the process. Struggling to get back up to speed saw the margin grow to 800m.

Shortly afterwards Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli splashed down as well. With both boats off their foils the match was now a race about who could take-off.
Here it was Emirates Team New Zealand who took flight first, doubling their speed over Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, 24 to 12 knots respectively. But the news for the Italians was about to get even worse as the Kiwis stayed with their breeze to sail at 29 knots, while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli struggled to break 15.

Through the bottom gate Emirates Team New Zealand was clearly in the lead. The race had been shortened but there was still another lap to go – every reason for the Italians to keep the pressure on.
Minutes later Emirates Team New Zealand performed a poor tack and fell off their foils, slowed down allowing Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli to haul back up into contention. With just metres between them the race was back on. Staying on the foils would be a crucial factor that was now influencing the teams’ tactics. Locking horns was now secondary to steady flight.

By the last gate rounding there was 18seconds between the pair as Emirates Team New Zealand headed down the right and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli down the left.
The difficulty in pulling off clean gybes was clear to see, at one point the margin had grown to over 300m. But by the finish it was the Kiwis that had held their lead to finish 16 seconds ahead of the Italians and in doing so, win the PRADA America’s Cup World Series.
“We were pretty nervous when the breeze dropped into the 6 knot region and we fell off the foils,” said Emirates Team New Zealand’s flight controller Blair Tuke, “but it’s been an epic day’s racing.”

**Photoboy** · 12-21-2020, 10:31 AM

The Best Of The Best

While things did not turn out as planed for the PRADA Christmas Race down in Auckland, the imagery from the 1st 3 days
via the lens of Carlo Borlenghi was outstanding as seen below... ENJOY!

20th December 2020

NO WIND NO RACE

No winner in Auckland today for the PRADA Christmas Race as the breeze dropped away after the start of race 1 and there was not enough to complete the 4 races scheduled for the day.

Race 1 between Emirates Team New Zealand and INEOS TEAM UK - respectively the winner and fourth placed in the PRADA ACWS Auckland - started on time at 1512. Emirates Team New Zealand sailed fast around the course until during the second downwind lap when the breeze dropped and the Kiwis remained unable to foil downwind. The clock counted down, the wind remained around 6 knots and the Defenders missed taking victory by around 1min as the clock ran out and the race was terminated.

At 1745 the Race Committee called it a day and the last possibility to see the AC75’s racing was over for this year.

Today would have been a critical day for all the teams, but especially for Emirates Team New Zealand as this was their last chance to measure themselves against the three Challengers. The next time they line up on the race course it will be for real in the America’s Cup in March.

By then they will be facing the strongest of the Challengers in the fight for the world’s oldest international sporting trophy. A Challenger who will have undoubtedly raised their game during the PRADA Cup Challenger Selection Series starting the 15th of January.

There is no time to rest. An intense period of de-briefings, data analysis, changes and improvements await the teams who are expected to be back training on the water very soon ahead of next year’s challenges.

**Runs_with_sissors** · 12-21-2020, 09:16 PM

Carlo is pretty good, does he do bar mitzvas?

Announcement

And The Racing Begins!

And The Racing Begins!

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment

Comment