America’s Cup: Preparations done as racing begins
The first races of the 37th America’s Cup take place later today after almost three years of meticulous planning and testing. The six teams are racing their new AC75 boats against each other for the first time today (22 August) in the final preliminary regatta in Barcelona, with four match races scheduled starting at 2pm CET.
All of the teams entered in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona 2024 are fielding teams with representation from the defenders, Emirates Team New Zealand, the challenger of record INEOS Britannia and the challengers: Alinghi Red Bull Racing, NYYC American Magic, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Orient Express Racing Team.
The world’s top sailors gathered at Barcelona’s World Trade Centre yesterday (21 August 2024) for a Q&A session, following a morning at the Olympic Diving Centre for a photoshoot with the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta Trophy. The skippers, including Peter Burling of Emirates Team New Zealand, Sir Ben Ainslie of INEOS Britannia, Francesco Bruni of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Paul Goodison of NYYC American Magic, Quentin Delapierre of Orient Express Racing Team, and Arnaud Psarofaghis of Alinghi Red Bull Racing, addressed the media ahead of the upcoming races.
Burling highlighted the advancements in the AC75s, noting that it has been over three years since they last raced these boats. He mentioned the significant development that has taken place over this period, indicating that the performance of the boats has reached new heights. “It’s starting up a big machine this week, which is incredibly exciting for the sailors but also the buzz in the sailing community of finally being able to see these boats sailing again, so we are really looking forward to getting out and racing,” Burling said.
Sir Ben Ainslie discussed the team’s decision to rotate Dylan Fletcher, the current International Moth World Champion, into the co-helm position, replacing Giles Scott. Ainslie remarked on the team’s depth and the exceptional leadership shown by Scott, saying: “I’m really excited to be sailing with Dylan for the first time in this competition, I think it’s an exciting line-up.”
Sir Ben Ainslie
Arnaud Psarofaghis of Alinghi Red Bull Racing addressed the recent dismasting incident, confirming that the team would be back on the water with a spare mast after the failure of a new mast during a warm-up in light winds on Tuesday. He noted: “We will be back on the water today with our spare mast – amazing job from the team.”
With the results of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta potentially impacting tie-break scenarios in the Louis Vuitton Cup, teams are focused on strong performances. Francesco Bruni of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli expressed the importance of winning, stating: “It’s important for the team who have done an amazing job so far – the shore team, the designers they have done a fantastic job – and now it’s our turn to take it forward and have a good week.”
Paul Goodison, helmsman of NYYC American Magic, reflected on the lessons learned from previous regattas, emphasising the different format and challenges posed by the AC75s. He commented, “We’ve got a lot of things on our plate that we’ve worked on to improve, and we just hope to continue improving every day and learning as much as we can about our competitors.”
Quentin Delapierre of Orient Express Racing Team acknowledges the challenges facing the team but remains optimistic about their progress. “We have got an unbelievable boat and I think the team is now in good shape and we just have to try to increase the learning curve as much as possible.”
During the Q&A session, topics such as Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s mast situation and match-racing tactics were discussed. Sir Ben Ainslie commented on the significance of Barcelona as the host venue, noting the impressive performance of the boats in stronger winds. He remarked: “Congratulations to the Event Authority and Barcelona for the work and effort they’ve put in over the past two-plus years to get us to this point.
“The boats look amazing, the performance particularly in the stronger winds is mind-blowing both upwind and downwind, I think the viewers will be really surprised by that, it’s a real privilege to sail on these boats. And what a beautiful city, we talked about the competition, it really is set to be one of the best America’s Cups ever and we’re looking forward to it.”
The final practice racing session, held in varying wind conditions, saw all six teams competing off the Barcelona coast. With practice now complete, teams are focused on the opening day of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, where four match races are scheduled to begin at 2pm.
The inaugural Women’s America’s Cup will be held in Barcelona from 5 to 13 October 2024 as part of the 37th America’s Cup.
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