Saturday review:
INEOS Britannia has secured its spot in the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Final with wins against Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI) and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) on the penultimate day of Round Robin 2. The British Challenger of Record, racing for the Royal Yacht Squadron Ltd, stole the show on Super Saturday, with them managing to break the Italian team’s unbeaten streak, crossing the finish line with a 25-second advantage.
Ainslie said: “It’s massive for the whole team to get two wins, and especially the win against Luna Rossa. It’s not just the team on-board but those back at our base and back in the UK, it’s a huge win for everyone. Looking ahead to the next round I think we’ve got plenty of potential, it’s just all about getting the maximum out of the boat and sailing well.”
It was a full team effort to change the jib after checking the rudder for damage before the team's race against Alinghi Red Bull Racing
The day started with a race against time for INEOS Britannia, as the team played its 15-minute delay card in order to check their rudder after it hit a log during training, and also used the time to change their jib to suit the heavier wind conditions that arrived earlier than expected. On the way out to the racecourse, the boat hit debris flushed into the water by an overnight storm. There was concern that it had damaged the rudder, so the team activated the 15-minute delay to send its safety diver in the water to check it over, while the shore team worked under intense pressure to change the jib. The shore team showcased their brilliance by pulling off the jib change with time to spare, enabling the sailing team to nail the race ahead.
As well as increased breeze above the predicted 8-12 knot southerly, there was also a residual 1m swell from the east that was offset to the wind, demanding fine judgment from the crews, both in straight lines and manoeuvres. INEOS Britannia showed their intent at the entry, smoking into the start box on time and pushing on the cavitation speed of the foils. The Swiss team elected to lead back to the start line, and INEOS Britannia were able to start to their right and slightly separated. They converted that into a controlling position by the time the boats got to the boundary, and after that the Brits maintained the lead throughout the race. The advantage over Alinghi Red Bull Racing grew from 12 seconds at the first gate to 21 seconds at the second, then 28, 39, 45 and finally a 53-second gap at the finish. The official race statistics showed a 0.9 knot speed advantage upwind, and a 1.5 knot edge downwind.
INEOS Britannia Team Principal and Skipper Ben Ainslie said: “It was cracking conditions out there, but it was also tough in that sea state. We hit some debris before the start and then changed our jib too so our pre-race preparations weren’t what we had hoped, but the shore team did an amazing job to get that done under some real time pressure. The team on-board also did a really good job to compose themselves and get in the zone for the race and secure the win.”
The second race for INEOS Britannia was always likely to prove more challenging, as the team came up against the high-flying Italians, unbeaten at that point in the Challenger Selection Series. Ben Ainslie and his team chose the left-hand side off the start line this time, which hadn’t been the favoured side. They started faster though and had the pace to hold the edge not just to the boundary but through a simultaneous tack with Luna Rossa. From there, INEOS Britannia’s crew controlled the race, just as they had against the Swiss. The deltas tell the tale with an 8-second advantage at the first gate, INEOS Britannia extending that to 29 seconds by the end of the second lap.
INEOS Britannia faced the previously unbeaten Italian team, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the second race of the day
No one can be complacent in these boats in these conditions though, and there was a heart-stopping moment on the final leg when the rudder popped clear of the water. The British crew saved it from a terminal nose-dive though and came home for a 25-second win.
Ainslie said: “It was another heart-in-mouth moment there when we lost the rudder. It’s pretty tough out here with lots of swell around and the guys did a nice job to recover it and keep us going, thankfully we had enough of a lead to get it across the line.”
Elsewhere on Super Saturday, there was a first race win for Italy over the Americans, with the latter coming back to beat France in the third race of the day. The fourth saw a second defeat for the Swiss, this time by the New Zealand team. Despite Alinghi Red Bull Racing leading off the line, they could only hold the Kiwis back for the first half of the first leg. The Kiwi’s advantage at the finish was 38 seconds, which will provide further encouragement for the British team.
INEOS Britannia Trimmer Bleddyn Mon said: “For us, the two races were against strong challengers so it was great to come away with two wins. I think Britannia as a boat has a lot of potential and there’s still potential in there. Every day we are making improvements so we will keep chipping away ahead of the semi-finals next week.”
The final day of Round Robin 2 takes place today, with INEOS Britannia set to race Orient Express Racing Team. UK viewers can watch the all the races live on TNT Sports from 13:00 BST (14:00 CEST).