Team report:  FROM ELIMINATION TO QUALIFICATION AND BACK IN THE PUIG WOMEN’S AMERICA’S CUP

 

Mother Nature has been playing hard-ball in Barcelona, so the America’s Cup Race Committee did its best to take advantage of every opportunity to complete the Group A qualifications of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.

 

It was a long day of waiting for the breeze to fill in, with the first race start attempted at 3:40 pm but abandoned when the hint of wind evaporated just before the start gun.

 

After another short delay, racing was slated to get underway at 4:05 pm, and the Race Committee announced that the next race, the 6th of the qualifying series, would be the final race in Group A—putting maximum pressure on Emirates Team New Zealand, who entered the final race in a precarious 4th position and desperately needed a strong result to push them into the top three on the qualifier leaderboard.

 

Precarious was an understatement, as Jo Aleh, Liv Mackay, Molly Meech, and Gemma Jones danced on the knife edge of elimination in the final qualification race, coming from last position into 2nd place to make it through to the final six teams. Alinghi Red Bull Racing finished last in that race, resulting in a tie at 27 points with Emirates Team New Zealand, who benefited from the tiebreak to advance to the top 6 semi-finalists of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.

 

The sun was setting, the wind was in, and the Race Committee powered through the 4-race semi-final series, which delivered some of the most exciting AC40 fleet racing seen so far, with the battle going down to the wire.

 

For Emirates Team New Zealand, making it through to the top two finalists after the 4 semi-final races proved to be a step too far, despite showing a huge amount of resolve to eventually finish the semi-final series in 5th place among the best women sailors in the world.

 

PUIG WOMEN'S AMERICA’S CUP RACE REPORTS:

RACE 6:

The Race Committee announce another attempt to start racing at 4:30 CET with the wind just making the limit. High pressure now and no room for mistakes but it’s marginal conditions and very difficult for everyone to stay in flight. As the clock ticks down FRA are off the foils and SUI make a great one down at the port end. ITA tack over to the right followed by GBR. NZL and USA are forced to restart. All boats sailing wide angles and ITA fall off the foils at the right boundary after the first tack. SUI clear ahead at this stage and survive a touchdown mid course whilst protecting the left side of the course.

 

GBR and SUI gaining out to the left whilst NZL that started well behind has now caught up to third and are playing the right of the course. At the first gate, SUI round the starboard marker and head left down the first run whilst GBR goes to the port marker and heads right, closely followed by NZL. USA are fourth and ITA fifth. Very wide angles downwind to stay on the foils - this is anyone’s race but SUI stay ahead mid way down the leg as the wind briefly fills. All boats going boundary to boundary to minimise manoeuvres. Into the final quarter of the leg and GBR gain having come across from the right side of the course on a puff.

 

At the leeward gate, GBR round the port marker and head to the right side of the course upwind. SUI and NZL struggling around the leeward gate with SUI forced to tack round to try and stay on the foils and fall into displacement. NZL stay flying and overtake SUI into second. NZL head to the right side of the course before tacking on GBR’s line and heading to the left side where the pressure looks to be building. SUI are now in 5th and could miss the cut here if they can’t get foiling and NZL stay in 2nd. Big pressure all round.

 

At the final windward gate, GBR bear away at the port marker with NZL just behind and both boats wanting the right side of the course (looking downwind). SUI are back and foiling and need to overtake one boat to make the Semi-Final. USA are third around the gate. Down the run, NZL trails GBR hard, trying to close the gap and force the overtake. A great gybe from GBR brings them into the line with NZL second.

 

Now it’s a tense wait to see how the pecking order stands. USA and ITA are coming fast down this short run ahead of SUI - any mistake here and SUI will be in the Semis. USA crosses the finish line for third. ITA come across the line in fourth and with SUI in fifth, it confirms the top three as GBR, ITA and NZL.

PUIG WOMEN’S AMERICA’S CUP SEMI FINAL RACE REPORTS:

RACE 1:

A quick turnaround for the teams and we are into Race 1 of the Semi-Finals of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup. At the start in arguably the best conditions we’ve seen all day with breeze up to around 12-14 knots, the boats line up with NED over the line on an even start. ITA tack off to the right early whilst the pack heads to the left boundary. As it shakes out mid-course it’s ESP, GBR and SWE leading. GBR get a penalty for crossing too close and are forced to get behind ITA.

 

At the windward gate it’s ESP and ITA who round alternate marks in first and second followed by SWE and GBR. Big split down the first run but as the fleet come together ESP have retained their lead.

 

At the leeward gate, ESP round first as ITA force their way in at the starboard marker and SWE give way. Tight racing. SWE fall off the foils on the first tack at the left boundary allowing GBR and NED back into a fight for third. ESP head to the right of the course and nail the layline to round the final windward gate well in control and ahead of ITA and GBR.

 

Final downwind leg and GBR split tactics to head right initially whilst ESP and ITA go left but as they come back together the order is unchanged. Into the final quarter and ESP gybe on the starboard layline and survive a touchdown bringing ITA back in but manage to hold to the line to secure the win. ITA in second, GBR in third, NZL fourth, NED fifth, SWE sixth. Very tight racing.

RACE 2:

The second race of the Semi-Finals gets underway at 17:50 CET and as the fleet sets up on the line, it’s a clean start with GBR tacking away quickly to the right side looking for the pressure patches. ITA makes the best start mid-line and leads the pack over to the right. Very tight up this first beat. GBR gain tactical position coming across on starboard but this is anyone’s race now.

 

At the first windward gate, it’s tight but ITA squeeze under GBR to lead as ESP fall off the foils. SWE round cleanly on the starboard marker and as they come back mid-course, steal second from GBR but it’s close.

 

At the first leeward gate, ITA round the starboard marker cleanly as GBR force their way in on SWE at the port marker to retake second. GBR tack over quickly to re-engage with ITA up the left of the beat as SWE carry on right. ITA streaking ahead and gaining as GBR consolidate in second. At the final windward gate, as the Race Committee shorten the leg to 1 nautical mile, ITA bear-away with a lead over 100 metres at the starboard marker whilst GBR bears-away at the port marker with SWE on their tail.

 

No mistakes from ITA down the final run as they increase their lead and fly across the finish line at 30 knots to secure a coveted top two spot. GBR win a tight battle with SWE to also secure a top two position with SWE in third. It’s tight at the top.

RACE 3:

With the leaderboard tight, this is an important race for the overall series with ITA leading by 5 points over GBR who are just 1 point ahead of ESP. The start gets away at 18:15 CET and in the final line-up, SWE are called OCS as ITA starts cleanly at the starboard end and tacks away quickly to the right boundary. GBR start at the port end of the line and tack off the left boundary. As the fleet comes together, GBR and NZL are followed by NED.

 

At the first gate, GBR have sailed into the lead and tack around the starboard marker clear of the chasing pack with ITA powering over NED at the mark to take second. Down the first run, GBR and ITA bounce off the left boundary and maintain their positions down to the leeward gate. GBR round up on the port marker and head to the right of the course initially on the second upwind. ITA take the starboard gate and go left up the beat. NZL sailing well in third with ESP in fourth.

 

No mistakes for GBR down the final run, they lead the fleet from boundary to boundary and complete a final gybe at the starboard layline to cross and secure the win from ITA - these two are looking good for the Grand Final. All on for the final race coming up in a moment. ITA second, NZL third, ESP fourth, SWE fifth, NED sixth.

RACE 4

With the wind dropping, the Race Committee set a short course with legs at just 0.85 nautical miles and racing gets underway at 18:37 CET. The maths shows that ESP must win with GBR in fifth or worse to qualify. Off the line, four boats are over after a big bunch up at the port end of the line - GBR, ITA, SWE, NED all forced to serve a penalty. NZL and ESP sail off cleanly and this is a big opportunity for ESP now. ITA do incredibly well out to the right of the course and are closing in on the leaders and take the lead on the starboard layline whilst GBR close into fourth place and are pressuring NZL.

 

At the first windward gate, ITA bear away in the lead at the port marker with NZL in second whilst GBR cross ESP to get third. As the wind lightens down the course, ESP gain out to the right and sail into second whilst GBR struggles on the left boundary. Into the leeward gate and with all boats sailing high and wide angles to stay on the foils, ITA hold the lead around the port marker whilst ESP takes advantage of NZL falling off the foils and sails into second but ESP are given a penalty which could end their race. GBR up to third but up the course the wind is dropping and ITA fall off the foils and the order is upturned with ESP in the lead, SWE into second and GBR in third.

 

All about staying on the foils now and ESP nail a tack by the right boundary alongside SWE with GBR in third. Nervous times for GBR who have to stay on the foils to make the final. At the final gate, ESP bear-away with a big lead from SWE and GBR in third. All on for this final run to the finish, GBR gybe off the right boundary to maintain third as ESP and SWE split gybes down the course. ESP come in on the port layline to win just ahead of SWE but with GBR coming across in third, it’s ITA and GBR that qualify for the match-race final for the Puig Women’s America’s Cup.