America's Cup - Top end breeze expected for second day of Semi-Finals

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 6 Jun 2017 Race Director Iain Murray says he is confident about getting four races away as scheduled on the second day of the Semi-Finals of the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Regatta.

Murray told the morning media briefing that the expectation was for winds averaging 16kts, gusting 21kts at the scheduled start of 2.00pm local time and for these to maybe increase to 18kts average, gusting 21kts an hour later.

He says the team forecasts show much the same thing. But that is at variance with the forecast from Predictwind.com the system for weather forecasting and routeing used by many of the worlds top sailors, and developed by Jon Bilger, a weather forecaster for twice America's Cup Champion Alinghi and used in those campaigns.

Emirates Team NZ - Dock-Out Show Day 2 Semi-Finals :



Predictwind has the wind averaging around 20kts at 2.00pm with gusting to 27-32kts - well outside the limit of 24kts allowed for racing.

Murray and Predictwind are in agreement on the breeze for Wednesday - when both believe it will be too strong for racing. Similarly on Thursday when lighter winds are expected - close to the conditions that prevailed yesterday for the first day of racing in the Semi-Finals.

This morning Land Rover BAR were ready to go with a wingsail laid out ready to be put into their AC50 at around 9.30am, they have just headed out onto the Great Sound (just after 11.00am local time) and are training along with several other teams and Defender Oracle Team USA. Softbank Team Japan is once again working up with Oracle Team USA. From 11.00am to 1.00pm the Defender, OTUSA, has the exclusive right to the racing area, under an equal time access arrangement with the Challengers and Defenders that is a long-standing part of the Protocol.

Emirates Team New Zealand has not gone out training. Artemis Racing has come down from her base at the other end of the Great Sound at Morgan's Point and was sailing conservatively in the conditions.

Land Rover BAR has just done a flypast in front of the Media Centre and looked ready for whatever may come her way today.



Current wind conditions are reported by the Bermuda weather service at 18kts average gusting 21kts. Upwind of the race area in the open sea, the breeze is currently averaging 20kts, but has been as high as 24kts average and has been gusting to 26kts.

In short, conditions look to be marginal for racing but outstanding for the on-the-water photographers and television.


Racing Schedule – Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs - Day 2

SF 1 R3: SoftBank Team Japan v. Artemis Racing 2:08 pm
SF 1 R3: Land Rover BAR v. Emirates Team New Zealand 2:36 pm
SF 1 R4: Artemis Racing v. SoftBank Team Japan 3:00 pm
SF 1 R4: Emirates Team New Zealand v. Land Rover BAR 3:30 pm