America's Cup - Race 1 to Oracle Team USA in Gothenburg

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 29 Aug 2015 Oracle Team USA got the jump at the start - picking the right line to the top mark and starting at pace to lead around Gate 1, opening the page on what was to be complete domination of the six boat fleet in the America's Cup World Series Gothenburg.

The first race of the America's Cup World Series, Gothenburg got underway in 15-17 kts SW breeze.

ETNZ started to weather, with top four boats almost level going to first mark - Oracle team USA popped into a narrow lead in middle of the top group at the top mark for the first time.

Oracle was first to split onto port, and lead at bottom mark for the fist time, but did a wheelie at the rounding and stopped. BAR mis-judged layline. Artemis second around the mark.

Oracle took the left hand mark and sailed to the boundary on port. Were the first to tack with Artemis and ETNZ ducking behind and then tacked onto starboard. BAR passed behind the front three after getting a good shift off the bottom mark.

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Oracle sailing upwind at just over 12kts and not foiling, tacked back onto port after cutting it fine on a boundary marking a rock in the middle of the course. Oracle crossed on port and rounded the top mark with Artemis second and BAR third, ETNZ fourth and Softbank Team Japan and Groupmama contesting fifth.

Foiling downind at just over 20kts. Oracle led at bottom gate with Artemis and BAR, and then a bigger gap back to ETNZ. AR 7 secs back BAR 14 secs .

On leg five - halfway on the 10 leg race. Oracle 99m ahead of BAR with ETNZ third but crossed behind Artemis who came across on starboard.

At the top of the course, BAR moved into second behind Oracle, with Emirates Team NZ into third. Oracle led by 25 secs at the top with ETNZ 35 secs behind Oracle and Artemis 48 seconds behind the race leader after getting on the wrong side of a shift on the upwind leg.

Oracle flying downwind at twice the windspeed sailing at 23kts.

Oracle led by 42 secs ahead of BAR with ETNZ just 3 secs back and Artemis in fourth. ETNZ trailed BAR up the left hand side of the course sailing on starboard tack. Left hand side paid again with BAR having to bear off slightly to miss a rock, but still made a gain on Oracle with ETNZ tucked away in third and to leeward of BAR. Oracle crossed BAR before both tacked and approached the top mark gate 7 on port tack. BAR chopped the lead back to 11 secs with ETNZ 32 secs back, and Artemis 55 secs back.

Big speed difference on the run with Oracle and BAR sailing at 25kts with ETNZ doing 19kts.

Oracle led by 16 secs at bottom BAR 16b secs back and ETNZ 45 secs back at Gate 8.

Oracle sailed off the to unfavoured right side, while BAR went left and then crossed narrowly behind Oracle and the two split at the mid-course rock. Oracle came around the back of the rock before tacking and coming back to BAR on port tack and the give way boat.

BAR appeared to be passing ahead with a good margin, but Oracle picked up the left hand shift and rounded 14 secs ahead of BAR with ETNZ coming in from the right hand side. BAR trailing by 118metres on the final leg with the boats sailing at 21-24kts.

Oracle won the race by 11 secs with ETNZ 32 secs behind Oracle - the race took 27m 30 secs duration. Artemis fourth, finishing under gennaker.