Emirates Team NZ says course will be tight in Bermuda

by Sail-World.com on 21 May 2015 Glenn Ashby could barely keep his competitive instincts in check as he observed Oracle Team USA and Artemis Racing flying around the Great Sound in their AC45s yesterday.

The Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman (sic) spent several hours running the rule over the sailing venue for the 35th America’s Cup along with team-mates Jeremy Lomas and Richard Meacham while Oracle, defender of the ‘Auld Mug’, and Artemis, the Swedish challenger, practised in their wing-sail foiling 45ft development catamarans.

“Artemis and Oracle were sailing out there so it was actually great to get out there and see some boats sailing on the Great Sound,” Ashby said. “The sun was out and there was a light breeze blowing so to get out there and have a good look at the lay of the land was great. The water clarity is fantastic and it’s a lovely venue.”

The consensus among the America’s Cup sailors who have had the opportunity to gauge the Great Sound so far is that the racecourse will be tight for the high speed AC45s and AC48s.

Ashby, who is a multiple world multihull champion, agrees.

“It does look tight,” he said. “But we are all into the sailing and we all love racing so no matter where the racing is we are really keen to get into it.

“Obviously which direction the wind blows determines how tight the course will be on the day, and it seems to be a little shiftier than San Francisco at times. Looking at Oracle and Artemis sailing around it, it’s certainly going to be an interesting place.”

Local sailing enthusiasts will get a first taste of competitive America’s Cup action when the America’s Cup World Series comes to town in October, with racing to be contested in new one-design foiling AC45 catamarans.

“I think with the foiling AC45s it will be super spectacular and having a few boats sailing together will be great,” Ashby said. “All the boats foiling off the start line together to the first mark will be a fantastic spectacle, and we are looking forward to getting to the racing.”

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