America's Cup - Extended race program for Day 12 - Semi-Finals

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com on 8 Jun 2017 Racing is expected to get underway in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Semi-Finals on time at 2.00pm in an extended program.

With two teams, Emirates Team New Zealand and Softbank Team Japan both on three points Race Director Iain Murray has extended the planned four races to six.

If one of the two teams currently leading the points table wins two of their three races today, they will go through to the final.



The third race is there so that if necessary, the Semi-Final can be concluded today. Tomorrow is also a scheduled race day. However the forecast is for winds at the upper end of the allowed range which could forestall further racing, and that would seem to be the logic for sailing the extra race today - to avoid a tiebreaker being used.

Today the breeze is forecast to be 14-18kts from the SW, a prognosis which is shared by Predictwind.com. Tomorrow Predictwind has it that the breeze will be in the 18-25kts which is marginal at best.

The Finals for the Louis Vuitton Cup starting on Saturday, with the winds dropping back to 11-14kts and then going very light, but expected to be sailable through Sunday and Monday which is the last day of scheduled racing in the nine race - first to win five series.

Three races are planned to be sailed each day.

Of course with that forecast, and with the moderate to fresh winds that have dominated the Semi-Finals those moded for light weather could be eliminated for the Final.

The teams went on the water early today, with Emirates Team New Zealand leading off at 9.30am. Further up the dock, Groupama Team France have started sailing again, despite being eliminated.

Under the Protocol, the Defender and Challengers have equal time on the race course area. Oracle Team USA have access to the Semi-Final race area from 11.00am to 1.00pm and invited Softbank Team Japan and Land Rover BAR to join them.

Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand were not invited. Artemis Racing have their base at the other end of the Sound at Morgan's Point and it is assumed that they sailed in the designated, but smaller Challenger race area.

The exclusion, while not unexpected, did not bother Emirates Team New Zealand who was back on the dock by 11.00 - and prior to that could sail where they liked on the Great Sound, invitation from the Defender or not.

The same situation will exist for the Finals, but it is not expected that the 'Lone Wolf' (ETNZ) will be invited to join the Defender.

One of the four Challenging teams (along with Oracle Team USA) who have signed up to the Framework - a secret post competition agreement covering the 36th and 37th America's Cups - are expected to be invited to work up with the Defender.

Racing Schedule – Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs

11 am – 1 pm: Defender Access Period

SF 1 R5: Emirates Team New Zealand v. Land Rover BAR 2:08 pm
SF 2 R5: Artemis Racing v. SoftBank Team Japan 2:37 pm
SF 1 R6: Land Rover BAR v. Emirates Team New Zealand 3:06 pm
SF 2 R6: SoftBank Team Japan v. Artemis Racing 3:35 pm
SF1 R7*: Land Rover BAR v. Emirates Team New Zealand 4:05 pm
SF1 R7*: SoftBank Team Japan v. Artemis Racing 4:35 pm