America's Cup - Artemis Racing battles in the Big Breeze for Semi win

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/NZ on 9 Jun 2017 Wind at close to the top end of the scale greeted Artemis Racing and Softbank Team Japan for two scheduled races in the second Semi-Final of the Louis Vuitton Trophy, part of the 35th America's Cup Regatta, being sailed in Bermuda.

The first Semi-Final was decided yesterday when Emirates Team New Zealand, the top Challenger from the Round Robin reached the requisite five wins to knock Britain's Land Rover BAR out of the competition.

The aqua blue water of the Great Sound in Bermuda were dotted with white caps as the two Challengers headed out of the Royal Dockyard.

Softbank Team Japan hit a submerged object (a turtle?) when travelling at 16kts, about 30 minutes before the start. There was insufficient time for her to haul out. However, divers were tasked with and underwater inspection which found nothing. The episode did cost Softbank Team Japan valuable practice time to get boat handling properly co-ordinated in the testing conditions, and that incident played a big part in their racing.

Artemis Racing meanwhile had an extensive practice session of their base at the top of the Great Sound, and looked very comfortable and controlled from a distance.

Officially winds were averaging 19.5kts with a peak of 21.6kts at the start of the eight-minute wind measurement system, the breeze reduced by a knot in the crucial period before the start, and three minutes out from the designated start time the start was given the all clear by Race Director Iain Murray.

The winds did increase during the race but did not go over the pre-start limit, and once a race has started it cannot be stopped for a blown wind-limit.

Dean Barker started well and led for the first two legs, but dropped 23 seconds on the first beat and once through Sweden never looked like being beaten.

That gave Artemis Racing four wins on the trot and with her win from the first day that was sufficient for the Swedes to go through to the Final, which starts tomorrow.

The forecast for Saturday is for lighter winds than today, getting lighter on Sunday and lighter again on Monday with three races scheduled per day. A team will need to win five races to become the Challenger.

If the wind does not co-operate the series may be extended a day or two as the America's Cup Match does not get underway until Saturday.

Emirates Team New Zealand remained in the shed today. Oracle Team USA rigged, but did not venture out onto the Great Sound.