Please select your home edition
Edition
V-DRY-X

America's Cup: Challengers train in breeze at Cagliari

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com/nz 20 Jan 2020 00:44 PST 20 January 2020
INEOS Team UK - Cagliari, Sardinia - January 2020 © Lloyd Images

After several days of light winds the two Cagliari based America's Cup Challengers were sailing on Friday in fresh 20kt plus winds.

According to SardiniaSailing.it INEOS Team UK and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli there was a change in weather on Friday morning, with a fresh sailing breeze. That broke several days of Le Secche - days with a very high pressure and light winds, typical in Cagliari in January.

Now we have three days of strong south wind with a lot of waves, a source told Sail-World from Cagliari.

Both teams got in some useful practice in winds that blew in excess of 20kts before they both called it day and headed back to base.

"The wind went slowly strengthening until it exceeded twenty knots at the end of the morning," read an auto-translation of the SailingSardinia.it report. "Both boats seemed perfectly at ease in the strong wind and both the Italians and the British seemed perfectly masters of the craft, with excellent control of navigation in foiling, even when the wind exceeded the intensity of twenty knots."

The website also ran a video of INEOS Team UK sailing upwind in the conditions with no apparent issues.

However the forecast for Cagliari for the early part of this week is not good with strong winds from the Mistral predicted until Wednesday and maybe Thursday.

The British Challenger INEOS Team UK has moved from Portsmouth, UK to the Mediterranean to train in their AC75, Britannia, during the northern hemisphere winter. They will remain until after the first of the America's Cup World Series regattas, scheduled for Cagliari, Sardinia at the end of April. The team led by Sir Ben Ainslie will the head back to Portsmouth for the second America's Cup World Series which will be sailed in their home port in early June.

In a case before the Arbitration Panel for the 2021 America's Cup, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli have suggested that a wind limit of 20kts should be imposed for the Challenger Selection Series, or Prada Cup, increasing to 22kts for the America's Cup Match in Auckland.

Emirates Team New Zealand, the America's Cup Defender, prefer a wind limit of 24kts - the same as applied for the 2017 America's Cup in Bermuda. The dispute is not expected to be settled by Mediation, and the Arbitration Panel is expected to have to make a binding ruling which must be handed down by late March.

A year out from the Prada Cup, Auckland has been suffering high temperatures and light winds in the morning, with a sailable breeze coming early to mid-afternoon, vindicating the decision to start racing in the Prada Cup and America's Cups after 4pm.

Emirates Team NZ's AC75, Te Aihe last sailed in the middle of last week. In that session the AC75 was towed back to the team base at 12.30pm, hauled from the water, without having her mast unstepped. Te Aihe was then launched again after a couple of hours and sailed until 6.00pm in a beautiful seabreeze.

Related Articles

K-Challenge gives opinion on proposed Protocol
Why the 38th edition could usher in a new era for the America's Cup Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois, Co-CEOs of K-Challenge, jointly stated: “The provisional Protocol published on 23 May 2025 by Defender Emirates Team New Zealand is an important step forward for the America's Cup." Posted on 4 Jul
America's Cup: Confidential settlement reached
(Updated) A confidential settlement reached over five year Cup legal claims. Confidential settlement reached between the America's Cup team Emirates Team New Zealand and their formerly contracted Event Managers, Mayo & Calder, and others associated with the company. But what of Mainstream Media's role in the affair? Posted on 29 Jun
America's Cup - #3 Finish Line
The Cup is still undecided. And somewhere, in one last simulation, the universe holds its breath. The Cup is still undecided. And somewhere, in one last simulation, the universe holds its breath. Step into the last leg. This is where legends break — or rise. Posted on 23 Jun
Cup Spy: "Burling Rule" unlikely to be changed
The Defender is unlikely to soften the Rules and allow open season on its sailing team. Despite the shift of three times America's Cup winner, Peter Burling it is understood that there is unlikely to be any softening of the Nationality rule to enable Burling to get any closer to the action than a chase-boat in the 38th America's Cup. Posted on 20 Jun
Burling "excited' by Italian move
In a media statement issued by his Media Team, Burling says he remains fully committed to his role w In a media statement issued by his Media Team, Burling says he remains fully committed to his role with Black Foils, the New Zealand SailGP Team. Posted on 20 Jun
America's Cup: Kiwis advertising for key people
Emirates Team NZ seeking new people for key roles ahead of its 12th America's Cup campaign Emirates Team New Zealand, the current America's Cup champion is gearing up for the 2027 Defence of the most prestigious trophy in sailing. The team has advertised eight positions in the IT, Meteorology and Engineering areas Posted on 12 Jun
America's Cup: Another sponsor signs for Italians
Luna Rossa has announced that Unipol has renewed its trust in the team Luna Rossa has announced that Unipol has renewed its trust in the team and will accompany it as an official sponsor for the duration of the 38th America's Cup. Posted on 5 Jun
America's Cup fillibustered by Challengers
A Cup in turmoil - Protocol is unsigned - with entries due to open on Sunday. Updated story: America's Cup got underway in Rome on Monday, with Round 2 of the official welcoming ceremonies on Wednesday in Naples. However three teams are working in collusion and have again issued statements within minutes of each other. Posted on 29 May
America's Cup enthusiastically received in Naples
The Castel dell'Ovo, was the venue for the arrival of the America's Cup in Napes The Castel dell'Ovo, set on the tuft peninsula of Megaride was the outstanding setting for the Official Host Venue Presentation of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup. Posted on 28 May
Italian PM welcomes America's Cup in Rome
Prime Minister Meloni set out a bold vision for the regeneration planned around AC38 The magnificent setting of the Casino del Bel Respiro, commissioned by Pope Innocent X in 1644, in the grounds of Villa Pamphilj, was the outstanding and historic setting for the formal presentation of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup. Posted on 26 May
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERMackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOMSea Sure 2025