Please select your home edition
Edition
SOUTHERN-SPARS-MISSY-FURLING-BOOMS-728-X-90 TOP

America's Cup: Christmas Recon Report

by America's Cup Media 25 Dec 2022 00:13 PST 25 December 2022
Patriot spins into a tack - AC75 - December 8, 2022 - Pensacola, Fl © Paul Todd/America's Cup

It has been a very busy lead up to the Christmas break with the America’s Cup teams all at full tilt either on the water or in preparation for what is shaping up to be a very intense New Year.

Here’s a brief recap of where all the teams are at and we would like to wish all our readers, fans and supporters around the world ‘Happy Holidays’ and we will see you in 2023.

Emirates Team New Zealand - Defender As the defenders of the America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand endured an interrupted end of year session following their nosedive and subsequent bow damage on 21st November. But the mark of this team is that when faced with adversity they double-down on their efforts and come back stronger. The shore team were sublime, working round-the-clock shifts to affect a repair and on the 16th December, ETNZ rolled out the fully restored LEQ12 and barely looked like they had missed a beat. Then came the second AC40, , the following day and immediately the sailors had the boat flying, straight out of the box at warp speed. Make no mistake, the Kiwis are the team who are setting the level in this America’s Cup. A final session on the 22nd December saw 100% tack and gybe foil-to-foil manoeuvres and it’s the standard to match for the challengers. Expect to see two-boat testing of their AC40’s early in the New Year. Impressive.

INEOS Britannia – Challenger of Record

The launch of T6, the INEOS Britannia testing platform was waited on with much anticipation and its angular design saw the rest of the Cup world sit up and take notice. The planned tow-testing at scale with the fitting of a towing mast was eventually outlawed by an AC Rules Committee ruling that changed the course of the early British programme. The shore crew set to work at pace, completing a remarkable transformation of the platform in double-quick time and on the 22nd December, the team led by multi-Olympic Gold medallists Sir Ben Ainslie and Giles Scott had the ‘Silver Arrow’ flying around the Bay of Palma. Meanwhile shoreside, the power group have welcomed a new member of the team in Matt Rossitter and have been training with the INEOS Grenadiers cycling team. There’s much to cheer now for the British supporters and certainly a team that everyone will be watching in 2023.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

After suffering from a crane protocol mis-fire saw the rig crash to the dock and some minor boat damage on the 7th November, it has been all one way traffic, forwards, for the fast-driving Italians. Sessions out in the Bay of Angels off Cagliari have been intense with Jimmy Spithill, Francesco ‘Cecco’ Bruni and Ruggero Tita driving the LEQ12 through all conditions with real style. Technique has been something for all Italian fans to cheer with their upwind windward-heel, super-fast tacks/gybes, and highly consistent flight a marvel to watch. In terms of technology, the team have been hard at work data gathering through their heavily sensored LEQ12 and the programme has been both logical and relentless. This is a team with the burning ambition to go one better than last time and bring the America’s Cup back to Cagliari. On this form, it’s hard to bet against them. 2023 will be a fascinating year for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

New York Yacht Club American Magic The team very much of the moment. American Magic have completed a sublime and intense pre-Christmas training session bringing in new recruits in the power group manning the cyclors and bedding-in the superstar talents of Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison. There has been no let-up in the systems development, and this has been equalled by the commitment from the sailors who day after day have been out in Pensacola Bay throwing in huge numbers of tacks and gybes and long, long flight times. ‘Impressive’ doesn’t do the team justice – this is a team that has fully recovered from the travails of AC36 and are busy writing a very entertaining and positive next chapter of the America quest to win back the America’s Cup. With AC40’s coming in the Spring and the design for the new AC75 benefitting from the at-scale testing of Patriot, this is a team that everyone has their eyes on in 2023.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing

Based in Barcelona, the Swiss team enjoyed some late summer training through to the middle of November before taking BoatZero into the shed for some extensive surgery to fit a new self-tacking jib system. With no on-water stories to report, this young team kept themselves very busy in the gym and on the cycle trails around the hills just outside the city centre. They are looking increasingly comfortable as a collective and this was beginning to show in the sailing sessions that were getting more intense under the guidance of Sailing Team Advisers Pietro Sibello and Dean Barker.

The New Year will see the team enter the most intensive period of training and testing whilst construction on their new team base has just begun literally a few hundred metres from their existing temporary base at the mouth of the port. The learning curve is steep for the Swiss but as two-time winners of the America’s Cup, you can never count them out. 2023 is very much the year for the Swiss to shine.

Related Articles

America's Cup: Arb Panel dismisses US request
The America's Cup Arbitration Panel dismisses American Magic's application to skip Jeddah regatta. The three man Arbitration Panel has dismissed the Application by the New York Yacht Club's team American Magic to be excused from participation in the second Preliminary Event, part of the 37th America's Cup. Posted on 30 May
America's Cup: Estrella Damm returns for third Cup
As the official sponsor, Estrella Damm will be the competition beer The Antigua Fábrica Estrella Damm in Barcelona has hosted the presentation of Estrella Damm's sponsorship of the 37th America's Cup, which will be held in Barcelona in 2024. Posted on 29 May
Cup Spy - May 27: Emotional reunion for Italians
Emotional reunion at sea with the Amerigo Vespecci, sail training ship of the Italian navy. The Italian team planned an emotional reunion at sea with the Amerigo Vespecci, sail training ship of the Italian navy Emirates Team New Zealand did some damage believed to be electronic related, and their session stopped early. Posted on 28 May
Cup Spy May 25-26: Solid day for Med based teams
The British and Italian teams both had solid training days on the Med. The Swiss had an AC75 day. After losing a day to no wind, the Kiwi two-boat testing started on Thursday. The British and Italian teams also got solid training days on the Med, with both doing speed and match race testing. The Swiss sailed their AC75, including a photoshoot for F1. Posted on 28 May
America's Cup: Predictwind sets up in Barcelona
Predictwind will be establishing the Common Weather Program for Barcelona. It is live now.. The Challenger of Record and Defender (COR/D) have announced that Predictwind, the world's leading marine forecast organisation aimed at sailors at all levels, will be establishing the Common Weather Program for Barcelona. Posted on 28 May
Cup Spy -Special: Kiwis start Match Racing
Emirates Team New Zealand have just wrapped up a match race practice session off Takapuna Beach. Emirates Team New Zealand completed a match race practice session off Takapuna Beach, on Friday. Here's Cup Spy's take having watched most of the session shore-side on the Takapuna Beach seawall - via a pair of Fujinon 14x40 gyroscopic binoculars. Posted on 27 May
Cup Spy - May 24: Robertson joins the Swiss?
The Swiss christen their second AC40, watched by top match racer Phil Robertson. What is his future? Four teams sailed on Wednesday, May 24 from Auckland, Mallorca, and Cagliari. Alinghi Red Bull Racing christened their new AC40-7, and took it for a tow-test off Barcelona. Top Match Racer and SailGP helm, Phil Robertson (NZL) was again present. Posted on 26 May
Cup Spy - May 23: Kiwis hit 50.7kts
Emirates Team NZ was out of the shed before 0630hrs, and set a new speed record of 50.7kts Emirates Team New Zealand had an early start, with a poor forecast which didn't eventuate. The Kiwis set a new top speed of 50.7kts - achieved in a bear-away. Alinghi Red Bull Racing broached twice in top end conditions - self recovering each time. Posted on 24 May
Cup Spy - May 22: Brits at pace, as Italians race.
The AC37 Joint Recon team following the Brits reported them hitting 45kts downwind. Two teams sailed today - Luna Rossa from Cagliari, doing some race practice using a team chase boat as their opponent. INEOS Britannia sailed from Palma, Mallorca. The AC37 Joint Recon team following the Brits reported them hitting 45kts downwind. Posted on 23 May
America's Cup: Join ETNZ for a dual AC40 training
Join Emirates Team New Zealand on their Chase Boat for a session with their two AC40s Join America's Cup Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand on their Chase Boat as they move away from the AC75 test program and onto two-boat testing with the two AC40's. Posted on 22 May
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERCyclops 2022 November Load Pin FOOTERT Clewring Cruising 728x90 BOTTOM