Cup Spy - April 24: USA capsizes in choppy seas. Swiss have a perfect day. Solid sail by Italy.
by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 24 Apr 2023 20:02 PDT
24 April 2023
American Magic - AC40 - Day 25 - April 24, 2023 - Pensacola Bay © Paul Todd/America's Cup
What happened in the Cup - April 24, 2023:
- American Magic sailed their AC40 off Pensacola, staying inside the Bay, in fresh winds and an awkward chop - they capsized soon after starting the session, and moved to calmer waters out of the current. The wind eased during the day. Changes were noted to the starboard foil (bulge area removed),
- Luna Rossa sailed from Cagliari, getting a solid workout in the Maestrale which varied in strength gusting to 21kts before fading again. Sailing six-up the custom design test boat required Chase boat assistance to get foiling on several occasions despite good breeze. However once foiling it was fast enough to out-run the Recon RIB (must be capable of 45kts.)
- Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailed their AC-40 out of Barcelona, eventually finding a 6-kt SSE breeze building to 9kts. The Swiss had a perfect day - all foiling tacks and gybes were dry.
- Emirates Team New Zealand did not sail, with fresh southerly winds in Auckland well above the racing limit.
- INEOS Britannia did not sail.
- No further news from the Orient Express Team (formerly K-Challenge).
- The Arbitration Panel has ruled against the Swiss Alinghi Red Bull Racing Team over a request for interpretation as to whether the "technology partnership" signed between the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand and the new French Challenger Team Orient Express (formerly K-Challenge). The three man Arbitration Panel ruled the request was filed outside of the ten day time limit, as to when the complainant did, or reasonably should, have first knowledge of the infringing issue. The Panel did not rule on the deeper issue of whether the agreement, which included a design package for an AC75 Version 2 yacht, constituted the boat being an effective surrogate for Emirates Team New Zealand. A similar surrogacy claim was raised in the 2013 and 2017 America's Cups, and dismissed on both occasions - but with different circumstances.
American Magic - AC40 - Day 25 - April 24, 2023 - Pensacola
From the AC37 Joint Recon Team:
America rolled out 45 minutes later than scheduled and docked out at 10:12 (also 45 minutes later than scheduled).
Changes to the starboard foil were noted (bulge area removed) and new equipment mounted to the helms seats (presumably to prevent whiplash).
The AC40 was towed towards the pass, but the team paused while Chase 2 headed out to take a look at conditions. The decision was made to remain inshore.
The main and J3 were up by 11:10. The sea state was wind against current creating a horrendous stacked up, tall, chop.
Sailing began at 11:14 when the AC40 got up on foil and immediately launched bow up, came down, then capsized.
The crew had her righted three minutes later at 11:17. America was up and foiling again at 11:27, sailing out of the tide line area to a slightly calmer area to perform some post-capsize tests in displacement mode. Several short runs were sailed until 12:13, when the team stopped sailing for 90 minutes.
The J3 was taken down during this time. Sailing resumed at 13:41 and the AC40 put in the longest foiling time of the day (32 min). The breeze dropped to 7-10k by 14:15, but the team were content to remain on the J3.
The team called an end to sailing at 15:10.
In all, America completed 55 maneuvers, 7 W/L's, sailed approximately 45nm, and had a total flying time of 73 minutes. Top speeds were approximately 33k upwind and 42k downwind.
Session Statistics: American Magic - AC40 - Day 25 - April 24, 2023 - Pensacola
- Weather: Sunny 60°F
- Wind Strength 11kts-19kts
- Wind Direction: N/NE
- Sea State: 2-3ft chop
- Roll out: 0910hrs Dock Out: 1012hrs
- Dock In: 1520hrs Crane out: 1600hrs
- Total Tacks: 40 - Fully foiling: 34; Touch & Go: 4; Touch Down: 2
- Total Gybes: 15 - Fully foiling: 10; Touch & Go: 5; Touch Down: 3
Crew: Paul Goodison, Andrew Campbell, Lucas Calabrese, Michael Menninger
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - LEQ12 - Day 53 - April 24, 2023 - Cagliari
From the AC37 Joint Recon Team - Michele Melis:
The LRPP team rolled out their LEQ12 prototype at 09:30, stepped the mast and craned in undergoing the usual protocol checks before dockout scheduled for 11:00.
During the usual Foil Control System, rudder rake and sail controls tests, the offshore Maestrale NW was already blowing at the Molo Ichnusa.
Shortly before docking out, the team locked in the M1 mainsail skins in the mast fitting and headed towards the harbour gate.
The sailing conditions looked quite promising: near to flat waters with steady offshore NW breeze up to 8-10kn [it would later increase to 18kts].
After fully hoisting the mainsail the J1.5 has been chosen as foresail.
Hosting six crew, at 11:30 the LEQ12 was foilborne with a tow-to-fly by Chase 2, and the LEQ12 sailed mostly inshore perhaps testing some foiling modes before stopping to debrief.
As forecasted by the models, the NW pressure increased firmly inshore in the bay while further offshore the seabreeze was dominating. The team decided to tow the prototype towards Sarroch to sail in a southerly seabreeze conditions from very light 7-8kn to medium 10-12kn.
Some straight line sailing was done, with two chase boats monitoring closely. A large number of maneuvers have been observed within the following foiling phases.
On a sailing break several engineers were observed analysing the suction side of each wings when raised.
As the seabreeze seemed to decrease, only four crew now sailed on the prototype, and several sailors debriefs were observed. It was unusual to see the LEQ12 hitting displacement mode when exiting a maneuver.
At 13:45 the LEQ12 was been towed back towards inshore, as the forecasted Maestrale seemed to fill back in providing the team the chance to test their LEQ12 in the upper wind range.
With the AC37 Joint Recon (RU) anemometer showing 15-17kts and gusts up to 21kts, the J1.5 was been lowered to hoist directly the J4 in the crossed choppy sea state resulting from the earlier seabreeze and Maestrale.
With the help of a light pull by a Chase boat, to gain initial boat speed, the LEQ12 was up and foiling on portside tack hosting one passenger engineer in each pod. After sailing straight line, the prototype was observed bearing away, heading downwind before gybing and trimming up and tacking once again.
This sailing pattern has been observed and utilized by RU to anticipate the LEQ12's course as, like all chase boats, the RU RIB struggled to keep up with the LEQ12's pace.
Several short breaks were observed where the LEQ12 was quickly put on a tow-line before being released. Shortly after the arrival of the gusty Maestrale seemed to increase the team called it a day.
Certainly this was another impressive performance by Italian team for the day. They clocked up an approximate foiling time of 125 minutes, 24 tacks and 23 gybes were counted. [Michele Melis AC Recon - Edited - S-W]
Session Statistics: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - LEQ12 - Day 53 - April 24, 2023 - Cagliari
- Weather: Cloudy 18°FC
- Wind Strength 8-18kts
- Wind Direction: NW Maestrale (Mistral) breeze
- Sea State: Choppy
- Roll out: 0945hrs Dock Out: 1100hrs
- Dock In: 1530hrs Crane out: 1700hrs
- Total Tacks: 24 - Fully foiling: 17; Touch & Go: 4; Touch Down: 3
- Total Gybes: 23 - Fully foiling: 16; Touch & Go: 3; Touch Down: 4
Crew: Francesco Bruni, Marco Gradoni, Jimmy Spithill, Andrea Tesei Umberto Molineris
Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC40 - Day 22 - April,24 2023 - Barcelona
From the AC37 Joint Recon team:
Alinghi Red Bull Racing rolled out their AC40 at 09:00 and docked out by 11:00, ahead of a day of testing, laps and pre-starts, with Force 1-2 conditions and flat sea state off Barcelona, throughout the day.
The M1 mainsail and J1 jib were hoisted in port and the yacht was towed out 2.5NM out, though they struggled to get on foil, pumping the mainsail through the traveller in attempt gain extra speed. After a few attempts, the team decided to tow North towards the land, where the breeze had already filled in.
The first phase consisted of a few tacks upwind to sail a long downwind stretch on starboard towards Badalona, then a long upwind stretch on port back to the course area. In the following phases, the team then started drilling laps and pre-starts about a 1NM upwind course with a leeward gate and single upwind mark. The pin-end / port leeward gate was moved closer and to leeward for the penultimate stint, and upwind for the final stint.
The team called it a day by 15:00 and the yacht was returned to base after a very consistent day in light winds.
The team achieved a 100% fully foiling manoeuvre rate today, completing 70 moves, 41 tacks and 39 gybes, their first perfect day since receiving the AC40 in February. The team sailed well over 40NM in a total of 4 hours on the water.
Session Statistics: Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC40 - Day 22 - April 24, 2023 - Barcelona
- Wind Strength: 6-9kts
- Wind Direction: SSE
- Weather: Sunny 15°C
- Sea State: Beaufort 2
- Roll out: 0935hrs Dock Out: 1100hrs
- Dock In: 1515hrs Crane out: 1535hrs
- Total Tacks: 41; Fully foiling: 41; Touch & Go: 0; Touch Down: 0
- Total Gybes: 29; Fully foiling: 29; Touch & Go: 0; Touch Down: 0
Crew: Maxime Bachelin, Arnaud Psarofaghis , Nicolas Charbonnier, Bryan Mettraux, Nicolas Rolaz
Additional Images:
This commentary was written and compiled from video, still images and statistical content extracted from the AC37 Joint Recon program and other material available to Sail-World NZ including photo files, and other on the water coverage from the 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2021 America's Cups. Its format is intended to give Sail-World readers a snap shot of all teams' progress on a given day, or period.