Cup Spy - June 14: Swiss are alone in Barcelona, but have a good day in their AC75
by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 15 Jun 2023 23:12 AEST
15 June 2023
Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC75 - Day 68 - June 14, 2023 - Barcelona © Alex Carabi / America's Cup
Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC75 - Day 68 - June 14, 2023 - Barcelona
In Barcelona, Alinghi Red Bull Racing put in a solid day on their AC75. The other teams are either en route to the 37th America's Cup venue, or are about to do so. We have some images from the AC37 Joint Recon team of specific items on the Swiss AC75.
What happened in the Cup - June 14, 2023:
- Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailed their AC75 in a light to moderate breeze off Barcelona. We have several interesting images from the AC37 Joint Recon Program crew.
- Luna Rossa did not sail. No indication of when the Italian team will be packing and transiting to Barcelona.
- Emirates Team New Zealand's AC75, chase boats and several containers of gear is on a ship en route to Panama, with another two/three days sailing ahead, once they have passed through the Panama Canal they will head for Barcelona. The sailing team will compete this weekend in SailGP Chicago.
- American Magic is expecting to start sailing on June 22, out of Barcelona, with their AC75.
- INEOS Britannia did not sail. They are believed to be close to transiting to their new base in Barcelona.
- No further news from the Orient Express Team (formerly K-Challenge).
- Youth and Womens America's Cup teams are not covered by the restriction on the AC teams of being only able to sail in Barcelona, between July 1 to October 31 inclusive. They are permitted to sail/train in their home country, or anywhere. Several teams already have selection and trial processes underway.
From the AC37 Joint Recon team:
Alinghi Red Bull Racing rolled out their AC75 at 07:45, anticipating earlier winds, that did not fill until 12:00. The yacht was craned in and prepared for a day of sail and foil testing, with the M1-1R mainsail and J1-2R prepared on deck, and the J3-1R and J4-1R on the chase boat. The yacht was towed North, stopping 5nm off Masnou, as the first hints of wind came through.
The ‘Garbi’ South thermal wind picked up through the session, peaking at 15 knots at the end of the day. An East ground swell from the Tramontana further away was present, but did not cause much of a disrupting chop.
Sailing commenced at 12:15, with the AC75 just managing to get on foils at an estimated 19.5kn. Three stints were sailed, with the team gradually improving on their quality of maneuvers.
A few laps of the 2nm windward/leeward course were sailed. More focus was given to the jib sheet system, as sailors were observed adjusting it through the day, including while up on the foil.
Sails were dropped at 15:05, bringing an end to a long day on the water.
The team spent five hours on the water and covered over 75nm, from Dock-out to Dock-in, the second most of any day so far, and the most with the AC75. 57% of the 44 maneuvers were fully foiling, not the team’s most consistent day, but one of the most productive.
A flight controller spotted on the previous day was seen again and is believed to be located in the middle seat, in front of the steering wheel. On the previous AC75 outing (230612), Jason Waterhouse was in this seat, however he is presumably in Chicago preparing for the start of SailGP Season 4.
Dean Barker, Yves Courvoisier (Research & Development/Simulator) and Julien Pilate (Sail Designer/Aero Modeller for Simulator) were also on board.
Session Statistics:
- Wind Strength: 7-13kts
- Wind Direction: SSW
- Weather: Partly cloudy 22°C
- Sea State: Beaufort 1-2
- AC75 Crane In: 0815hrs Dock Out: 1030hrs
- AC75 Dock In: 1530hrs Crane Out: 1600hrs
- Both AC75 used the American Magic and ETNZ legacy wing foils
Crew: Maxime Bachelin, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Bryan Mettraux, Yves Detrey, Nico Rolaz, Augustin Maillefer, Théry Schir, Arthur Cevey , Barnabe Delarze, Dean Barker, Yves Courvoisier (Research & Development/Simulator) and Julien Pilate (Sail Designer/Aero Modeller for Simulator) also on board