Cup Spy August 29: Swiss coaches capsize in training.

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World NZ 29 Aug 2023 15:44 PDT 30 August 2023

Three Cup teams sailed off Barcelona in stronger breezes of 8-16kts giving the teams the opportunity for racing practice in the softer morning breeze. It increased in the afternoon placing a greater premium on boathandling - with the Swiss coaching team of Dean Barker and Phil Robertson capsizing.

What happened in the Cup - August 29 2023:

• Alinghi Red Bull Racing sailed two AC40's both in one design mode the Barker/Robertson co-helmed boat pitched against the Psarofaghis/Bachelin combination that will likely co-helm for Alinghi Red Bull Racing in the Preliminary Event in Vilanora, in mid-September. The racing was more even than Monday.The Robertson/Barker helmed AC40 capsized their AC40 soon after a boat change.
• INEOS Britannia - had a more successful day with T6 pitched against their AC40 OD. The Brits did a combination of performance testing, and racing practice ahead of Vilmora.
• American Magic sailed two AC40OD's with Paul Goodison and Lucas Calabrese co-helming one AC40, with Tom Slingsby and Harry Melges co-helming the other. It is expected that Goodison and Slingsby will co-helm in Vilanova. However Slingsby has SailGP helming obligations in the weekends either side of the Vilanova regatta.
• Emirates Team New Zealand did not sail.
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli did not sail their LEQ12 out of Sardinia
• Orient Express Racing Team - no report - but the recon teams got shots of the French team sailing today. They also have SailGP obligations either side of Vilanova.

Commentary: Weather eye

We are now parallel running within the 2024 America's Cup time-frame, 12 months hence - and the Barcelona weather has assumed more relevance.

There was a significant weather event overnight with a 44kt squall hitting Port Olimpic and pushing wave heights up to 1.2metres. This was the second incidence of 40kt plus winds in three days, and with wave heights deemed unsuitable by America's Cup crews for sailing.

Otherwise the teams enjoyed productive sailing sessions as they did a combination of speed testing work combined with some race training, ahead of the first Preliminary Event to be staged in Vilanova.

As reported by the AC37 Joint Recon team, one of the Swiss AC40s capsized. It was being sailed by the two sailor coaches, Dean Barker and Phil Robertson, working as coaches and training helmsman with Alinghi Red Bull Racing. It capsized "during a bear away just a few minutes into after swapping seats, right before the pre-start sequence. The Red boat was righted within five minutes via the chase boat and checks were carried out."

Both AC40s sailed back to the team base at the end of the session.

The training of the other two teams went without incident.

Orient Express Racing Team was again sailing alone today.

Weather conditions at Barcelona August 29, 2023:

In this edition we bring in new reporting from Predictwind with a 24hour view of the wind strength and direction, and wave height information from a wave buoy located on the AC37 race area, which can be visually cross-referenced with the wind strength and direction data. Like almost all the other information in these Cup Spy reports, it is sourced from the same data-sets available to the teams.

• According to the Predictwind readings taken at the entrance to Olimpic Port the breeze peaked at an average of 13kts gusting 15kts or so - around 1500hrs. The breeze swung through to the south before stabilising in strength and direction around 1400hrs. Overnight a 44kt squall hit Port Olimpic at around 0300hrs pushing the seastate up to a height of 1.2metres.
• Sea state: 0.8metre increasing to 1.2metres in the early morning squall.
• Conditions: 22 degrees-25 degreesC Sunny

The squall on Wednesday morning is the second to hit the America's Cup race area in three days. As reported yesterday the breeze cracked in on Sunday hitting an average of 35kts plus and gusting to over 40kts from the NE. While that was the strongest breeze we have seen yet in Barcelona, with waves (around noon), being recorded on a wave buoy off Barcelona, at a height of 2.25metres at around 1600hrs.

AC37 Joint Recon Team Reports:

Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC40 x2 - Day 51 - August 29, 2023 - Barcelona

Alinghi Red Bull Racing rolled out their AC40-4 (YELLOW) at 11:45hrs, continuing with one design foils. The AC40-7 (RED) was rolled out at 12:20hrs, also in one design mode. Decal stickers from the bottom side of the hull on the red boat were removed before craning in. Standard pre-sailing checks were carried out before dockout at 14:00hrs. Both boats raised sails in port and began sailing from the port entrance at 14:20hrs.

The 'Garbi' afternoon thermal wind ranged between 12-15kts from the South. A residual East Swell was still present, with the increasing South wind creating the typical choppy conditions. All sailors started in the same positions as the previous day, with Arnaud Psarofaghis and Maxime Bachelin helming the Red boat, Phil Robertson and Dean Barker helming the Yellow boat.

In the first stint, both boats sailed upwind and downwind in close proximity, executing synchronized tacks and gybes. The second stint consisted of a pre-start practice, as the yellow boat started the race approximately 15 seconds late, prompting a restart. Both boats sailed with both boards down for the majority of the pre-start as the strength of the gusts increased.

The third stint consisted of a one-lap race as the breeze continued to build. The Red boat [Psarofaghis/Bachelin] secured the win. Subsequently, both boats switched from J2 to J3 jibs. In the fourth stint, a two-lap race was held, with both boats fighting in for the lead in close proximity. The Yellow boat initially defended the first three legs but touched down after the final windward rounding, allowing the Red boat [Psarofaghis/Bachelin] to overtake and maintain its lead to the end.

The fifth stint began with the Yellow boat (Barker/Robertson) touching down after tacking onto the start lay line, giving the Red boat [Psarofaghis/Bachelin] an advantage at the gun, however the race was restarted. In the following race, the Red [Psarofaghis/Bachelin] boat lost control while tacking onto the windward mark lay line, enabling the Yellow boat to create a significant lead, which it held till the finish.

After this race, a full crew swap was done between the boats.

The sixth stint saw the Red boat [Barker/Robertson] capsizing during a bear away just a few minutes into after swapping seats, right before the pre-start sequence. The Red boat was righted within five minutes via the chase boat and checks were carried out, as the Yellow boat [Psarofaghis/Bachelin] went back on tow. Both boats then sailed upwind towards the base, marked a the seventh and final stint of the day.

Sails were lowered at 17:00hrs and both boats were towed back to base, docking in just before 17:30hrs.

34 Nautical Miles were covered by the Recon Boat, observing the team three and a half hour session on the water, of which 110 minutes were spent sailing. 58 manoeuvres were counted of the Psarofaghis/Bachelin team, averaging at 97% fully foiling.

Crew: Arnaud Psarofaghis, Maxime Bachelin, Phil Robertson, Dean Barker, Nico Rolaz, Bryan Mettraux, Yves Detrey, Jason Waterhouse

Session Statistics: Alinghi Red Bull Racing - AC40 x2 - Day 51 - August 29, 2023 - Barcelona

• Weather: Sunny 26 degreesC
• Wind Strength 12kts-16kts
• Wind Direction: 190 degrees - 195 degrees
• Sea State: 0.6 - 1.2mtr
• Dockout:1400hrshrs Dock In: 16720hrs
• Total Tacks: 36 - Fully foiling: 34; Touch & Go:0; Touch Down: 2
• Total Gybes: 22- Fully foiling: 22; Touch & Go: 0; Touch Down: 0

American Magic - AC40-OD x 2 - Day 59 - August 29, 2023 - Barcelona

American Magic team rolled their AC40's from the shed at 10:05hrs with a new version of their port wing foil AM-LEQ-FW3 #3 version E as they announced in today's Component Declaration.

America was fitted with a black foil with a spat and elevated tips on starboard and the new version in the silver port foil.

Magic was fitted with a stock foil on starboard side and silver bended with elevated white tips on port side.

They proceeded with the mast stepping procedure and by 11:56hrs both boats where in the water. The team docked out at 12:56hrs with Paul, Michael, Andrew and Lucas on board America and Tom, Finn, Harry and Riley on board Magic.

As regards intensity, building during the day starting with 8kts 155 degrees, and ending the day with 14kts on average from the South measured at sea level, and pumping confused sea state from the East. Today's session was planned to test on their foils in windy conditions.

They hoisted Main #4 and J1 #2 inside the harbour and by 13:35hrs they started sailing upwind-downwind doing several manouvres (7 tacks and 5 gybes).

As the wind increased at 14:16hrs they hoisted J2 #3 and 6 minutes later they continued sailing upwind doing line up's and testing on speed. At 14:28hrs one lap upwind-downwind race was conducted starting in between two marks also used as gates.

Here we started to see that the boats were becoming harder to control as the foils where struggling to generate lift from the vapourised water surrounding it. Sometimes managing to decrease speed so the foils recreate their traction again and many others ending up nose-diving due to the cavitation and making them stop.

At 14:42hrs they hoisted J3 and tested upwind on their port foil for 16minutes. Next, America checked and fixed on their port foil and just before taking off their sheets come off. The testing continued for 10 more minutes and ended with a touch down.

They swapped batteries and sailed for another 40minutes. At 17:00hrs they went bearing away back to port where they put the main and the J3 down ending up their training.

Elia Miquel - Recon Unit NYYC AM

Session Statistics: American Magic - AC40-OD x 2 - Day 59 - August 29, 2023 - Barcelona

• Weather: Sunny 24 degreesC
• Wind Strength: 8-14kts
• Wind Direction: 155 degrees - 190 degrees
• Sea State: Beaufort 2
• Crane In: 1005hrs Dock Out: 1256hrs
• Dock In: 1724hrs Crane out: 1820hrs
• Total Tacks: 22 - Fully foiling: 13; Touch & Go: 4; Touch Down: 5
• Total Gybes: 24 - Fully foiling: 14; Touch & Go: 6; Touch Down: 4

Crew: America: Tom Slingsby, Lucas Calabrese, Michael Menninger, Andrew Campbell; Magic: Paul Goodison, Harry Melges, Riley Gibbs, Severin Gramm

INEOS Britannia - LEQ12/AC40 - Day 73 - August 29, 2023 - Barcelona

From the AC37 Joint Recon Team (Justin Chisholm)

INEOS Britannia launched both their T6 LEQ122 test boat and their one-design AC40 today but the two yachts sailed separately with the AC40 launching at 1015hrs and TT6 at 1055hrs.

T6 docked out first at 1230hrs and with the M2-2 mainsail and J2-2 up was out of the harbour by 1305hrs and quickly on to its foils in around 8 kts of breeze and on a flat sea. Other than a brief stop after a big splash down on port upwind the boat stayed on airborne until 1411hrs when the crew stopped following a long straight downwind run from a point where we were close to being out of sight of land.

Minutes later T6 was up and running again for another windward leeward lap that ended at 1455hrs close to the entrance to the harbour.

With the British AC40 rigging up just inside the breakwater (Ben Ainslie and Giles Scott with Bleddyn Mon and Leigh McMillan) the T6 crew (Ben Cornish and Dylan Fletcher with Luke Parkinson and Iain Jensen plus Neil Hunter as 5th) man called time on their session at 1500hrs with sails down shortly after and dock in taking place at 1530hrs.

There were few maneuvers from T6 during the session with the focus appearing to be on experimenting with flight heights at a variety of wind angles (including some reaching) as well as sailing bow up upwind on several occasions. The maneuvers that did take place appeared a little ragged from our observation position - especially as the chop and swell built slowly over the session (never over 0.5 metres).

That said, T6 showed no signs of the issues encountered during yesterday's (Monday August 28) session and appeared to be functioning well. Based on data from Marine Traffic the British AC40 docked in around 1740hrs.

General observations: Three rudder blades of varying sizes were spotted in the yard close to where the boats are rigged (see photo below). Several of what looked to be the AC40 racing headsails were hoisted on the dock - presumably to check their fit.

Session Statistics: INEOS Britannia - LEQ12/AC40 - Day 73 - August 29, 2023 - Barcelona

• Weather: Sunny 22 degrees-25 degreesC
• Wind Strength 8-10kts
• Wind Direction: 150 degrees-180 degrees
• Sea State: Flat then moderate chop
• Crane In: 1055hrs Dock Out: 1230hrs
• Dock In: 1530hrs Crane out: 1600hrs
• Total Tacks: 11 - Fully foiling: 4; Touch & Go: 5; Touch Down: 2
• Total Gybes: 7 - Fully foiling: 2; Touch & Go: 2; Touch Down: 3

Crew: Ben Ainslie, Giles Scott, Bleddyn Mon, Luke Parkinson, Ben Cornish, Dylan Fletcher, Iain Jensen, Neil Hunter, Leigh cMillan

Additional Images:

Alinghi Red Bull Racing

American Magic

INEOS Britannia

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 snapshot of all teams' progress on a given day or period.