Cup Spy Jan 15: American Magic get away to solid start for 2024

American Magic - AC75 - Day 67 - Barcelona - January 15, 2023 © Ugo Fonolla / America's Cup

Two America's Cup teams trained on the Mediterranean.

What happened in the Cup - January 15, 2024:

• American Magic - Sailed out of Barcelona on Tuesday in their AC75. This is the fifth day of sailing for the US team in 2024.
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing - Did not sail today
• Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli - Sailed their LEQ12, out of Cagliari. They last sailed on December 20 and 21 after having a compression crack in its hull following an incident on December 4, 2023 in Cagliari.
• Emirates Team New Zealand - last sailed their LEQ12 out of Auckland on December 21, completing a pre-Xmas test block. They are sailing in the SailGP Abu Dhabi this weekend. It would seem that they will not sail until next week.
• INEOS Britannia - Last week INEOS Britannia Skipper, Co-helm and CEO Ben Ainslie announced he was stepping away from sailing duties on the Emirates SailGP team to focus on the America's Cup effort. The team may switch to a program involving their two AC40's (AC40-2) and AC40-10) and that is what they sailed today. In the interview Ainslie was non-committal as to whether their test boat 'T6' would sail again, or whether they would stay with their double AC40 program until their AC75 raceboat is launched.
• Orient Express Racing Team - No report, however they were on the water off Barcelona today. They will be sailing in the SailGP Abu Dhabi, this weekend.

AC37 Joint Recon Team Reports:

American Magic - AC75 - Day 67 - January 15, 2024 - Barcelona

There was no sailing for the American AC75 today despite the team rolling the boat out at 1020, rigging and launching by 1043, and docking out at 1227. After towing five miles south to a rigging point adjacent to the Barcelona airport the MN8-1 mainsail was hoisted by 1313. However, with a breeze of barely five knots the crew pressed pause on choosing a headsail in the hope of the forecast 8-13 knot wind arriving. Unfortunately, despite waiting for over an hour, the breeze got lighter, not stronger. After towing on foils back to the harbour mouth the call was made to drop the unused mainsail and head for the dock – where the boat arrived at 1510. With another light wind forecast no sailing has been scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday January 16.

Report from Justin Chisholm - AC37 Joint Recon Team

Crew: Paul Goodison, Tom Slingsby, Michael Menniger, Riley Gibbs, Andrew Campbell, John Croom, Colten Hall, Tim Hornsby, James Wright, Ashton Lambie, Trevor Bird

Session Statistics: American Magic - AC75 - Day 67 - January 15, 2024 - Barcelona

• Weather: Clearing 2-10° C
• Wind Strength: 7-10kts
• Wind Direction: 270°
• Sea State: Light chop slight swell
• Crane In: 0719hrs Dock Out: 0855hrs
• Dock In: 1310hrs Crane out: 1340hrs
• Total Tacks: 25 - Fully foiling: 16; Touch & Go: 2; Touch Down: 7
• Total Gybes: 21 - Fully foiling: 13; Touch & Go: 1; Touch Down: 7

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (LRPP) - LEQ12 - Day 110 - January 15, 2023 - Cagliari

On their 110th sailing day, the italian team LRPP rolled out their AC40 (white) at 9:35 and their LEQ12(red) at 10:15, stepped masts and crained in respectively at 9:55 and 10:25. The team seemed to have mounted the previous longer version of rudder blade on the red yacht. Once the respective crew members boarded the pods, both yachts were docked out at 11:25. The forecast looked to be building with 14-16kn from 285 TWA with some long swell from 215° of approx .5m in addition to large wind chop.

On the red yacht, the main M2-1 was hoisted and paired to the J4 which was also hoisted on the white yacht. As the pressure increased the lower 20ies the red yacht was being towed foilborne on port tack before bearing away for longer downwind runs on both tacks between some rather rare gybes. Considering the wind strenght and the crossed seastate, it was quite challenging and almost unfeasable for the RU RIB to follow the red yacht closely for proper footage. After approx 15 minutes of straight line sailing, the red yacht came hullborne in front of the Poetto bay where the pressure seemed more feasable with 13-15kn from 315 but larger seastate. The chaseboats were laying down marks while the white yacht joined the picture for a quick sailing run before both yachts were brought hullborne.

Untill this moment the yachts have probably been setted for comparable perfomance without having engaged or lined up. At 12:30 both yatch were towed foilborne and, after some manuevers, the first of three prestarts+time on distance drills was observed with white yacht on starboard and red on port entry. Red yacht seemed to prevail in all starts and both yachts sailed their own upwind leg without always rouding the top marks, instead bearing away to practice additional starts. Red yacht was decellerated at 13:15 and shore crew jumped on board checking devices mounted on the aft. instrumentation pole.

By then the pressure had increased to 21-23kn from 315 with larger chop overlapped to the longer southwesterly swell. After some time awaiting, the day was called and sails were lowered on the red yacht at 13:30 with approximately 55 minutes foiling time and 26 tacks and 24 gybes [Michele Melis AC Recon].

Crew: Marco Gradoni, Francesco Bruni, Jimmy Spithill, Umberto Mollineris, Vittorio Bissaro, Andrea Tesel

Session Statistics: LLuna Rossa Prada Pirelli (LRPP) - LEQ12 - Day 110 - January 15, 2023 - Cagliari

• Weather: Sunny 12°C
• Wind Strength 13-18kts
• Wind Direction: 330°-335°
• Sea State: Mostly flat
• Crane In: 0900hrs Dock Out: 1000hrs
• Dock In: 1320hrs Crane out:
• Total Tacks: 24 - Fully foiling: 20; Touch & Go: 2; Touch Down: 2
• Total Gybes: 18 - Fully foiling: 16; Touch & Go: 2; Touch Down: 0

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