Please select your home edition
Edition
McDYachts_Pyewacket-for-Sale_1456x180 TOP

America's Cup: USA's Terry Hutchinson on the upcoming Preliminary Regatta

by Magnus Wheatley, America's Cup Media 20 Jul 2024 23:38 UTC
American Magic - AC75 - Day 17 - June 4, 2024 - Barcelona © Ugo Fonolla / America's Cup

Representing the most famous yacht club in the world could be a burden for some but not for New York Yacht Club American Magic, one of the most thorough and process-driven teams in this Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup.

After the start of their campaign in Pensacola, Florida where they launched their warhorse AC75 ‘Patriot’ from the last Cup, this is a team that has been operating at the highest level ever since.

Led on the water by International Moth World Champions and Olympic Gold medallists Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison, NYYC American Magic is about as sporty and competitive as can be. Tom Burnham has done a peerless job overseeing training and encouraged the likes of Andrew Campbell, Mike Menninger, Riley Gibbs and Lucas Calabrese into creating healthy internal competition for key places whilst the cyclor programme has been intense and attracted world-class, elite athletes.

A win in the opening Preliminary Regatta at Vilanova i La Geltrú was an early high but a fair reward for endless hours of detailed, structured on-water training in both the AC75 and the team's two AC40s and certainly confirmed their top billing status.

When the team revealed their new AC75 in May, it was greeted with gasps and admiration. A low-profile bow section, recumbent cyclor positions and side-by-side helm and trim cockpits, screamed radical. NYYC American Magic is in Barcelona to win, there really is no second, and the team have the ultimate shot at regaining the America’s Cup trophy and taking it back to the West 44th Street clubhouse where famously it sat for 132 years from 1851 to 1983.

Leading the syndicate in his role as Skipper and President of Sailing Operations is the highly experienced, top-flight sailor, Terry Hutchinson who brings not only a racing edge to the operation but a management skillset that would befit the CEO of a major corporation. His take ahead of the third and final Preliminary Regatta is one of pure focus on the main goals of the campaign as he alludes: “We are approximately 5-weeks out and we are not focused on this event per se. We continue to work on developing our speed, boat handling, and learning Patriot. In the month of August our eye will naturally turn towards this event.”

That dedication to working through the speed upgrades on ‘Patriot’ is everything and with many experienced commentators saying that the coming month will be make or break for nearly all the teams, it’s a concept that Terry understands well: “It will be good to understand the strengths and weaknesses of Patriot against the fleet. Learning what mode to sail off the line and how to use Patriot’s speed.”

On the water, NYYC American Magic have taken every opportunity to hook up with their competitors usually on alternate tacks and gybes to get a handle on where they are in terms of speed and there's a good chance that they know exactly who’s hot and who’s not. Terry, however, remains the model of diplomacy as he knows that almost nobody is in full race trim just yet: “All teams are our competitor. Each team has clever thinking and so we will look to see what we can learn and how we can improve from the fleet not just one team. There is a lot of development for every team between now and the start of the Preliminary Regatta. The true test for all the teams is to be learning as much as they can between now and the start of this test event.”

Barcelona’s conditions during the Preliminary Regatta could well dictate overall results and still be a poor marker for outright success in the Louis Vuitton Cup and the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. Late summer transitional conditions can be tricky at best and it’s something that Terry is more than alive to having sailed the waters competitively in the TP52 class and others: “Mother nature always has the final say. We can prepare, practice, and develop but the beauty of our sport is the conditions ultimately dictate. How each team has designed and developed for the conditions in Barcelona will be on display.”

Terry doesn’t expect any sand-bagging to happen during the Preliminary Regatta, believing, like others, that everyone will want to test at full pace with so little time ahead of the Louis Vuitton Cup but is enthused to get racing, saying: “Very excited! It is what we do, and racing is ultimately what drives our team day in and day out.”

Regarded by many as having a super-quick platform in Auckland in 2021 before ultimately a capsize when leading Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the beaten finalist, by some considerable margin, led to catastrophic damage of the yacht, NYYC American Magic certainly know how to build and sail a quick AC75. Many people’s pick to go very deep and certainly a team that everyone fears, will this be the time where one of the great stories of the America’s Cup history is written? Time will tell, but the ‘Magicians’ look more than good in 2024.

Related Articles

America's Cup: Luna Rossa sail two AC40s
Luna Rossa Youth and Womens team sail two AC40s marking the anniversary of their 2024 wins The Italian Challenger Luna Rossa has opened its account in the 2027 America's Cup, sailing two AC40s from the team's permanent base in Cagliari, Sardinia. The occasion was a celebration of their wins in the Youth and Womens America's Cups Posted on 1 Oct
SailGP and America's Cup on collision course
Serious schedule clashes ahead as a group of professional sailors try to serve two masters. "This America's Cup has to be their #1 priority. Frankly, as far as I am concerned, it's the only priority", Emirates Team NZ CEO Grant Dalton on pro sailors wanting to compete in SailGP as well as the America's Cup. Posted on 26 Sep
America's Cup: Ray Davies scouts Naples
Ray Davies of Emirates Team New Zealand recently made a vibrant stop in Naples, Italy Ray Davies of Emirates Team New Zealand recently made a "vibrant" stop in Naples, Italy, ahead of the upcoming Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup, and was left in awe of both the city and its sailing conditions. Posted on 25 Sep
America's Cup: Controversial agreement signed
According to Italian media, the secret AC Partnership agreement has been signed by CoR/D* International sailing journalist, Fabio Pozo, writing for the Milan based newspaper La Stampa, reports that the secret America's Cup Partnership (ACP) agreement is expected to be signed next week. Posted on 21 Sep
America's Cup: Vision for the Naples unveiled
Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute unveiled the vision for the America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Emirates Team NZ and Sport e Salute, the publicly-owned Italian company responsible for promoting sports and a healthy lifestyle across the nation, unveiled the vision for the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027. Posted on 20 Sep
Womens America's Cup opportunities expand
the pathway for female athletes has never been stronger than in the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup 2024 and the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup was announced following the publication of the Protocol for the Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup in Barcelona. It was a moment not only for women's sport and equality but showed that the America's Cup was Posted on 19 Sep
America's Cup: The Elephant(s) in the Room
Some shafts of light have been shed on the negotiation positions of the Challengers and Defender. With nearly 250 pages of America's Cup regulations released, it's clear both the Challenger and Defender have ben forced to take a pragmatic stance on the Naples Cup. Some shafts of light have been shed on the positions of the Challengers and Defender. Posted on 18 Sep
America's Cup: Luna Rossa's Challenge accepted
According to local media the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted by the Kiwis. Leading America's Cup journalist, Fabio Pozzo, reports that the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted for the 2027 Cup in Naples. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: ETNZ's design boss on new AC75 Rule
Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on recycled AC75 hulls, electric power and other rule changes. Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on the use of recycled AC75 hulls, the switch to full electric power, and other changes. He claims there is plenty of performance gain left in the AC75 for the designer teams. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted on 11 Sep
Barton Marine Pipe GlandsRooster 2025Mackay Boats 728x90 BOTTOM