Courageous Concord Pacific Racing narrowly miss out on semi-finals in Barcelona
by Concord Pacific Racing 23 Sep 2024 14:41 PDT
23 September 2024
Concord Pacific Racing Youth Team Canada, Jajo Team Dutchsail Youth Netherlands - UniCredit Youth America's Cup - Barcelona © David Maynard /
www.alleycatphotographer.com
Concord Pacific Racing's Youth Team showed tremendous heart and resilience but narrowly missed out on a spot in the UniCredit Youth America's Cup semi-finals after finishing the qualifying series in fourth place today.
Heading into the final qualifying day in fifth position, Canada needed two strong performances to force their way into the top three. Determined not to leave anything out on the water, the Canadians gave it their all and pushed things to the absolute limit, but two OCS (On Course Side) penalties proved costly.
Despite the setbacks, the team displayed poise, calm heads, and composure, clawing their way back into contention with a third-place finish in Race 7. However, with Spain finishing ahead in second, the Canadians faced an almost impossible task—needing to win the final race and hope Spain finished last to secure their spot in the semi-finals.
The Canadians nearly pulled off a perfect start in the final race, setting themselves up for one last push. Yet, the slightest misjudgment on the start line resulted in another OCS by a matter of inches, putting them on the back foot once again. Despite sailing brilliantly to recover and finish third, it wasn't enough, as Spain sealed their place in the semi-finals with a convincing win on home waters.
"We're obviously quite disappointed not to make it to the next round, but at the same time, we always wanted to be competitive. We didn't know just how competitive we would be, and I'm really proud of all of our team," said Youth Captain Andrew Wood.
"I think everybody exceeded expectations, and at the end of the day, we were really, really close. Today we had a shot—we knew we had to push really hard, and unfortunately, we were over on both starts, but we raced really well, so we have to be happy with the experience."
Head Coach Kyle Martin praised the team's determination: "I'm really happy with how the team sailed today. We put all our plans into action and went for it on the two starts, but we were a little unfortunate with the OCS penalties," Martin said.
"Still, we cleared them quickly and had some really strong races. I'm super proud of how the team performed all week—constantly improving with each race, handling the boat well, and communicating effectively. Who knows where we could have ended up if we'd had another day or two to keep progressing, but overall, I'm really pleased with how the team came together and performed."
For the Canadians, it was a courageous effort in their first-ever entry at the UniCredit Youth America's Cup, and their performance earned praise from peers and fans alike for their tactical sailing and smart decision-making. While there may be some disappointment with the outcome, the experience has laid a strong foundation for future campaigns.
Reflecting on the team's journey, Wood said: "I'm super proud of the whole team. We got a simulator almost a year ago now, and we've put so many hours on it. Everybody worked really hard—we never had any issues with people putting in the work; it was quite the opposite. The amount of improvement we've made is incredible and inspiring for the future. I hope that we all carry on with sailing of a similar ilk in the future."
Wood added, "It's been incredible. These boats were a treat to sail—it's the most fun sailing I've ever done. To be racing here with a lot of friends from past classes and Olympic classes made it even more fun. Being part of the America's Cup as a whole has been a really great experience."
While the UniCredit Youth America's Cup semi-finals continue, for the Canadians, attention now turns to the inaugural Puig Women's America's Cup, with racing beginning on October 5. Watch this space for an exciting campaign coming soon to rally support for the women's team because, after 173 years...it's time.
You can watch all the action live on Sail-World.com.
Final Group B Standings:
- Artemis Swedish Challenge | 62 points
- Sail Team BCN | 45 points
- Andoo Team Australia | 43 points
- Concord Pacific Racing | 31 points
- Jajo Team Dutchsail | 28 points
- Team Germany | 17 points