RR2, day 2, race 5
The big news is that Emirates Team New Zealand’s boat Taihoro fell from its crane yesterday, luckily right into its cradle. They promise to report in as soon as they have a diagnosis from their onboard computers.
And so to the race course. American Magic and Alinghi Red Bull Racing are carrying their big J1 headsails. The pin-end of the line is favoured. Alinghi comes in on starboard and looks aggressive, but forgets about the invisible wall of gas that can exit an AC75 – they do a gentle slide into the Barcelona sea, similar to American Magic’s yesterday against Ineos Britannia.
American Magic does a dip start to stay in clear air and heads up the course at 23 knots which is a dawdle in AC75 terms.
By the time Alinghi gets in flight, it is 500m behind. Commentator Glenn Ashby: ‘They are using plenty of oil to move the mainsail through the power range,’ which means hard work for the cyclors.
The top third of the race course is light so it’s a critical tack coming into the top mark. American Magic gets around the mark 1:27 minutes ahead. At gate 2, Alinghi splashes down through the gybe and extends its deficit to 1:38.
Commentator Peter Lester: ‘Managing the bottom third of the course you have to be so accurate in terms of laylines. And the downwind leg is harder because you’re relying on apparent wind speed to stay airborne.’ Glenn Ashby suggests Alinghi needed more depth in the mainsail.
Leg three: American Magic falls off the foils, but recovers. Glenn says they are setting up with more camber in the mainsail and the cant of the foil arm is right under the boat to reduce the righting moment and help the boat power up, build speed and get airborne. This is a good lesson in sailing physics, but even better the race committee plays fairy godmother and shortens the course again. That’s good news for American Magic, although it’s not a race strategy you’d want to rely on.
From now on, it’s painful. Leg 4: American Magic is also down; they get airborne again but the next manoeuvre is another splosh. Glenn Ashby says they have to dig in like buggery and they are racing the clock to finish within 45 minutes. Glenn adds that Alinghi is having a Barry Crocker which is Aussie for a shocker. Excellent.
The race committee says it will finish the race at gate 4. That’s a gem for American Magic.
What follows is excruciating with both boats down. American Magic has to finish within the time limit of 45 minutes. It decides to forget about foiling and just sail for the finish line in displacement mode at 9-10 knots. They finish in time to bag the win, shortly before the breeze fills to bring Alinghi home, too, well behind.
© Rebecca Hayter
Photo credit: Ricardo Pinto, America's Cup
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