35th Defense of the America's Cup
Day 5

Defender:
Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Oracle Team USA
Challenger:
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, represented by Emirates Team New Zealand

New Zealand leads the Match 6-1 to begin Day 5. NZL is on Match Point and can win the America's Cup with one more victory. The first boat to win 7 points wins the America's Cup.  See Scoring and Standings for more

Day 5 (Monday, June 26)
Race Program:
America's Cup, Presented by Louis Vuitton.
Two Match Races

Race 9: NZL vs. USA - start 2:12 pm
Race 10: USA vs. NZL - start 2:57 pm*

Start times are local in Bermuda, subject to change.
*Race 10 only if needed. 

Next races, also if needed and weather permitting, will be Tuesday, June 27.  See Complete Regatta Schedule

Weather:
Wind SW 6-8 kts. (WindGuru). Wind SSW 8-9 kts (Wunderground).

Preview:
Emirates Team New Zealand has been here before. So has Oracle Team USA. So have America's Cup fans around the world. One...Win...Away.......

Team New Zealand has been on a quest to win back the trophy, for the country of New Zealand, for nearly 14 years. Three times as challenger now.  In the process, TNZ has reinvented themselves several times over, not entirely by choice.

So there is a tremendous lot of history on the line today, and a lot of the future, too. Let's not get ahead to the who, what, and how of hypotheticals.  One race at a time is the mantra for all sides.

Racing Preview:
Light wind again plays to NZL strengths, but Sunday despite being 9-10 knots most of the time, was inconsistent in wind and direction to the point of anxiety.  In a solid breeze, a decent lead might be safe, but not yesterday.  And the spotty wind blurred a clear understanding of how the modified Oracle Team USA yacht 17 stacks up now to the Challenger.  Saturday USA gained upwind, NZL was faster downwind.  Sunday, NZL seemed better when they were in the same wind going to weather, but USA made huge gains sailing off the wind. Much of it was private breeze and huge shifts. But was that the whole story?

Peter Burling on NZL sailed a conservative, defensive Match Racing style on Sunday, making efforts to stay in phase with the opponent as much as possible. His one aggressive move of hooking Jimmy Spithill and USA in the Race 8 pre-start paid off in a big way, though.  The pressure of being behind, and NZL covering, forced Spithill to try options that ended up hurting USA's fortunes even more. Expect Jimmy to have it buckled down a bit more today. And probably, given his nature, looking to go out with a fight, feisty in the pre-Start and all around the course. 

CupStats:
A visual look at the relative performance of the Challenger and Defender.  See the CupStats page for comparisons of speed on each leg of each race of the 2017 America's Cup Match to date

 

Race 9:
Start at 2:12 pm. Oracle Team USA has a slight jump off an even start at the line.  To windward, USA gets ahead and sails in front of NZL, leading by three seconds at the first Mark.  NZL uses their position behind, though, to push USA to the right-hand boundary and time their gybe on the downwind leg, both boats about even now on Leg 2.  NZL sails slightly faster, slightly deeper, controls the gybe for the gate. NZL sails very deep, takes the right-hand gate after thier gybe.  USA gybes too, but declines to follow them. USA adds a downspeed gybe to the left-hand gate, comes off their foils, very slow in the water. 

NZL comes back from the left-hand boundary, they are about 150m ahead when the boats cross in the middle of the course, NZL on port, USA on stbd.  NZL keeps going, allowing the split.  Gains for NZL on the right.  Wind is about 8.5 kts. Now they cross about 160m in front this time, NZL on stb.  Looks like a a header for NZL and a slow tack, USA closer to 130m behind. No covering taking place, USA allowed to stay out of phase the whole leg.  NZL to the stbd. layline, USA to the port.. NZL turns left. The header on port is hurting USA now. Delta at the first windward gate is 26 seconds.

On Leg 4, the lead is about 240m for NZL. USA gybes to starboard, NZL stays on port a while longer, finally gybing to cover.  USA is making big gains, the lead cut in half by the middle of the leg before NZL gets up to speed. Slow gybe for USA hurts, lead soon grows for NZL. 300m ahead after they gybe for the final downwind gate, and round turning left. Wind is about 8 kts., USA looking slow coming out of gybes. 35 second delta as USA turns right, and tacks soon after.  NZL gets in phase.  To the right-hand boundary and both tack. 

USA, who seems to be coming out of tacks faster than NZL since this weekend began, makes a slight gain, but the lead for NZL stays about 150m or so as they are nearing the top end of the leg.  NZL to the starboard layline as USA tacks early. This might be setting up a dialdown or a close cross at least.  NZL can't quite lay the lefthand side of the gate.  USA goes to the port layline and past it.  NZL will have to tack for the right side of the gate.  NZL rounds first turning right.  USA will have to follow?  But no, USA tacks in the gate for the left turn.  Lead is 320m for NZL to start the leg.

No room to catch up. No final comeback.  NZL cruising. This will be it.

Emirates Team New Zealand Wins the America's Cup!

35th Defense of the America's Cup
Day 4

Sunday Results: Emirates Team New Zealand wins both races. The America's Cup Match now stands at 6-1 for New Zealand, who are one win away from taking the trophy back to Auckland.

Defender:
Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Oracle Team USA
Challenger:
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, represented by Emirates Team New Zealand

New Zealand leads the Match 4-1 to begin Day 4. The first boat to win 7 points wins the America's Cup.  See Scoring and Standings for more

Day 4 (Sunday, June 25)
Race Program:
America's Cup, Presented by Louis Vuitton.
Two Match Races

Race 7: NZL vs. USA - start 2:12 pm
Race 8: USA vs. NZL - start 2:57 pm

Start times are local in Bermuda. Times are subject to change. Next races, weather permitting, Monday, June 26.  See Complete Regatta Schedule

Weather:
Sunday: Conditions 77d F, overcast. Wind SSW 7-9 kts. (WindGuru). Wind SW 8 kts (Wunderground).

Race 7:
NZL starts to leeward, a length ahead, USA to windward.  NZL first to Mark 1, 3 second lead. Downwind Leg 2, 40m lead for NZL, both on port.  NZL gybes for the right-hand gate, USA follows.  Wind is 8-9 knots. 5 seconds at Gate 2. Both gybe soon after rounding, now on port.  Speed is similar, NZL has better height. Tack to starboard, NZL covering, and NZL again is pointing higher. USA getting their wind blanketed by NZL.  USA tacks away, NZL goes to the boundary.  NZL again sailing much higher on the left side of the course now. USA goes to the right-hand boundary.  Lead is up to 280m. As USA comes back across, NZL up the course tacks early to stay in phase.  NZL to the port layline, tacks for the right-hand gate.  USA is lower, still trailing, will need an extra tack to round the left-hand mark.  32 second delta at the first upwind gate.

Downwind, the breeze is much better on the right. USA sails a deeper angle with more speed and cuts into the lead, from over 300m down to 230m.  NZL gets the wind, too, will sail deep, too.  USA has to gybe at the boundary, and starts losing on the left.  NZL will save a gybe, 300m ahead. Bottom gate coming up. NZL turns left. USA 40 seconds behind, takes the right-hand turn.

 

Final upwind Leg, NZL about 250-300m ahead. Wind is 9-10kts. NZL trying to stay in phase. USA makes some gains as the wind continues to be spotty.  A right shift does NZL no favors in trying to reach the final upwind gate, but they make it eventually and turn left. USA pushes harder near the port layline and saves some distance, turning right at the gate. Delta is 35 seconds.

On the Final downwind, lead is initially about 300m.  USA gets great wind, is screaming downwind, down to 225m in no time. They both gybe, and USA keeps coming. Lead down to 150m.  One more gybe to turn the last Mark and head to the finish. USA coming up fast.  NZL hangs on to win Race 7 by 12 seconds!  Emirates Team New Zealand leads the Match 5-1.

Race 8:
Coming up. Emirates Team New Zealand hooks Oracle big time before the start. Big lead for NZL at the start. NZL leads by 12 seconds at Mark 1.  NZL by 24 seconds at the downwind gate. They split the gates, but NZL soon gets in phase and covers. It's about 24 seconds, 160m lead, upwind.  USA finding better speed, cutting into the lead. NZL pulls out a bit. 

Problems on USA, boundary penalty at the port layline. Both turn right at the first upwind gate, 36 second lead for NZL. Downwind, big shifts, mostly helping NZL. Their lead extends.  They turn left at the bottom gate. USA turns right. Delta is 37 seconds.  USA off their foils in the rounding.

On the final upwind leg, the wind is a little spotty, but NZL is solidly ahead.  They are not in phase. USA comes across on port tack, making gains before NZL finally tacks at the left boundary.  But out of phase, the port tack is paying, and NZL gets their turn to open up a lead.  NZL goes well past the starboard layline, making sure to round. NZL turns left. USA will follow, but not close right now.

USA again is screaming down the final downwind leg, making big gains. 50m lead down to 300m.  But NZL gybes for the final Mark and the finish leg.  Finish Delta is 30 seconds.

Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 8!

New Zealand leads the Match now 6-1. Next race is Match point. Races resume Monday.

35th Defense of the America's Cup
Day 3

Saturday Results:
One win for each team, NZL leads the Match 4-1.

Defender:
Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Oracle Team USA
Challenger:
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, represented by Emirates Team New Zealand

New Zealand leads the Match 3-0 to begin Day 3. The first boat to win 7 points wins the America's Cup.
See Scoring and Standings for more

Day 3 (Saturday, June 24)
Race Program:
America's Cup, Presented by Louis Vuitton
Two Match Races

Race 5: NZL (W) vs. USA - start 2:12 pm
Race 6: USA (W) vs. NZL - start 2:57 pm

(Start times are local in Bermuda. Times are subject to change.)
See Complete Regatta Schedule

Weather:
Saturday (updated Saturday 11:00 am): Conditions 77d F, overcast. Wind SW 8-10 kts. (WindGuru). Wind WSW 8 kts (Wunderground). The wind forecast has been steady since Friday as indicated above. At Saturday's Morning Briefing, however, Iain Murray, ACRM Race Officer, working from internal ACEA weather forecasts, had reservations on whether the wind conditions at race time were going to permit a start on Saturday.  The ACEA model shows winds WSW 9-12 kts. in the late morning dropping to 5-7 kts by 3:00 pm, veering further west, and continuing to weaken.

Sunday Forecast: Wind SSW 6-7 kts (WindGuru) looks less convincing.  If the Match has not concluded, expect ACRM to attempt racing on every day possible going forward. The forecast into mid-week is for winds 8 to 10 kts until Thursday when the long range, admittedly unreliable at this distance, now shows 14-15 kts.

Emirates Team New Zealand leading, Oracle Team USA gaining. Click image for Day 3 Photo Gallery. Photo: ©2017 R. Steven Tsuchiya.

Race 5:
Both boats setting up to bearaway at the line to start, USA to windward, NZL to leeward.  USA is about 2 seconds OCS at the gun, gets a penalty.  NZL leads 3 seconds at Mark 1. 

 NZL could have gone left at Gate two, but turns right to cover USA, who has gained on them downwind.  NZL is slow coming out of the rounding, and stays on the headed starboard tack, losing further. USA tacks first, and they are about dead even.  Conditions are light and shifty, making it harder for TNZ to keep things steady. USA going left.  Coming back back from the boundary, USA on starboard, there is a dial-down and USA crosses ahead, taking the lead.  To the left boundary, USA leading, tacks first. NZL with starboard uses the dial down to take the lead.  Protests from both and penalty to USA for not keeping clear.  But with wind in the 10 kt range, USA is looking more competitive on speed now.

Extra tack for USA, they round 26 seconds down at Gate 3.  Downwind, NZL seems to stretch out, lead from 20m to 400m at times, though spotty wind strength is a factor in that gain.  Bad gybe for USA at the left boundary, no hydro pressure at a key time, and both hulls in the water and they are down to 12 kts, NZL way out in front.  USA back up to speed, but NZL is through Gate 4, turning right. 57 second lead at the final downwind gate.

On the last upwind, NZL 500m ahead. Too much of a gap for Oracle to do anything about it. Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 5!  New Zealand leads the match 4-0. First to 7 wins.

 

Race 6:
Clear start, USA to windward, NZL to leeward.  USA is just far enough ahead to gas NZL on Leg 1, pulls ahead by a few lengths. Oracle leads at Mark 1, the first time in the Match. USA turns right with NZL following. 6 second lead for USA.  NZL tacks first. USA keeps going. 60-70m lead for USA. NZL to the right boundary, coming back Oracle crosses well ahead on port.

Big right-hand shift for USA pulls USA out into a larger lead. 70-90m, solidly ahead as they get to the upper end of the leg.  USA is not covering, but goes for the starboard layline.  NZL to the port layline. USA turns left, NZL turns right. Delta is 12 seconds. The right-hand side (on the downwind leg) has looked better for wind, USA seems to benefit. Lead is 210m for Oracle.  USA gets to the left-hand boundary and the wind direction hurts them. NZL has the right-hand side of the course, and sprints a bit, cutting the lead to under 80m.  USA gets to the right, but as they near the downwind gate, NZL gets a puff of wind, lays the gate, and is back in the lead. Both turn left, delta is 6 seconds.  USA tacks first. NZL lead shrinks as USA gets wind. NZL tacks short of the port layline, they face a dial down from USA near the gate, NZL is downspeed trying to pinch to the right-hand side of the gate, off foils, USA turns left, staying up. Big lead results on the final downwind, a short leg.  No room to catch up. USA looks to get on the scoreboard.

NZL has been faster on the downwind legs. They cut into USA's lead, streaking to the finish, but not able to make it close.  Oracle Team USA wins Race 6!  The Match now stands at 4-1. Finish Delta was 11 seconds.

Analysis:

Race 6 was a back and forth battle. USA started with a lead that NZL was able to take away upwind.  NZL passed, looking faster downwind, but the final upwind Leg 5 was pivotal.  Halfway up the leg, NZL leading let USA get out of phase, going to the left, and the New Zealanders actually gained on the right.  USA tacked again for the left side of the course, and NZL let them have it to themselves again. This time with a split, USA found a favorable bit of wind.

By itself, though, that wasn't enough to take the lead.  USA actually would have had to cross behind NZL by a fair margin.  New Zealand , on starboard, could have passed well in front of Oracle, but instead forced a dial down situation, sailing low at USA for some several seconds to do so. On the one hand, the dial down did ensure USA would be second; on the other hand it left USA a lot closer to the lead afterward.

After the dial down, NZL on starboard tacked to port below the layline, and too low to lay the protective circle around the left-hand mark of the gate that might have brought NZ rights to round inside at the gate.  NZL looked instead to lay the right-hand mark. Possibly NZL might have even crossed USA, but with USA's ability to hunt them, and the danger of a penalty if USA caught them with no place to keep clear, NZL had to play defense and duck USA's final dial down attempt.

The duck came too close to the right-hand mark. New Zealand had to pinch up to make the mark, needing to avoid instead having to make a tack in the gate that would have been a sure loser.  Though the boats both rounded opposite sides of the gates nearly in perfect synchronization, NZL was downspeed and went off her foils into displacement mode. For the few seconds it took to bearaway, round the mark, and get the hulls back out of the water, NZL gave up critical distance to USA. 

The final downwind Leg 6 is shorter than the longer Leg 4 where NZL caught USA earlier in the race.  NZL was able to make up 7 seconds on the Final Leg 7, going from 18 to 11 seconds back.

The first glance takeaway from Saturday's races is that USA has indeed found speed, especially upwind. Between techniques and some extension of daggerboard length, it's enough to put them in the mix in 10 kt. winds.  Race 5 was probably lost on a few bad breaks for USA.  Race 6 was won on good sailing and little going wrong for USA.  New Zealand had a few calls where whether they were being aggressive or non-aggressive it ended up hurting them, as events turned out.  Would closer covering on the final upwind have been better in the conditions?  Avoiding some dialups and chancing the penalty in others might have gone their way.  Easy to say that now.

New Zealand still shows good speed and technique, and sailed right back into the lead as much as Oracle did. As long as they are thinking and still learning and getting faster, too, acclaimed comebacks might just be a matter of thinking on the right time scale.

Friday, June 23: Weekend Preview

Early Preview:
Light wind for Saturday expected to favor Emirates Team New Zealand, who have looked better in those conditions throughout the Louis Vuitton Qualifiers and Playoffs, as well as in the first races of the 2017 America's Cup.  Under 12 kts of wind New Zealand has been a bit faster; under 10 knots of wind, NZL has looked completely dominant, able to foil earlier, sail faster and tack at higher speeds, and stay up on the daggerboards longer.  So single-digit forecasts look like the nightmare scenario for USA. There are at least two wildcards for this weekend, though:

Achieving Total Lightosity?
What can USA do to improve in low wind? The forecast has looked light all week and Oracle Team USA can read it, too.  Their survival depends on shifting everything for light air performance and they have spent the week making those adjustments. Will that pay off? Are there enough gains to be made to become competitive?  Extensive changes to the daggerboards are not possible, just modifications to a portion of the foils, but there is plenty of room to improve techniques for starts, tacks, and gybes.

 

Light, but how light?
Two, if the wind gets light enough, 7 knots, 6 knots, or less, and neither of the yachts can foil in the race, does that erase NZL's advantage?   The Race Officer needs to see an average of 6 knots to start the race, but, once underway, if conditions are inconsistent, the race outcome might be a roll of the dice.  Predictions for SW winds, more typical for the Great Sound race area, suggest that despite being at the low end of the range the breeze might be more coherent than the sometimes spotty SE winds that prevailed for racing last weekend.

Playing the Long Game:
And if Saturday looks soft, Sunday looks softer, seen from Friday as right on the edge of being raceable. But if the Match isn't settled by then, there won't be another week off.  Racing will pick up on Monday and every feasible day after that until a winner is decided. The forecast for the week gets better every day, into the double-digits on Tuesday and high teens later in the week. Much like San Francisco in 2013, the longer the match goes, the more favor for the defender.

35th Defense of the America's Cup
Day 2

Emirates Team New Zealand Wins Two More Races, Leads Match 3-0

Defender:
Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Oracle Team USA
Challenger:
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, represented by Emirates Team New Zealand

The Match is won by the first yacht to score seven points. Each race win is worth one point. Defender begins the match with 0 points. Challenger begins the Match with (-1) point. See Scoring and Standings for more

Day 2 (Sunday, June 18) Race Program:
America's Cup, Presented by Louis Vuitton
Two Match Races

Race 3: USA vs. NZL (W) - start 2:12 pm
Race 4: NZL (W) vs. USA - start 2:57 pm

(Start times are local in Bermuda. Times are subject to change.)
Next race Saturday, June 24.
See Complete Regatta Schedule

Weather:
Wind 8-12 kts, clear skies (ACEA).  Wind ESE 10-12 kts (WindGuru). Wind ESE 10 kts (Wunderground).

Day 2 Preview:
On Race Day 1 Emirates Team New Zealand showed that they definitely have a fast boat and good crew work for light air, able to out-sail, out-point, and out-maneuver Oracle Team USA much of the time. Still, everyone makes mistakes, and Oracle Team USA was right on top of Emirates when that happened. A gybe that dropped NZL into displacement mode on the final leg of Race 1 helped USA cut minute and twenty seconds off their huge deficit in just one leg. Spotty and shifty wind across the course in Race 2 let USA come from nearly a kilometer behind to less than a boat length, until USA’s own displacement mode gybe left the defender’s yacht 17 sitting still and the Kiwis off to the horizon.

What’s expected today is a slightly higher breeze, low double digits, still out of the atypical ESE instead of SW. These conditions should make it easy to get the boats up and stay up on foils. Yesterday’s 8-9 kt wind had holes of 6 kts or less drifting across the course, helping stretch and compress the lead. If today’s breeze is more consistent, there should be fewer cardiac incidents among the spectator crowd.

Emirates Team New Zealand showed that they are up to employing good Match Race discipline, covering their opponent and staying in phase where possible, splitting mostly just for the obvious advantage of laying a mark or gate and saving a maneuver. They got the best in both starts, one with an Oracle OCS penalty, the other with acceleration and position that made USA drop back before the first mark. Helmsman Peter Burling also executed a bold defensive move, tacking to port in the path of USA fast approaching the upwind gate. Burling just made it to the circle around the lefthand mark before Spithill, forcing USA to turn wide around NZL and follow, instead of passing.

Oracle Team USA didn’t show superior speed in the very light conditions, but they did demonstrate how aggressive they are willing to get in the pre-start. More so, though no one doubted it, they just keep coming. Spithill thrives on an underdog mentality. They didn’t sail perfectly, or both those races might have been in doubt until the last second despite NZ’s giant leads. This is starting to sound familiar?

Today’s touch higher wind, in addition to taking some of the erratic speed out of the equation, may be enough for the yachts to crossover to using their mid-range and up daggerboards, presumably with more evenly matched speed profiles for the two yachts. The teams have to commit in the morning on their daggerboard choices, though, so any weather surprises could have a decisive impact on the day’s races.

Are these the conditions that favor Oracle Team USA yet, assuming there are some? Long range forecasts, not completely reliable yet, hint at similar conditions next weekend, too.

 

Race 3:
NZL starts to leeward, USA to windward, nearly even.  USA with their highspeed boards is a little faster, but not enough to get in front of NZL and sail down before Mark 1. A protest from NZL on USA sailing down, but no penalty. With the leeward, NZL controls timing of the gybe on Leg 2.  USA slips a bit and ends up just behind.  NZL takes the left turn at Gate 2, USA turns right.  NZL is using their light air boards.  Upwind, a bit of a split.  USA's slower rounding of Gate 2 leaves them a bit down speed, but upwind NZL seems to be pulling ahead a bit. USA isn't helped by needing an extra tack to round Gate 3. 32 second delta.

Downwind NZL is extending to nearly 500m, but both boats are sailing well in the conditions of about 10 kts.  Downwind a slight gain for NZL, 42 seconds at the second leeward gate.

Upwind for the final time, USA makes a big gain as NZL struggles with a header. Lead down to 200m.  USA likes the left and tacks back to it mid-course as NZL keeps going right.  The long starboard tack back across the course seems to pay for NZL.  New Zealand heads for the port tack layline, Oracle is setting up for the starboard tack layline. Both tack short, won't lay the gate.  NZL will tack just short of the righthand mark and then turn left.  USA will go to the port layline and beyond, hoping to go right, but gets tangled up needing to avoid NZL who has just rounded.  USA protests NZL, no penalty. Painful last few hundred meters at the top of the leg, with USA rounding 56 seconds behind, and turning right.  On the final downwind, NZL is 600m ahead, nearly ready to gybe for the last Mark by the time USA rounds the Gate 5.  NZL just needs to keep it going to the finish line.  USA screaming downwind at 35 kts, but there is too much ground to make up.  Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 3!  The Match is now 2-0 for New Zealand

Race 4:
Coming up.  Oracle reported some issue with one of their rudders as Race 3 ended. Hopefully support boats can fix it before the start of Race 4. 

Wind with -8:00 to the starting gun is still 9-10 knots across the course, 12.5-13 kts near the downwind end. USA to have port tack entry for Race 4, NZL to have starboard.

New Zealand having problems in the pre-start with getting their boards to lock into place. Oracle tries a little for a hook, but not too aggressively.  Off the line, better speed from NZL to windward, they get ahead of USA and sail down, forcing USA to sail further to leeward looking for clean air.  NZL leads around Mark 1. Both to Gate 2 in one gybe, NZL turns left, USA turns right.

On the first upwind, NZL gets a right shift, a little more angle.  USA is close though, 200m lead down to 100m lead.  NZL tacks mid-course to port to cover USA. They in phase on a starboard tack, but then USA goes early, trying to get out of phase.  NZL to the boundary.  Slightly better angles for NZL, though good VMG from USA.  NZL to the starboard layline, might lay the top gate.  USA down the course is trying for the port layline.

NZL lays the first upwind gate, turns left. USA tacks on the port layline. 43 second delta at the mark, USA turning right.  600m lead for NZL downwind. Bad gybe for NZL and USA makes some gains. NZL lays the gate and turns left.  USA will need an extra gybe and have to turn right. 33 second delta.  Big shift after they round, swinging left as they tack to port. Helping Oracle a bit.  But both on starboard and NZL further up the leg gets a much bigger lift, turns that into a 500m lead.  Wind is down a knot or two, and playing to NZL's performance. New Zealand turns left, big lead onto the last downwind leg. USA will turn right.  1:00 delta.

New Zealand sails away with it.  Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 4! NZ now leads the America's Cup Match 3-0.

Next Race is Saturday, June 24.
See Regatta Schedule

35th Defense of the America's Cup
Day 1

Emirates Takes Match Lead with Two Race Wins

Defender:
Golden Gate Yacht Club, represented by Oracle Team USA
Challenger:
Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, represented by Emirates Team New Zealand

The Match is won by the first yacht to score seven points. Each race win is worth one point. Defender begins the match with 0 points. Challenger begins the Match with (-1) point. See Scoring and Standings for more

Day 1 (Saturday, June 17)
Race Program:
America's Cup, Presented by Louis Vuitton
Two Match Races

Race 1: USA vs. NZL (W) - start 2:12 pm
Race 2: NZL (W) vs. USA - start 2:57 pm

(Start times are local in Bermuda. Times are subject to change.)
See Complete Regatta Schedule

Weather:
Wind 8-12 kts, clear skies (ACEA). Wind ESE 8-11 kts (WindGuru). Wind ESE 8-9 kts (Wunderground).

Daily Preview:
Light winds may favor NZL, but decision on light air versus mid-range daggerboards could be decisive.

Also see 2017 America's Cup Match Preview at left.

35th Defense of the America's Cup, Presented by Louis Vuitton

Race 1:
30 minutes to start and winds are ESE 7.0 to 10.3 knots across the course. Unlike the prevailing SW winds that have seen most of the challenger racing, the East-Southeast wind dictates a course axis straddling the Great Sound, with the start line in mid-Sound rather than close to the America's Cup village.  The course will be the typical 7 leg course, consisting of a reaching leg off the starting line (Leg 1), a short downwind (Leg 2), first upwind leg (Leg 3), second downwind (leg 4), final upwind leg (Leg 5), final downwind (Leg 6), and a short reaching leg to the finish line.

The boats may enter the pre-start box 2:10 before the starting gun (for the port tack entry boat) and 2:00 before the gun (for the starboard tack entry boat). They must enter the starting box by 1:00 before the gun or be penalized.  They also must pass Mark 2 (going from Leg 2 to Leg 3) within 10 minutes after the start, and the winning boat must cross the finish line within 25 minutes of the start.

8:00 to go, the wind is within limits to start. Get ready!

Among things to look for in the pre-start is how aggressive the skippers look toward each other. The impact of trying too hard and getting a penalty is to end up trailing to the first mark. Based on the pre-match rhetoric, Spithill probably wants to intimidate Burling, but a mistake can backfire big time.  Aggressive starting may actual reveal limited confidence about boatspeed.

-2:10 Oracle Team USA with port tack entry. -2:00 Emirates Team New Zealand with starboard entry.  NZL onto USA's stern, trying to keep things under control and time the return to the starting line. USA turns early.  NZL holds back, looking to go for a clean start, pushing Spithill, who is leading to the line, only a bit. Still, Spithill is too close and is OCS (On Course at the Start), penalized. 13 seconds for NZL lead at Mark 1.  USA gybes early.  NZL gybes close to the boundary, looking to lay the Gate.  NZL foiling early is opening up a sizable lead in light wind. NZL turns left, tacks right away to starboard. 30 seconds delta (time difference) at the gate, USA turns right. 

NZL is there to cover them.  They both tack to port and go upwind, lead stays about 260-280m upwind.  NZL tacks just short of the starboard layline. USA in phase, both now on starboard. NZL tacks at the port layline, in the light air they can likely just point enough to round the righthand gate.  USA is back, a little further down the racetrack, and might be hurt trying to pinch up enough to make it, but they do make the gate without the extra tack, and also turn right. 46 second delta.

450m lead for NZL, USA gybes to get out of phase, but NZL is laying the downwind gate and keeps going after making one gybe themselves. 40 second delta at the downwind gate. Slight gains for Oracle, seeming to have slightly better angles and wind on the last leg. 

Upwind the second time now, NZL sailing well, foiling consistently, but the wind is easing a bit. Two tacks and NZL will round the final upwind gate, turning left. Lead is 615m.  NZL is barely flying on their foils, USA now dropping their hull into the water, displacement mode, as the wind lightens. 1:49 Delta at Gate 5.

NZL just needs to complete the course. They fall off their foils in the double gybe at the last mark, very slow as the wind is 5 kts or less, and Oracle gains a bit, but the New Zealanders pull it out and even the series at 0-0. 

Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 1!  The final delta was down to only 30 seconds.

 

Race 2:
Wind reading 7 to 11.2 kts across the course. 8:00 to the starting gun. Emirates Team New Zealand with port entry, Oracle Team USA with starboard entry. NZL enters first, USA about 10 seconds later than permitted. With a minute to go they tack back for the line. USA chasing NZL, looking for a controlling position.  NZL breaks away to the downwind side rather than get caught near the line with time to burn. USA goes after them, NZL tries to angle back and crosses USA with 15 seconds to go. Both with pace sail upwind along the start line and bear away at the gun. NZL to leeward and slightly ahead, sail down and in front of USA.  Spithill heads up to get out of their backwind.  5 second lead at Mark 1, both get out to the boundary before gybing, barely 80m lead increases a bit to 130m.  NZL can lay the gate, turning left, USA again needs an extra gybe, and turns right. 23 second Delta.

USA tacks to port after rounding, NZL tacks to port to cover them, not letting USA out of phase. Wind is sitting around 7-8 knots. Both on starboard now, lead 215m. NZL foiling well.  USA sailing lower gets to the boundary first, is out of phase, but falling back. Both now on port. One more tack and NZL lays the upwind gate, turns left.  USA to the port layline, 320m behind.  Delta at the first upwind gate is 1:06.

Downwind the lead for NZL is up to 600m.  Wind is a little stronger at the bottom gate, struggling for 6-7 at best at the top of the course right now.  NZL gets the benefit of the wind and out to 900m as they enter the last downwind gate.  Delta is 1:35.

Wind looks light for NZL now, boats hitting as little as 15 knots upwind.  USA making some gains in the conditions as NZL sees light wind, and a big shift. They get a big knock on port tack.  Oracle is closing up, on starboard, under 250m. Under 100m. Cross coming, NZL on starboard. NZL tacks in Oracle's path, just before the gate, makes the right-hand circle first by a boat length to get inside rights, and round ahead. USA protests them but no penalty. Downwind both have turned right, less than 2 lengths between them.  NZL gybes, USA follows and falls off their foils when they drop the windward board for the gybe, stopping almost dead, and NZL gets away.

Within 2 minutes, NZL is 700m ahead. One mark to go. One gybe for them. Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 2 of the 2017 America's Cup! NZL now leads the series 1-0. Final delta is 1:28.

See 2017 America's Cup Results and Standings

Afterwards:
Sound Match Race tactics, great light air techniques (and boards), and no mistakes in the starting box all worked out for Emirates Team New Zealand on Day 1. 

Oracle Team USA showed the never-give-up spirit that is recognizable from their 2013 comeback, reeling in NZL even in a race that looked like it had been decided.  Spotty wind made the racing tough for both sides at time. 

Tomorrow is another day, one with forecasts for a bit more wind.  New Zealand might not hold such an advantage in that case, but they at least did their part today to get a march on winning some points.

First race Sunday at 2:12 Bermuda time.