Gothenburg Race Day 2 (Final Day):
Sunday August 30

Emirates Team New Zealand wins Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series in Gothenburg

Emirates Team New Zealand prevailed in the second World Series regatta of the 2017 America's Cup cycle, as six foiling AC45 catamarans competed in Gothenburg, Sweden, August 28-29.

Friday, August 28: Practice Races and Sprint Race
Saturday, August 29:  Racing: Fleet Races 1 and 2 plus evening exhibition race on the river.
Sunday, August 30: Racing: Fleet Races 3 and 4

Read More: ACWS Gothenburg Daily Schedule
Where to Watch: TV and Online options
Also: Results and Standings

Oracle Team USA wins Races 1 and 2,
Artemis Racing takes Race 3, and ETNZ gets Race 4 to win the LVACWS in Gothenburg!

Sunday Outlook:
 Races 3 and 4 (Fleet Races)
Scheduled start times: 1:10 pm and 1:55 pm local time.
Sunday's races are weighted double points.

Race 3:
Artemis Racing wins Race 3!  Emirates Team New Zealand 2nd,  Land Rover BAR 3rd,   Oracle Team USA 4th, Soft Bank Team Japan 5th, Groupama Team France 6th.

Standings: the Race 3 results leave three teams with 34 points. After tiebreak ETNZ tops the standings, followed by Land Rover and Oracle.  Artemis Racing is 4th, trailing by only 2 points. Team Japan has 25, and Team France has 21. Four teams can still win the event in the final race.

Race 4:
 Complete. ETNZ, Team Japan, and Oracle are 1-2-3 in early legs. Groupama Team France passes a gybing Oracle at Gate 4 to get into third place. The left didn't pay for Oracle like it did yesterday, and Team France defends their spot tacking in the center of the course until the layline comes up.  ETNZ meanwhile holds steady first place, survives a hole in the wind near the finish line.

ETNZ wins Race 4 and the ACWS in Gothenburg! Team Japan 2nd in Race 4, Team France 3rd, Oracle 4th, BAR 5th, Artemis 6th.

Regatta standings (provisional):
1: Emirates Team New Zealand
2: Oracle Team USA
3: Land Rover BAR
4: Groupama Team Japan
5: Artemis Racing
6: Groupama Team France

Photo:©2015 ACEA/Gilles Martin-Raget

Artemis was hampered by a collision with an underwater rock formation, throwing crew around on the boat and damaging their foil and rudder.

Friday saw Artemis Racing damage their AC45 in a pre-practice-race capsize, but the boat was back in shape in time for racing on Saturday.  ETNZ also sat out Friday, while Oracle Team USA and Land Rover BAR each won a practice race.

Gothenburg Race Day 1:
Saturday August 29

Saturday Outlook:
 Races 1 and 2 (Fleet Races)
Start times: 1:10 pm and 1:55 pm local time.

Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Gothenburg Races 1 and 2 went off in “fresh” air, winds WSW at 15-18 knots under clear skies. The short course featured five laps, along with a surprise, rock obstructions to manage in the middle.

Race 1:
 All six cats crossed the start line full speed at the gun, with Emirates Team New Zealand to weather. Oracle Team USA managed a shorter line to the first reaching mark, taking the lead with other boats rounding two-wide behind.

At the first upwind gate USA still led, followed closely by SWE and NZL. The downwind speed of the foiling cats made short work of the leeward leg.

On the second upwind leg, Land Rover BAR played the left side of the course for a gain. This strategy would remain a good game plan all day, with most boats finding lifts on that side. At the gate, the order was 1-USA, 2-GBR, 3-NZL, 4-SWE, 5-JPN, 6-FRA.

Ben Ainslie managed a split with Oracle Team USA on the fourth weather leg, closing up some distance to the leader.  Jimmy Spithill, though, covered his former teammate, protecting his position and taking the first race of the regatta.

Oracle Team USA wins Race 1!  Land Rover BAR 2nd, ETNZ 3rd, Artemis Racing 4th, SoftBank Team Japan 5th, and Groupama Team France 6th.

Race 2:
Again Spithill on Oracle Team USA timed the gun perfectly, got out ahead from a mid-line position, and rounded the turning mark in the lead.

At the first upwind gate, with USA leading, the British and the Kiwis were nearly tied for second, splitting the gate and coming out onto opposite gybes looking for separation. At the second upwind gate, Oracle Team USA still led while Emirates Team New Zealand finally clawed ahead of Ben Ainslie Racing.

The Brits gained on the second downwind by setting their gennaker, a tactic they used successfully last month in Portsmouth. On the short course the sail requires tidy crew work, but delivers an advantage when done properly. The move worked again here, allowing GBR to lead NZL at the leeward gate.

On the third upwind, still in first, Oracle again stayed left though the others at the head of the fleet went right, adding to USA’s lead.  The fourth upwind unfolded similarly, with Ainslie and Burling jousting for second place while Spithill extended, claiming his second win of the day after leading wire-to-wire.

Oracle Team USA wins Race 2!  Land Rover BAR 2nd, ETNZ 3rd, Softbank Team Japan 4th, Groupama Team France 5th, Artemis Racing 6th.

Racing resumes on Sunday, with Races 3 and 4 to conclude the ACWS in Gothenburg.  Scoring will be weighted double for Sunday's races.

Current Standings after Day 1:
1: Oracle (20 pts)
 2: Land Rover BAR (18)
3: ETNZ (16)
4: Softbank Team Japan (13)
5: Artemis Racing (12)
6: Groupama Team France (11)
See Full Results and Standings

After Saturday's results, BAR still leads the season standings, but by just one point over Oracle Team USA.

Louis Vuitton ACWS Muscat, Oman:
Sunday, Feb. 28: Race Day 2

Sunday Outlook:
Three Fleet Races planned.
Starts scheduled for 2:07 pm, 2:35 pm, and 3:03 pm, local time in Oman.

Conditions:
Weather forecasts: NE to NNE winds, 7-8kts. (WindFinder and WindGuru)

Preview:
It's hard to argue with Land Rover BAR's two wins in a row yesterday, and conditions are forecast to be much the same today.  But BAR only leads Oracle Team USA by four points, and ETNZ by six after Day 1.  Sunday's three races award a combined 60 more points to the 1st place finishes.  BAR would need to pick up a total of four places on Emirates to nose into the overall ACWS lead.
See ACWS Oman regatta standings

Results:

Race 4:
Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 4! Land Rover BAR is 2nd, Softbank Team Japan is 3rd, Artemis Racing is 4th, Oracle Team USa is 5th, and Groupama Team France is 6th.

Race 5:
At the start, everyone except OTUSA and Team France are over the line early and penalized.

Oracle Team USA wins Race 5!  Groupama Team France is 2nd, Emirates TNZ is 3rd, BAR is 4th, Artemis Racing is 5th, and Softbank Team Japan is 6th.

Race 6:
Land Rover BAR and Artemis are OCS. Adding to their troubles, Artemis catch the anchor line turning a course mark.

Groupama Team France wins Race 6!

Land Rover BAR wins Louis Vuitton ACWS Oman.  Emirates Team New Zealand retains their lead in the overall ACWS Standings.

Louis Vuitton ACWS Muscat, Oman:
Saturday, Feb. 27: Race Day 1

Saturday Outlook:
Three Fleet Races planned.
Starts scheduled for 2:07 pm, 2:35 pm, and 3:03 pm, local time in Oman, subject to change per sailing conditions.

Conditions:
Weather forecasts: NE to NNE winds, 7-8kts. (WindFinder and WindGuru)

Preview:
The interest going into the first ACWS regatta of the year will be whether Emirates Team New Zealand can pick up where they left off in Bermuda, and sustain their winning momentum. Thankfully an added race each day means there will be 50% more racing this regatta compared to last summer, with more chance for teams to find their rhythm, and less impact on overall point totals from any one fluky breakage, tactical miscue, or collision with an umpire boat.

Day 1 in Muscat, Oman, however, comes with a forecast consensus of 7-8 kts of wind, enough for racing but making foiling an uncertain proposition.  If the wind is solid enough to get a fair race off, it will be an interesting test of crew and techniques.  The light winds have been expected for several days, at least, giving team the chance to optimize tuning and refine game plans for the situation.  Sunday's forecasts currently expect similar conditions. 

One technical point to keep in mind in light race conditions: any and all boats finishing more than 10 minutes behind the winning boat are scored Did Not Finish (DNF).  Regardless of the number of boats scored DNF, they would each receive the same number of points as a last place finish.

Race 1:
An OCS for BAR and a penalty for Artemis, while the Kiwis surged to the lead.

Emirates Team New Zealand wins Race 1!  Oracle Team USA is 2nd, Land Rover BAR is 3rd, Artemis Racing 4th, Softbank Team Japan 5th, and Groupama Team France 6th.

Race 2:
Very light air continues. teams sailing with weight to leeward and forward for best possible heeling angles.  A huge righthand wind shift just after the start.

Land Rover BAR wins Race 2! Team Japan is 2nd, Groupama Team France 3rd, ETNZ 4th, Artemis 5th, and OTUSA 6th.

Race 3:
Land Rover BAR wins Race 3!  Oracle Team USA 2nd, ETNZ 3rd, Artemis 4th, Japan 5th, and Team France 6th.

 Ben Ainslie's Land Rover BAR leads the regatta at the conclusion of Day 1.  See Oman regatta standings

With the current points from Oman, BAR would move into second place on the ACWS overall rankings, but there are over 60 points left to be awarded in Oman with three more races set for tomorrow, scored double points.

Louis Vuitton ACWS Chicago
Sunday, June 12, Final Race Day

Sunday Outlook:
Program: 3 Fleet Races.  First start scheduled for 1:37 pm local time in Chicago; second start 2:03, third start 2:33 pm, subject to weather conditions.

Conditions:
Winds currently 17 kts NNE, gusts to 20.  Forecast for race time is 15 kts NNE (ACEA). Light chop (2-3 feet) outside the breakwater, but racing is inside and water will be generally flat.  Weather is cooler (68 degrees F), and a very light overcast has moved in.

Racing:
Friday's Practice Race 3 went into the books Saturday as an official race, with SoftBank Team Japan posting their first race win of the ACWS series, taking the gun after an exciting race filled with plenty of wind.  Saturday afternoon could have used some of that breeze, after 20 kts in the morning dropped to barely 5 or 6 by race time.  Organizers stuck it out, though, and late in the day ran another potential substitute race, which will only count if Sunday's is delayed. By 6:00 pm the wind was back, Mother Nature showing what she thinks of television schedules.

Emirates Team New Zealand won the unofficial race, pulling out to over 500m lead, finding better wind at the right times.  It's hard to take much away from Saturday's fluky, patchwork wind conditions in regard to how the teams are progressing, but Team Japan's win helps support the case for increasing parity among the six teams.

The sailors don't get to race or train on the one-design AC45s except at regattas, but they adjust quickly to being back onboard.  Mainly what the results of these races help illustrate is how well each group is at responding to conditions, trimming the boat to suit, calling and executing proper tactics.  In other words, these races are a test of how well they are anticipating each other and sailing as a unified team.

Today's wind should be solid, racing starting on time, and crowds even bigger, with more comfortable weather.  Points count double today, Sunday.  Emirates Team New Zealand leads the season standings, with three LV ACWS regattas still on the schedule.

Race 1:
LAnd Rover BAR wins Race 1! Artemis is 2nd, Team Japan 3rd, Oracle Team USA 4th, Emirates Team New Zealand 5th, Groupama Team France 6th.

Race 2:
Artemis Racing wins Race 2! Oracle is 2nd, ETNZ 3rd, BAR 4th, Team France 5th, Team Japan 6th.

Race 3:
SoftBank Team Japan wins Race 3! BAR is 2nd, ETNZ 3rd, Artemis Racing 4th, Oracle 5th, and Groupama Team France 6th.

Artemis wins the ACWS Chicago regatta!
See Regatta Results

Emirates Team New Zealand protects their series standings lead, still ahead of Land Rover BAR by 10 points. 

See Season Standings
 

America's Cup Connections to Chicago History

(June 7) This is the first time for America's Cup racing on Lake Michigan, but connections to the famous yacht race, old and new, can be found in Chicago.
Read article at CupInfo

Louis Vuitton ACWS Chicago
Saturday, June 11, Race Day 1

Saturday Outlook:
3 Fleet Races.  First start scheduled for 1:37 pm local time in Chicago; second start 2:03, third start 2:33 pm, subject to weather conditions.

Conditions:
Winds: 10-11 kts early, veering NE to ESE 8-10 kts (Official Race Weather). Building to SW to WSW to W 10-15 kts,   (NWS).  Water flat. No tides. 

Weather warm, mid-90s F. Intermittent storms possible late in the day, but less likely during race time.  Local conditions near-live and webcams from NOAA near Navy Pier.

Racing Preview:
Friday's practice racing showed fantastic sailing conditions, with the entire fleet fully foiling.  America's Cup sailors got their introduction to freshwater, including two capsizes that left the crews of ETNZ and Oracle damp, but uninjured.

Saturday looks to be nearly the same conditions, with gusts perhaps down just a notch.

Racing:
The race committee is waiting for the wind to stabilize in direction.  Since the first Saturday race is delayed, the third practice race from yesterday (the "substitute race") will now be officially counted as Race 1. Two more races may be still sailed today as conditions improve.

Race 1:
Six boats all off and foiling on the reaching leg to mark 1. Oracle Team USA has the direct line to the mark with ETNZ close to windward and ahead, and Softbank Team Japan above them.  Five of six keep going past the mark and jibe at the starboard layline, but Artemis jibes early.  The Swedes then lead into the first leeward gate and turn left, Oracle is 4 seconds behind, and BAR 10 seconds off the lead.  All turn left except ETNZ, 25 second delta to the leader as they start the first windward leg.

TNZ keeps going up the left side of the course and it pays for now, 50m ahead, but they will lose a bit trying to tack back.  Artemis out to 20m ahead as the fleet comes back together on the top of the course.  Oracle goes far left, losing ground in the process, and BAR climbs into second on a well-timed shift.  Team Japan third.

Artemis goes into the gate on port, bears away for the righthand gate.  Bar is 11 seconds back, and Japan 18 seconds off the lead.  France, New Zealand, and USA round out the order at the first windward mark.  

On the second downwind leg, Artemis goes to the starboard layline and jibes, while France picks up a boundary penalty.  At the leeward gate, Artemis rounds slightly ahead, while BAR gets an overlap with Team Japan, threatening to luff them, so Japan tacks away after rounding.  Still working the downwind leg, Oracle on port, set up for a jibe has to quickly avoid a collision with an incoming Artemis on starboard.  Oracle is caught with their wing out of position, the leeward runner obstructing easing the wing, and capsizes in the maneuver, apparently uninjured and undamaged, but putting an end to their race.

Team France turns right at the bottom gate, hoping to split with the leaders and find some gain on the final windward leg.

Upwind Artemis is still leading in the middle to right of the course, with BAR close by trying to find an opportunity to pass, and Team Japan taking the left side of the course.  Artemis tacks to cross BAR, it’s close, but they make it. They come to the left side while Japan now goes right.  And the Japanese go to first place, nailing the wind shift. Bar second.

On the final downwind leg, Japan leads by 150m, Artemis is into second, and ETNZ third.  Into the final downwind gate, Japan round with Artemis just one length back, looking to pass.  Japan accelerates better out of the turn and wins by a delta of nine seconds.  Artemis finishes 14 seconds ahead of France.

Softbank Team Japan wins Race 1! Artemis Racing is second by 9 seconds, Groupama Team France is third, Emirates Team New Zealand is fourth, Land Rover BAR is 5th, and Oracle Team USA is DNF (did not finish) after capsize.

Race 2:
Wind is filling in as of 2:45 pm and a start after 3:00 pm may be possible.  If so it will serve as a "substitute" race for tomorrow. These results will not be scored as official unless the start of the first race on Sunday is delayed. About 4:00 pm will the the cutoff for a start.  As of 3:40, a couple boats have been able to foil. 

Race start set for 3:45. Underway.  TNZ wins Race 2! Oracle Team USA Second, Team Japan third, Artemis 4th, BAR 5th, and Groupama Team France 6th.

Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series set for Chicago in June 2016

(Sept 15) America's Cup officials and local hosting groups announced Tuesday that the America's Cup World Series is coming to Lake Michigan in 2016. Chicago's Navy Pier will host the foiling AC45 catamarans June 10-12 in a weekend of fleet racing as the build-up to the 35th defense of the America's Cup in 2017 continues.  The ACWS regattas help determine seeding and bonus points for challenger selection.

Team bases and the America's Cup village will be centralized on the quarter-mile-long public pier, with the cats racing in freshwater for the first time.  Local sponsors including financial marketplace CME Group, intent on raising Chicago's visibility to the global tourism audience, have been very supportive of the upcoming event, the only currently scheduled stop in the US for the 2017 America's Cup cycle.

Read ACEA Press Release | Race Course Concept