Sail GP in San Francisco 

(May 5-7, 2023) Sailors from America's Cup teams are among the competitors in this weekend's Sail GP regatta in San Francisco. Photo: Allan Wong-Kam for CupInfo.

Sunday Final Race:

Sunday saw the competitors whittled down to three in the winner-take-all Million Dollar Race. Two-time champions Australia had Tom Slingsby at the helm; Emirates Great Britain (the only sponsor -named team) with Ben Ainslie coming out of impressive showing over weekend; and, after somewhat indifferent weekend results, New Zealand led by Peter Burling. 

In the start box, Slingsby’s focus on boxing out Ainslie gave Burling a look at the right hand side of the line. The first mark rounding has been crucial for many of these races with the one-design F50s catamarans so evenly matched. Australia held out New Zealand and looked impressive as they have all season. 

However the wind gods decided to intervene with their first gesture when the previously flawless Australians came off foils during a maneuver and had to accelerate back up into foiling mode. Their lead remained intact, but the Kiwis edged closer. From there it was back to normal transmission with the Australians ahead, New Zealand within a sniff of the lead, and Great Britain further back. 

On the penultimate leg to the mark before the finish, the wind gods decided to make one final test with another hole in the wind for another splashdown for the Australians – looking rattled, there was some furious work to get back up on foils and protect the right of way against the Kiwis looking to steal the crown.  It was incredibly close stuff with Australia holding out New Zealand at the final mark by mere feet to give Slingsby the hat trick of three consecutive wins.

Congratulations to the Australians! They were the class act all weekend, but the Kiwis are a lot closer this season after an initial 5th in their season two debut. 

Celebrations will be brief – SailGP Season 4 starts in little over a month in Chicago and many of the sailors will be outbound back in the next few days to their respective America’s Cup campaigns.

Photo: Allan Wong-Kam for CupInfo. 

Sunday Morning Preview: 

Sir Ben Ainslie showed his intentions early in the Start Box in Race 1 by engaging the French boat,  aiming to  bury his opponent and maximize points accumulation to make the final – Delapierre said he was surprised at how aggressive Ainslie had been which seems an oversight given Ainslie's track record.  Ben looked good out on the water yesterday and his posture at the presser,  as well as being first to show up, belied his confidence coming into the final day.

Peter Burling has had better days than yesterday, his decision to break off and head away from the fleet to try and get a clean run to the line in Race 1 didn’t pay off.  He’s still a shoo-in for the final with Australia so he can afford to have an off day, but he’ll need to up his game today for his crew to have a chance in the million dollar race.  Having said that, he’s probably done enough to get there.

Tom Slingsby continues to excel – though as reigning champions and current series leaders they have everything to lose against a hunting pack.  Phil Robertson of the Canadian team picked up a few penalties yesterday, he’s a very aggressive skipper and likely to give the umpires some work to do today.

The one I’m most surprised was the US Team – Spithill never seemed to be on his A Game yesterday.  Along with Burling and Ainslie he’s being doing dual duty with their AC campaigns; possibly he is distracted as they didn’t seem to show a lot of results for the home crowd.

It’s sunny here today – expecting the wind to build by the start.  The Waspz are out on the water in front of the media center.

Emirates Team New Zealand Wins the America's Cup!

Challenge Accepted from INEOS and RYSR

(Mar 19, 2021) The Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has accepted a Notice of Challenge from Britain's Royal Yachts Squadron Racing, represented by the Ineos team, as the new Challenger of Record. The 37th defense of the America's Cup will be raced in AC75 yachts, continuing the class that was introduced for 2021, allowing teams to build a single new yacht. 

The venue, date, and format have not been decided, and are intended to be determined and announced within about six months. They also intend a 100% nationality rule for crew, with exceptions for "emerging" competitor nations, however that ends up being defined.

Read Announcements from RNZYS and RYSR (Press Release)

Announcement Pending

(Mar 17, 2021) The Royal New Zealand Squadron promises an announcement soon to let the public know whose Notice of Challenge they have accepted as the new Challenger of Record (COR). No timetable has been announced to provide specifics on the location, yachts, format, or timing of the next Defense.

A report at the NZ Herald suggests that Royal Yacht Squadron has been accepted as COR, which was widely expected in the last several weeks. A spokesman for RNZYS only confirmed that there is a new COR, but not their identity.

Read story at NZ Herald

Glenn Ashby of Emirates Team New Zealand, favors continuing with the AC75 Class yachts for another America's Cup cycle: Stuff.co.nz

Sail GP in Chicago 2022

(June 18-19, 2022) Sunday: Australia's Tom Slingsby and crew recovered from a disastrous Race 4 last place to finish first in Race 5, squeaking into the Grand Final (one point ahead of New Zealand), and then besting the other two finalists, Canada and Great Britain, win SailGP Chicago. This follows the Aussies winning the previous event in Bermuda last month. It was France that took first in Race 4. New Zealand, who needed a minimum 6th place in the 5th race to make the final, fell short. USA redeemed themselves slightly with a 3rd place in R5, their best of the event. The other story of this regatta was the excellent perfomance of newcomer Canada, led by Phil Robertson.

Lighter winds, SE 9-12 knots, caused organizers to move the race course outside the breakwater, though still in sight of Navy Pier, seeking more consistent breeze. The finish lines right at the mouth of the harbor alongside the iconic Chicago Lighthouse, were a partial compensation.

Saturday: Phil Robertson skippered Canada to first place finishes in the second and third races, atop the leaderboard with 27 points after the first day of racing. Great Britain finished 2-3-2 under the steady hand of Ben Ainslie to trail by just one point with 26. Peter Burling brought New Zealand in 1-5-4 to stand third with 23 points, and Australia's Tom Slingsby recovered from a seventh place finish in the first race to come home 2-3, avert a boundary penalty by the narrowest of margins, and secure fourth in the standings with 21 points. USA struggled at 8-9-7, with penalties in Races 2 and 3, and a couple missteps, leaving Jimmy Spithill and crew sitting last on 9 points after Day 1.

Robertson capitalized on great starting position, to the windward end and hitting the line at speed, allowing him to work the faster angle from the start to the first mark, rounding ahead and sailing his own race. Ainslie sailed conservatively in tactics, but fast and solid. Slingsby took a bolder approach to tactics that paid off. The starts were an unusual sight, with the starting box straddling the mouth of the harbor's outer breakwater.

Typically the early leaders extended steadily, helped by a consistent northerly breeze ranging from mid to upper teens (mph), occasionally over 20. The most intense action usually came at the final turning mark, as competitors defended their positions by trying to hold nearby boats out and the direct line to the finish. The aggressive turns at the mark, right off the end of Navy Pier and in view of the crowd, led several times to coming off foils at high-speed, nosediving, though no capsizes.

Conditions were beautiful. Racing in the slightly higher seas outside the breakwater would have been even more dramatic. Racing resumes Sunday at 2 pm CT, featuring the last two fleet races and the three-team Grand Final.

Friday Report: Peter Burling, Ben Ainslie, Tom Slingsby, and Jimmy Spithill are among the top sailors competing this weekend at the SailGP stop in Chicago. Official practice opened Friday at Navy Pier. The nine drivers presented themselves for a Press Conference, each deferential to the other, trying to avoid providing opponents with bulletin board quotes (though Sir Ben seemed to suggest there was already bravado at play).

Practice racing was postponed for a bit as the Race Committee set a proper course further offshore than preferred, to work with the fickle wind swinging to northerly. Wind earlier this week was southwesterly and gusty, leading to a capsize by the Canadian team. Saturday's forecast is for N at 13 mph, Sunday for easterly dropping from 15 to 9 mph through the afternoon.

Saturday, racing goes off at 2 pm CDT. There will be three fleet races to set the stage for Super Sunday (two fleet races followed by a winner take all three boat match race). The city is abuzz with sailing chat and the number of fans wearing SailGP gear. Let's Regatta!

Larry Ellison, Dirk Kramers, and Dawn Riley Named to America's Cup Hall of Fame

(May 18, 2022) The Herreshoff Marine Museum / America’s Cup Hall of Fame welcomes Larry Ellison, Dirk Kramers, and Dawn Riley as Class of 2022 inductees of the America’s Cup Hall of Fame. They will be inducted on October 14th at the 2022 America’s Cup Hall of Fame Induction gala at the New York Yacht Club in New York City.

“These individuals have had a profound impact on the America’s Cup,” said America’s Cup Hall of Fame Selection Committee Chair Steve Tsuchiya. “Cup legends aren’t made overnight. The Class of 2022 inductees have put together bodies of work covering many years and many America’s Cup matches. We’re thrilled to welcome them to the Hall of Fame!”

Read ACHOF Press Release