american magic sailboat

672 Wine Club

• Motorcycles
• Car of the Month
• Destinations
• Men’s Fashion
• Watch Collector
• Art & Collectibles
• Vacation Homes
• Celebrity Homes
• New Construction
• Home Design
• Electronics
• Fine Dining
• Benchmark Wines
• Brian Fox Art
• Chase United
• Disneyland Resort
• Gateway Bronco
• Royal Salute
• Sports & Leisure
• Health & Wellness
• Best of the Best
• The Ultimate Gift Guide

American Magic Just Unveiled Its Sleek New America’s Cup Race Boat

The ac75 foiler hit the waters of barcelona for testing ahead of the upcoming preliminary regatta., rachel cormack.

Digital Editor

Rachel Cormack's Most Recent Stories

• Chanel Now Owns a 25% Stake in Swiss Watchmaker MB&F

This Revamped 161-Foot Trinity Superyacht Could Be Yours for $16 Million

• This Blinged-Out Patek Philippe Nautilus Was Seized by U.K. Police. Now It’s up for Auction.
• Share This Article

New York Yacht Club American Magic has conjured up quite the marine dream machine.

Related Stories

• Porsche Won’t Be Giving Up the Gas-Powered Panamera for Years
• SpaceX Has Delayed Its Polaris Dawn Mission Due to a Helium Leak
• Tiffin’s New Off-Road Camper Van Delivers All the Comfort of an RV in a Compact Package

“Today is an important step in the commissioning process for American Magic and B3,” American Magic skipper and president of sailing operations Terry Hutchinson said in a statement. “Our shore crew and engineers have been working methodically over the last 30 days to get us to this moment.”

For the unversed, the AC75s that will compete in the upcoming America’s Cup are the most complex and technologically advanced racing yachts ever built. The highly engineered foilers “fly” across the water at up to 50 knots. Crafted from lightweight carbon fiber, the racers are capable of lift in just 6.5 knots of wind but strong enough to survive an extreme crash in 25 knots.

The B3 will undergo further testing and sea trials in the coming months before her official naming ceremony and inaugural sail. American Magic will then set its sights on the upcoming America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta. The first two preliminary regattas of the AC40s were held in September and November, respectively. (American Magic actually won the September race.) The third and final preliminary regatta, which will take place in Barcelona from August 22 to 25, will see all six AC75s compete for the first time.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

Read More On:

• America's Cup

More Marine

New Zealand’s Thrilling Win Gets the America’s Cup Off to a Rip-Roaring Start

Rescuers Find Remaining Missing Aboard the Sunken ‘Bayesian’ Superyacht 

Tech Mogul Mike Lynch and 5 Others Are Missing After a Yacht Sinks in Italy

Meet the Wine Club That Thinks Differently.

Receive editor-curated reds from boutique California producers four times a year.

Give the Gift of Luxury

Latest Galleries in Marine

10 Must-Haves That Will Make Your Yacht Trip Even Better

6 Electric Surfboards That’ll Help You Ride the New E-Foil Wave

More from our brands, the best early labor day 2024 clothing and accessories deals to shop now, nfl owners approve private equity deals, unlock billions, kamala harris, tim walz set joint interview with cnn, leonard riggio, barnes & noble founder who amassed a major art collection, dies at 83, the best yoga mats for any practice, according to instructors.

SAILING TEAM ROSTER RELEASED

New York Yacht Club American Magic, the U.S. sailing team challenging for the 36th America’s Cup has announced an initial roster of 17 sailors who will train and compete with the team. The accomplished group includes nine Americans and sailors from four other nations. The 36th America’s Cup will take place in March 2021 off Auckland, New Zealand.

“We’re excited to announce the names on our current sailing team, and continue the process of building a focused and successful program,” said Terry Hutchinson (Annapolis, Md.) Skipper and Executive Director of American Magic. “Every personnel decision we make in this campaign will be with a single goal in mind, and that is to win the America’s Cup in 2021. With the support of our 90-strong collection of world-class designers, boatbuilders and staff, our sailors will be capable of accomplishing that goal.” 

The AC75 class, a new type of 75-foot hydro-foiling boat designed specifically for the next edition of the America’s Cup, the world’s oldest international sporting event, is expected to race with a crew of 11 sailors.

“A major consequence of the decision to return the regatta to cutting-edge mono-hulled boats of this size is that America’s Cup racing has been refocused on sailing skills and teamwork,” said Hutchinson, a 14-time world champion and veteran of four Cup campaigns. “It will take a high level of performance from everyone onboard to get these boats around the racecourse.”

American Magic’s team roster includes the combined experience of 31 America’s Cup campaigns, and three team members are previous Cup winners. Eight American Magic sailors are Olympians, with two medals won, and the roster has earned over 60 world championship victories in various classes. American Magic sailors who are also Olympic hopefuls on the US Sailing Team will be given the flexibility to pursue their campaigns for Tokyo 2020 while operating as part of the America’s Cup team.

“This team roster includes a great balance of proven experience and youth, and will help establish the next generation of America’s Cup talent in the United States,” said Hap Fauth (Naples, Fla.), Team Principal and CEO of American Magic.

“Thanks to the efforts of our partners at US Sailing, Oakcliff and other organizations that have supported high-performance sailing, we have capable athletes coming out of Olympic, foiling and development classes here at home. They will help our team win on the water, and also help reengage the American audience with sailing’s pinnacle event.”

American Magic continues to make steady progress on the path towards Auckland, and the team recently opened a dedicated boatbuilding facility in Bristol, R.I. Under the rules governing the 36th America’s Cup, the earliest an AC75 can be launched by any team is March 31, 2019. American Magic is expected to begin sailing their first boat soon after this date, and conduct initial testing on the waters of Narragansett Bay and Rhode Island Sound.

“The return of America’s Cup activity to the Newport, Rhode Island area will be a thrilling sight for sailing fans here, across the country and around the world,” said Phil Lotz (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.), the 65th Commodore of the New York Yacht Club. "For 175 years, the New York Yacht Club has been dedicated to moving competitive sailing forward. Defending and challenging for the Cup, a trophy we held for 132 years, has been a large part of the club’s commitment to our sport. We're proud to return to the America's Cup arena with this exceptional sailing team."

The team, led by Fauth, Team Principal Doug DeVos (Grand Rapids, Mich.), and Team Principal Roger Penske (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) is one of three confirmed Challengers set to compete for the Cup against the current holders, Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron and its defending team, Emirates Team New Zealand. To date, Luna Rossa Challenge from Italy and INEOS Team UK from Great Britain have also been announced as Challengers.

“Racing for the America's Cup is a dream shared by all competitive sailors,” said James Lyne (Granville, Vermont), Head Coach of the team. “American Magic is a once-in-a- lifetime opportunity for our athletes. We are led by a great group of principals, have talented designers, experienced builders, and we are representing New York Yacht Club, with its unmatched America's Cup history. The stars have aligned to give us this chance to win back the Cup for the United States.”

Sailing Team: New York Yacht Club American Magic

Skipper & Executive Director:

• Terry Hutchinson (Annapolis, Maryland, United States)

Helms/Tacticians:

Dean Barker (Auckland, New Zealand)

Andrew Campbell (San Diego, California, United States)

Bora Gulari (Detroit, Michigan, United States)

Ian Moore (Cowes, Great Britain)

Sail Trimmers:

Trevor Burd (Marblehead, Massachusetts, United States)

Maciel Cicchetti (Mar del Plata, Argentina)

Paul Goodison (Sheffield, Great Britain)

David Hughes (Miami, Florida, United States)

Specialists:

Matt Cassidy (San Diego, California, United States)

Sean Clarkson (Mill Valley, California - Nationality: New Zealand)

Jim Turner (Auckland, New Zealand)

Cooper Dressler (Coronado, California, United States)

Luke Muller (Ft. Pierce, Florida, United States)

Caleb Paine (San Diego, California, United States)

Luke Payne (Fremantle, Australia)

Joe Spooner (Auckland, New Zealand)

Head Coach:

• James Lyne (Granville, Vermont, United States)

American Magic sails new 'Patriot' AC75 for the first time ahead of 37th America's Cup

T uesday in Barcelona, Spain, American Magic took its first spin in the boat it hopes to sail to victory in the 37th America's Cup.

The 75-foot boat took to the waters with its mainsail sporting a large "Pensacola, Florida" logo that it will carry for the entire international race series this fall.

Before sailing, the New York Yacht Club Vice Commodore Clare Harrington christened the new AC75 as "Patriot," the second boat sailed by American Magic to carry that name.

The previous Patriot was also an AC75 and sailed many times in Pensacola as the team gathered data and trained for the version unveiled this week. The previous Patriot had its last sail i n the waters of Pensacola Bay in February 2023 .

American Magic lease approved: Find out what's included

Much like the rules of Formula 1 racing, the sailboat is a 75-foot foiling monohull that meets the AC75 design rules laid out by the America's Cup. Still, within those rules, the American Magic team has made its own designs to give it an edge in the racing competition set to take place this fall.

"The New York Yacht Club has never wavered from its core purpose of ensuring international competition at the highest level of skill and performance," Harrington said at the Patriot's christening. "That is our tradition. However, the launch of Patriot also signifies innovation, blending two distinct elements: tradition and innovation. And so I bring to American Magic the heartfelt wishes of all 3,400 plus members of the New York Yacht Club for your success in the upcoming competition, maintaining the club's tradition through your inspired innovation."

The team said that more than 108,000 design hours and 65,000 construction hours went into making the Patriot.

"We followed our own design path with Patriot as we pushed the limits of the AC75 rule while tailoring for the Barcelona venue," American Magic Design Coordinator Scott Ferguson said in a team press release.

The team had the boat foiling after running some initial tests on it, before having to bring it back to the dock as the weather forecast in Barcelona called for thunderstorms.

"As far as first days go inside the American Magic program, really, this was probably our best day," Terry Hutchinson, president of sailing operations at American Magic, told an America's Cup camera crew after the sail.

The Patriot was built and designed at the American Magic's previous headquarters in Rhode Island, but the boat will return to Pensacola after the America's Cup this fall. The next AC 75 for the 38th America's Cup is planned to be designed and built at the team's new headquarters at the Port of Pensacola.

The 37th America's Cup will hold its third preliminary regatta this August in Barcelona as a final full-scale practice race.

Then the Louis Vuitton Cup will take place in August and September 2024, where the teams will compete for the right to race against the defending team, Emirates New Zealand, in the actual 37th America's Cup in October 2024.

This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: American Magic sails new 'Patriot' AC75 for the first time ahead of 37th America's Cup

• Nautic Shows
• America’s Cup
• Classic Yachts
• Motor Yachts
• Sailing Yachts
• Superyachts
• Yachts News
• Destinations
• Yacht Clubs
• Boat Racing
• Meta Yachts

The huge star-spangled banner was fully extended from the crane at the New York Yacht Club American Magic team base offering a fairly decent clue as to the wind strength out on Pensacola Bay. But, keen to get time in all conditions, the sailors stayed inshore for the flat water and were up and rocketing in double-quick time. Impressive to watch, American Magic was hitting speeds in the low 40 knot region downwind but there’s something about the way they sail, the sheer technique, that oozes class and control. You never really see the Americans ragged. They did this in ‘Patriot’ too and it’s the vast well of experience that they are drawing on that makes them such a thrilling force in this America’s Cup cycle.

Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison looked utterly in control whilst Lucas Calabrese and Michael Menninger had the flight control nailed. Did we see windward heel upwind? – Why yes of course we did, it’s the American Magic trademark and they even sneaked a little bit in downwind. Fabulous sailing and the recon team even got a wave from Paul Goodison as the AC40 thundered past the RIB. Confidence seeps out of every pore in this team, and they are a delight to observe.

The day however came to an end after just one run – albeit a 31-minute run – as a big nosedive was caused by a rudder elevator issue and, if truth be told, it was a disappointment as the sailors were clearly having a ball as the breeze built into the upper bracket of 18-23 knots just after midday. For the record, and it’s worth mentioning here: five tacks and one gybe were completed with a 100% foil-to-foil success rate, underlining the skill on display.

Lucas Calabrese, undoubtedly one of the very best flight controllers and trimmers in world sailing at the moment, offered a brilliant and open interview afterwards, clearly buzzing from the short session saying: “Yeah it was a nice breeze, around 16 to 20 knots from the north-northwest, it was really nice on the Bay and certainly pushing that little bit more closer to the limits, a little short with some issues with the rudder but good to be out there in the breeze.” Speaking specifically about his role and the unique demands on the flight controllers, Lucas said: “Well obviously trying to keep the heel constant is what you’re trying to do as a trimmer and obviously being that puffy and shifty doesn’t make the job easy but it’s really good training and you know even though it’s considered kind of flat water in the Bay, it was still pretty challenging to get boat in the right spot.”

Days like today offer very sharp learnings and Lucas was clear about the value saying: “Plenty honestly it was the first time that we went out with this breeze so a lot of it is part of the crew training, learning the boat and learning how the boat feels in different cant angles and heel angles. We can also learn a little about the sails and how to get those set up the best for this condition so there’s plenty to learn.”

Asked about the team’s second AC40, when it will be delivered and what the team will work on as they take one boat into LEQ12 mode, Lucas said: “The latest I know is going to meet us in Barcelona in the early summer…and we want to test a bunch of stuff like wings and probably mainsails and jibs and stuff like that so everything is going to have a little check but those are the ones that will be most noticeable.”

A short but valuable afternoon on Pensacola Bay. The team programme continues this week.

On-Water Recon Unit Notes:  America was craned in at 1000 and docked out at 1100. Sailing began at 11:33 in some of the highest wind speeds to date since the arrival of the AC40. America was on foil for 31 minutes before experiencing a nose dive.

The team worked in the hull for about an hour before taking down the sails and heading back to the dock. The shore crew worked in the rudder area of the yacht for another 2 hours before calling an end to sailing at 15:21. It was learned in the interview that the rudder rake was not adjusting properly causing the early end of sailing today.

While the shore crew were working on the rudder, two other team members were observed diving underneath the floating barge to recover an object that had presumably fallen overboard.

In all, America completed 6 manoeuvres, 5 W/L’s, sailed approximately 21nm, and had a flying time of 31min. Top speeds were approximately 28k upwind and 42k downwind.

Total Tacks:  5 – 5 foil-to-foil

Total Gybes:  1 – 1 foil-to-foil

Recon Notes:  America was on foil for one stint that lasted a total of 31 minutes.

Take off speed:  18 knots at 100 degrees TWA (True Wind Angle)

Recon Notes:  Initial take off was self, 0 additional self up’s, 0 tow up’s.

Onboard AC40 Today:

Helms:  Paul Goodison / Tom Slingsby

Trimmers:  Lucas Calabrese / Michael Menninger

Conditions:  11:20 N 15-18k/ 12:07 N 18-23k/ 12:53 N 12-18k . Wind speed measured 8ft above sea level using a handheld anemometer. Weather AM: 51°c Sunny. Weather PM: 65°c Mostly Cloudy.

Sails Used:

M1 (AM-MN1): 2 hours 10 minutes

J3: 1 hour 40 minutes

Dock-Out:  1100  Dock-In:  1345

• American Magic
• Americas Cup

RELATED ARTICLES

Barcelona shines as emirates team new zealand holds lead on penultimate day of louis vuitton preliminary regatta, the louis vuitton 37th america’s cup kicks off with high-stakes racing in barcelona – updates from day 1, louis vuitton preliminary regatta opening press conference, ineos britannia announces america’s cup race crew.

Subscribe to our newsletter

To be updated with all the latest news, offers and special announcements.

LATEST ARTICLES

Editor picks, nautic magazine and duward watches announce prestigious collaboration: introducing the aquastar summer sailing 2024 bcn edition, canadian beau lake introduces the tahoe ’14 and lugano ’14 electric runabouts, underwater adventure and exploration with deepflight’s super falcon 3s, popular posts, mirabaud sailing video of the century: celebrating 2 decades of passion, young designer of the year 2022: ioana valentina corcodel reveals 65m ophelia concept, the nacra15 world championships open in la grande motte, france, popular category.

• Regatta 837
• America's Cup 482
• Motor Yachts 264
• Boating 220
• Superyachts 190
• Sailing 183
• Yachts News 174
• Sailing Yachts 167

• AMERICA'S CUP
• CLASSIFIEDS
• NEWSLETTERS
• SUBMIT NEWS

Cup Spy Nov 23: American Magic trials new main and makes big gain

Related Articles

$8.5M grant, American Magic facility may make Pensacola 'top sailing destination in the U.S.'

The New York Yacht Club American Magic sail racing team could be calling the Port of Pensacola its new home base after Pensacola won approval for an $8.5 million Triumph Gulf Coast grant Thursday.

The Triumph Gulf Coast board voted 6-0 on Thursday to give initial approval to Pensacola's grant for $8.5 million to build a Center for Maritime Excellence at the Port of Pensacola.

The board also approved an $11.2 million grant for a Bay County airport project but held off on voting on a $7 million grant request from the University of West Florida.

Triumph Gulf Coast and Pensacola will now negotiate on the final terms of the grant, including potential clawbacks, before Triumph gives its final approval for the funds.

What are American Magic and the America's Cup?

American Magic is the U.S. team in the America's Cup sailing race sponsored by the New York Yacht Club.

The sailing community considers America's Cup the most elite sailing race in the world, where the sailboats are more akin to modern aircraft using the latest technology to try to gain an edge in the fierce competition. The rules of the race are set by the previous winner.

American Magic began training in Pensacola in 2018 ahead of the 36th America's Cup and returned to Pensacola last year, looking to make the city and Pensacola Bay a permanent training base.

Lining up the grant: Pensacola seeking $15M for American Magic America's Cup team and 150 new high-wage jobs

American Magic is back: New York Yacht Club American Magic returns to Pensacola Bay with hopes of a permanent base

The team is set to compete in the 37th America's Cup next year in Barcelona, Spain, and will begin training there in June.

Last year the team was sailing in Pensacola Bay in the AC75 sailboat "Patriot," which competed in the 36th America's Cup.

Earlier this year, the team began training in the smaller AC40 sailboat "America," which will be used for training and the racing boat for the first-ever Youth and Women's America's Cup events next year. Both types of boats are carbon-fiber hydro-foiling sailboats that can reach speeds up to four times faster than the wind speed.

"If we win, which we will, then (American Magic) gets to decide where the next race will be," Triumph Gulf Coast board Vice Chairman Collier Merrill said. "We have our fingers crossed it might be close by. We don't know."

What is Triumph Gulf Coast?

Triumph Gulf Coast is a nonprofit created by Florida to distribute $1.5 billion in BP oil spill settlement funds to economic development projects in the eight Northwest Florida counties adversely impacted by the 2010 disaster.

Triumph Gulf Coast is made up of a seven-person board appointed by various senior state officials. The governor appoints one member of the board, the attorney general appoints one member, the chief financial officer appoints one member, the senate president appoints two members, and the house speaker appoints two members.

What are American Magic's plans in Pensacola?

American Magic plans to make the new Center for Maritime Excellence its team headquarters when it returns from the 37th America's Cup. While no official announcements have been made yet, the team hopes to prepare for the 38th America's Cup in Pensacola, including using the facility to manufacture its own training and competition boats.

American Magic will relocate its headquarters from Rhode Island to Pensacola and bring 170 jobs to the Port of Pensacola.

Triumph Gulf Coast's economic analysis of the project rated it an "A" for an impact on the local economy estimated at $285 million.

The project is the most expensive Triumph Gulf Coast has supported in terms of dollars per new job at $50,000, but it is also the highest average wage of any Triumph project, with the 170 jobs carrying an average salary of $105,000, according to an economic analysis of the project by Triumph Gulf Coast economist Dr. Rick Harper.

"This is an amazing-looking project," Triumph Gulf Coast board member Reynolds Henderson said. "Honestly, you look at that 170 jobs at $105,000 a year. That's pretty awesome. So it's exciting."

How much will the Center for Maritime Excellence cost?

Pensacola is expecting construction of the project to be about $15 million. On top of the Triumph Gulf Coast $8.5 million grant, the city is also seeking a $3.9 million grant from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity. According to the city's Triumph application, the city is also seeking $1.5 million from the Florida Seaport Transportation and Economic Development Council.

The project will finish the construction of Warehouse 10 to serve as the new Center for Maritime Excellence. The warehouse is an unfinished building damaged in Hurricane Sally but still structurally sound. Using an existing building significantly cuts down on the cost of the project.

The city estimates the current value of the building in its unfinished state is about $3.2 million. Combined with another $1.5 million in support from the Escambia County Tourism Development Council, the equipment, and other investments American Magic will bring to the project, the total capital investment in the building will be $45.2 million.

Pairing down the request: Pensacola is retooling a $53M Triumph port expansion request. Here's what's changing:

Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said he was elated that Triumph Gulf Coast approved the project on Thursday.

"With this ask, we certainly wanted to bring a project forward that the Triumph board believed in, that met its mission of catalytic economic impact for these affected communities," Reeves said.

Early in his administration, Reeves pulled back the city's $53 million Triumph request for the Port, which included the American Magic project among several port projects, in order to apply for each one individually.

"The modification of this grant request by the city was to get the Center for Maritime Excellence over the finish line and to start to plant the flag for the city of Pensacola as the top sailing destination in the United States," Reeves said.

University of West Florida's nursing school expansion Triumph Grant delayed

Triumph Gulf Coast also approved a $11.2 million project for Bay County to aid in the construction of an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul project at the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport that is expected to bring 250 jobs.

However, the board delayed a vote on the University of West Florida's $7 million grant request to expand the university's nursing program when no one from the university showed up to the Thursday meeting in DeFuniak Springs.

Several board members had questions about the estimates for the renovation and staff member costs and the board agreed to delay the vote until the next meeting.

"I think it's important that if people are interested in applying for our grants, then it's important enough for you to be here to defend it," Triumph Gulf Coast board Chairman David Bear said.

Published on June 22nd, 2023 | by Editor

America’s Cup: American Magic in Barcelona

Published on June 22nd, 2023 by Editor -->

(June 22, 2023) – Representing the New York Yacht Club, the NYYC American Magic Team today became the second team to sail at the 37th America’s Cup venue with the successful launch of their new AC40 that was delivered ahead of the arrival of the team’s full complement of boats that is making its way across the Atlantic from their winter training base in Pensacola, Florida.

Once some inclement weather cleared from the day before, the sailors took to the water for their first official sail. “There was a decent sea state,” noted Team Coach Tom Burnham. “It’s definitely a new challenge and something that we’re all going to have to get used to, so it’s definitely worth being here to check it out.”

Joining Alinghi Red Bull Racing in Barcelona, the NYYC American Magic team are based on the southern side of the port near the promontory of the W-Hotel and directly opposite the World Trade Centre. Two large, dockside hangars have been erected to house the team’s equipment as their base now for the rest of the campaign through to the start of the Challenger Selection Series in August-September 2024.

“There’s been a big group of people over here for a while, and they’ve been working really hard, and the base is really coming together,” observed Burnham. “It’s taken a while, it’s definitely a lot of work but the nice thing is, now we’re here, it’s our home for the next 16 months so it’s pretty exciting to be here and start operating out of our permanent base for the rest of the way through the Cup.”

The NYYC American Magic team will shortly be fully operational with two AC40s plus their modified AC75 Patriot that is on its way across the Atlantic Ocean. In advance of the first World Series event in September, the team anticipates two-boat sailing with the AC40s through into the Fall and then later in the year having Patriot on the water.

Following the publication of the AC37 Protocol and AC75 Class Rule on November 17, 2021 , the AC75 Class Rule and AC Technical Regulations were finalized on March 17, 2022 . The entry period opened December 1, 2021 and runs until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup may be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the venue reveal, confirming it would be Barcelona on March 30, 2022 . The 37th America’s Cup will be held in September/October 2024.

Teams revealed to challenge defender Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL): • INEOS Britannia (GBR) • Alinghi Red Bull Racing (SUI) • Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team (ITA) • NYYC American Magic (USA) • K-Challenge Racing (FRA)

Preliminary Regattas September 14-17, 2023 (AC40) – Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain November 30-December 3 (AC40) – Jeddah, Saudi Arabia August 2024 (AC75) – Barcelona, Spain

Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup .

Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/ Additional details: www.americascup.com/en/home

Tags: America's Cup , American Magic

Related Posts

On the topic of the America’s Cup venue →

New Zealand picks up where they left off →

America’s Cup: What have we learned? →

Not only boring, it is dehumanizing →

© 2024 Scuttlebutt Sailing News. Inbox Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved. made by VSSL Agency .

• Privacy Statement
• Advertise With Us

Get Your Sailing News Fix!

Your download by email.

• Your Name...
• Your Email... *
• Name This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

New Zealand win thrilling America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Final + what we learned from the racing

• Toby Heppell
• August 25, 2024

The final day of the America's Cup Preliminary Regatta was a fascinating affair with some very close battles throughout the day's racing

The fourth and final day of racing in the 37th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta 2024 saw very tricky conditions for the foiling AC75 monohulls today, Sunday 25 August.

It wasn’t hugely breezy with the wind once again in the mid-low teens, but the unstable wind from the east and a big confused sea state, meant teams would have a lot to do to keep their foiling beasts in control. And with the technical issues we’ve seen on a number of boats so far, the possibility for a breakage loomed large. This close to the Louis Vuitton Cup major damage would spell disaster for any of the America’s Cup challengers.

Although the racing got underway in winds that were in the teens, the forecast was for this breeze to drop throughout the day and, sure enough, by the final race of the day windspeed was closer to 7 knots, with the seaway still fairly significant.

Key takeaways from America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Day 4

• Based on the results, the two strongest teams in the 2021 America’s Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli remain the top two
• But American Magic is absolutely up at the same level as these two, if not quicker
• Orient Express Racing Team and INEOS Britannia are pretty evenly matched at the slower end of the Challengers

American Magic lead Emirates Team New Zealand. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Race 13 American Magic Vs Emirates Team New Zealand

Skippers Emirates Team New Zealand: Pete Burling & Nathan Outteridge American Magic: Paul Goodison & Tom Slingsby

It was a disappointing day for American Magic on day three of the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta after a technical rudder failure forced them to retire before their race even got underway. But they came out swinging for today. The US-flagged boat has a clear plan to get to the left of the course early, led the Kiwis back to the start and got off the line to leeward of Emirates Team New Zealand.

“We made a pretty big error in the prestart and led back too early, which gave an easy lead to the American’s and they made the most of that opportunity,” Ray Davies explained during the race. “I felt like we had an okay start but got a wrong shift early in the race and that was it,” explained Burling at the end of the race.

The kiwis were forced to tack away and by the time the boats had their first cross, the Americans had a solid lead. We’ve seen Goodison and Slingsby happy to let their opponents get a bit of leverage on them and here again we saw them back themselves not putting a tight cover on the Kiwis. As we’ve seen throughout the racing so far in Barcelona passes are few and far between and we saw it again today with the US-flagged boat extending significantly over Burling and Outteridge in the Kiwi AC75.

What did we learn from the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Race 13?

This race absolutely confirms the Patriot is a very, very fast boat. The Kiwis are widely rumoured to be as quick as ever, but American Magic looked like a rocket ship in this opening race. It’s tricky to make too many assumptions when the boat behind is forced to the wrong side of the course, but Patriot looked quick upwind and on a single downwind leg the Americans pulled out 15 seconds over Emirates Team New Zealand.

“When we sail well, there’s a lot of potential in this team,” a satisfied Slingsby said after racing. “We’ve had a few set backs this event, but it’s really good to finish on a high.

For their part, Emirates Team New Zealand won’t be too worried about their first loss of this regatta. Assuming American Magic is one of the fastest challengers – which the racing we’ve seen so far would indicate – the Kiwis looked quick enough that had they won the start they probably could have won the race.

Photo: Ian Roman / America’s Cup

Race 14 Alinghi Red Bull Racing Vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Skippers Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni Alinghi Red Bull Racing: Arnaud Psarofaghis & Maxime Bachelin

Jimmy Spithill may well be one of the best match racing skippers in the world, but even the best of us make mistakes and it looked as though the Italian team made a major error in the pre-start of this race. Luna Rossa were a little early coming back to the startline. That early lead back put them in a vulnerable sport and Alinghi were able to accelerate around behind the Italians and push them back to the start to be over the line early.

Not only did Luna Rossa have to tack and head back downwind to re-cross the startline, they compounded the error by not fully recrossing the start and were called back by the umpires again. By the time Spithill and Bruni actually managed to get their boat underway Alinghi was long, long gone.

Just when you thought this would be another race that was over before it even began, Alinghi make their own mistake as they got too high out of the water during a gybe, lost grip with the rudder to dramatically splash down. For the briefest moment it looked as though Alinghi may well capsize, but they managed to get their boat under control. Spithill and Bruni pounced on the opportunity to sail round the bow of Alinghi, but with Alinghi luffing slightly, Luna Rossa picked up a windward / leeward penalty!

The gap between the two boats looked plenty big enough, but these boats have an electronic boundary around them that prevents them getting too close. With the closing speeds this high, it’s a needed safety feature for match racing on 75ft foiling monsters, but to a sailor’s eye it is a little odd.

By the time the pently and mistake had shaken out, both teams rounded opposite sides of the leeward gate and set off on the second upwind leg almost dead even. What followed was some of the closest action we’ve seen in the regatta to date as a tacking duel takes place between the two teams on the beat and a beautiful tack from Alinghi right on the face of Luna Rossa is about as impressive as it gets. However, it’s Luna Rossa who come out of the exchange slightly ahead picking up a decent shit at the top of the course to lead around the windward gate.

From here the Italian team never really look back – although Alinghi do a good job of pushing them all the way to the finish. “Talk about doing it the hard way,” said Jimmy Spithill to his team as they cross the finish line. “Sorry about that,” he adds referring to the startline error.

What did we learn from the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Race 14?

Alinghi showed a decent turn of of pace here and it was a very, very impressive pre-start for the team, really forcing the error from Luna Rossa. By right that should have been the race won. The Swiss-flagged team also showed enough pace to stay ahead of the favoured Luna Rossa.

“It was a bit difficult for us with the waves today, so we just have to get back to to [practicing],” Maxime Bachelin said after racing and it’s fair to Alinghi looked a little less slick than the Italians when the pressure was on.

Luna Rossa continue to look a class act and winning a race when you’ve made such a significant error in the start will be a real confidence boost for Spithill, Bruni and Co.

tight racing between the British and the French. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

Race 15 INEOS Britannia Vs Orient Express Racing

Skippers INEOS Britannia: Ben Ainlsie & Dylan Fletcher Oreint Express Racing Team: Quentin Delapierre & Kevin Pepponet

The British team really came out fighting and get a piece of the French team forcing a port / starboard penalty in the opening exchanges. By rights that should have been a significant boost for the Brits as the French would be forced to drop behind Ainslie’s crew immediately after the start.

With the penalty done INEOS Britannia looked happy to let the French do their own thing. However, in a quite remarkable error, the British team, totally unchallenged by their competitor, managed to be over the line early and have to make a dip back. Not only that, but starting at the leeward end looked to be an error with Orient Express Racing at the windward end, they were looking strong. Sure enough at the first cross there was a decent lead for the French.

The French team did a good job of the beat and managed to lead at the top mark by dint of making one less manoeuvre.  But their gybing was not quite as slick on the downwind and INOES Britannia managed to take the lead, although it remained very tight between the two teams. “It’s super tricky conditions. If you drop one tack or gybe it could be all over so it is pretty nerve racking for both of the teams,” explained “Rob Wilson of the conditions.

There were certainly some wobbly looking manoeuvres from both teams as the wind dropped off towards the tail end of the race, and from the French in particular who have a smaller jib than the Brits. But the race finished without any more major drama with a win for the Brits, who managed to keep a decent cover on their French rivals and finished the race with a decent lead.

“We were in the fight today which is good, I did think we were a little underpowered so that made the difference,” explained Quentin Delapierre after the finish.

What did we learn from the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Race 15?

Unforced errors by the British team are a concern and will be added to the list of concerns for Ainslie’s squad, but a second win at least makes their regatta look a little more respectable. Certainly INEOS looked to have some decent pace at the very tail end of the race, so that will be something to hold onto.

From what we’ve seen so far this was a race between the two weakest Challengers for this America’s Cup and neither team looked all that much stronger than the other. Mistakes from the Brits let the French take the lead and vice versa. Neither boat looked particularly faster than the other either. Lots to do for both of these teams.

It was a close and thrilling final between New Zealand and Italy. Photo: Ricardo Pinto / America’s Cup

America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Final – Emirates Team New Zealand Vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli

Skippers Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli: Jimmy Spithill & Francesco Bruni Emirates Team New Zealand: Pete Burling & Nathan Outteridge

A repeat of the 2021 America’s Cup saw the Italian and New Zealand teams get stuck into one another straight away and it was Burling and Outteridge who came out in top in the opening exchanges and managed to put a port / starboard penalty on Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

Both boats tacked straight onto port on the startline, Luna Rossa to try to clear their distance penalty by dropping back after the tack, and Emirates Team New Zealand to prevent that happening. Thus Luna Rossa were forced to foot off downwind a bit to clear their penalty and it was a solid advantage to the Kiwis on the first leg.

The gap between the pair goes up and down a little in the puffy, skightly shifty conditions, but for much of the race, the Kiwis hold a 200m lead over the Italians and, as the race progresses it looks increasingly like Spithill and Bruni will need a mistake from Burling and Outteridge to pick up the win.

A slight overlay by the kiwis on the penultimate downwind leg could be the opening needed and it saw Luna Rossa really close in on the New Zealanders and as they tack immediately around the leeward gate it’s starting to look very close. Up the final beat there’s a tacking duel up the left hand boundary with the Kiwis coming in on starboard and then performing a leebow tack to force Italy to tack away again.

After the next tack, the Kiwis try to do the same again and the Italians try to accelerate to leeward of the Kiwis in an attempt to get a leeward hook on them. However, they’re deemed to have got too lose to the stern of the New Zealanders and so are penalised themselves (this truly could have gone either way and for my money if it wasn’t for the electric boundaries on the boats, Luna Rossa would probably have been called in the right). But Luna Rossa is quick and even having scrubbed off the penalty they looked to have taken the lead.

However, as Luna Rossa try to get over the top of New Zealand, with both boats on port and Luna Rossa to windward, New Zealand manage to get a luff on the Italians and force another penalty. It remains tight to the finish, but ultimately it’s Emirates Team New Zealand who take the win and claim the America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta spoils.

“We made that a lot harder than we should have,” said Outteridge after the racing. “It’s awesome to see such a tight, tactical race, but it was good action, a good battle and lots for us to review.”

“It sure was a match race,” Spithill agreed. “I think with this wind direction and wave state it certainly showed there were some passing lanes, which we haven’t seen to date. Congratulations to Emirates Team New Zealand on the win.”

Follow all of our 2024 America’s Cup coverage

If you enjoyed this….

Yachting World is the world’s leading magazine for bluewater cruisers and offshore sailors. Every month we have inspirational adventures and practical features to help you realise your sailing dreams. Build your knowledge with a subscription delivered to your door. See our latest offers and save at least 30% off the cover price.

Sports | Terry Hutchinson set to lead American Magic…

Share this:.

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)

Capital Gazette eNewspaper

• High School

Sports | Terry Hutchinson set to lead American Magic into 37th America’s Cup

Harwood native moves from sailing crew to management role.

That has been the ultimate goal for the Harwood native ever since he became a professional sailor directly out of Old Dominion University, where he was a two-time College Sailor of the Year.

Hutchinson has been part of four previous America’s Cup campaigns as a sailor beginning in 2000 as mainsail trimmer for AmericaOne. He came closest to capturing the America’s Cup in 2007 as tactician for Team New Zealand, which won the challenger series but lost to Alinghi Racing in the championship match.

In 2018, Hutchinson took the lead in forming his own America’s Cup syndicate — founding American Magic with the financial backing of billionaire businessmen Doug DeVos and Hap Fauth.

Fast forward to 2024 and Hutchinson is still trying to capture the America’s Cup, albeit now as team management and not an on-water sailor. The 1986 St. Mary’s High graduate is president of sailing operations and skipper for American Magic, which is mounting a second attempt to claim the Auld Mug.

After spending more than two decades pursuing sailboat racing’s holy grail, would winning the America’s Cup be just as sweet for Hutchinson without doing so as a competitive sailor aboard the boat?

“It’s certainly something that you grapple with,” Hutchinson told The Capital during a phone interview from Barcelona, where he is helping American Magic prepare for the 37th America’s Cup regatta with the AC75 Patriot. “Ultimately, it’s a team sport. Whenever I have been with Bella Mente or Quantum Racing, we always won or lost as a team. My job here is to facilitate having this boat win. If we’re fortunate to be successful, it will absolutely be just as satisfying.”

Following a disappointing result in the 2021 Prada Cup challenger series, American Magic shut down operations for almost a year while the syndicate leadership decided whether or not to move forward. DeVos and Fauth elected to continue their pursuit of the America’s Cup with one caveat — that Hutchinson focus his energy and expertise on managing the sailing team.

“Doug and Hap asked that I step off the boat and support the sailing team ashore — to help facilitate the success on the water. Our personal relationships are the foundation for the whole campaign and it was out of respect for them that I agreed with that suggestion,” Hutchinson said. “We decided it would be best to have the sailors with more experience in the foiling boats on the race crew.”

Hutchinson was grateful DeVos and Fauth committed to continue their financial support of the syndicate, while at the same time making it clear that doing so was the logical choice.

“Doug and Hap are experienced sailors and understood that in many ways we were a start-up program,” he said. “We faltered a little bit, but also made tremendous progress. We’d done way too much work and developed too great an infrastructure to let all that go.”

American Magic reboot

This marks the second iteration of the AC75 Class design rule, which calls for a 75-foot monohull featuring wing-like hydrofoils that lift the high-tech boats out of the water. American Magic has worked hard to assemble a roster filled with sailors that have significant foiling experience.

New to the team for the 37th America’s Cup is Australian Tom Slingsby, the 2012 Olympic gold medalist in Laser class. The 39-year-old from Sydney won the inaugural SailGP series as skipper for the Australian entry aboard the F50 foiling catamarans.

“Tom’s skill set is on display in SailGP and he is the most current of our sailing team in that [foiling] world,” Hutchinson said. “Tom is an incredibly talented sailor, but it would be an unreasonable expectation to think he is going to win this regatta for American Magic. It’s always a team effort and all the sailors abroad along with the 171 people supporting them are critically important in their own way.”

Slingsby serves as starboard helmsman with Michael Menninger as the flight controller and trimmer on that side. Paul Goodison is port helmsman and is backed by Andrew Campbell as flight controller and trimmer.

Goodison was aboard American Magic as main trimmer for the 2021 America’s Cup, while Campbell was a flight controller. Menninger is new to the team.

Hutchinson serves as sounding board, providing ideas and dispensing advice. During training sessions, he follows Patriot in a speedy motorboat, then imparts his observations during debrief sessions.

“Not racing on the boat provides a different perspective. In a lot of ways, you can help more by riding around in a chase boat because you have more time to see and think about things,” Hutchinson said.

“It’s really difficult to coach Tom Slingsby, Paul Goodison, Andrew Campbell and Michael Menninger because they’re all great sailors and really good at their jobs,” Hutchinson added. “My job is to support their instincts and try to present a different perspective when necessary. To be good at my job I have to make sure I’m listening and understanding the science behind the boat.”

Completing the crew aboard the American Magic AC75 are four cyclists. They replace grinders by using leg muscles to power the boat’s hydraulic systems. Hutchinson said the team intends to rotate a total of 10 cyclists because of the physicality of their job.

After making the decision to continue the American Magic campaign, the first thing the syndicate leadership did was hire Scott Ferguson as design coordinator. He was responsible for assembling a 45-member design team. Britton Ward, an Annapolis resident and vice president of Farr Yacht Design, teamed with Pete Melvin to design the hull.

Technological marvels

Hutchinson has been pleased with the AC75 the design team produced. This second generation version of Patriot is much smaller and lighter (by 1,000 kilograms) than its 2021 predecessor. By rule, the foil arms are 250 millimeters longer and the foil box is bigger than American Magic’s previous AC75.

Designers removed three athletes from the boat and switched from arm to leg power. American Magic was the only competing syndicate that chose to put its cyclists in the recumbent position.

“I think this Patriot is impressively different from the previous version. Aerodynamically it’s a much better boat,” Hutchinson said. “It’s also a boat that’s designed to be very good in maneuvers and taking off quickly. Our goal was to highlight the things we didn’t do well in AC 36 and improve upon those, which I think we did.”

These 75-foot foiling monohulls are technological marvels with the massive wingsail very much like an airplane wing. Hutchinson said the newest Patriot can achieve takeoff in just six knots of breeze and can reach speeds of 50 knots in just 17 knots of wind with flat water.

Some purists argue that this is no longer true sailing and cite the fact so much of the AC75 operation relies on hydraulic systems to support that stand. Crew members don’t hoist or douse the sails or perform many of the other tasks that are commonplace aboard typical sailboats.

Hutchinson disagrees with that assessment and said strategy, tactics, trimming and overall sailing skill are still important. Boat-handling and setup are also still critical. The Anne Arundel County Sports Hall of Fame member compared it to the difference between driving a standard vehicle compared to a Formula 1 race car.

“Everything is amplified even more because the speeds of these boats are so much higher. If the boat is out of balance it becomes catastrophic to performance,” he said. “All the same sailing principles apply, it’s just a vastly different platform.”

American Magic’s schedule called for 18 months of design time, 12 months of build time and six months of sailing. In terms of actual competition, the Louis Vuitton Cup begins Aug. 29 and concludes Oct. 7.

At the end of Round Robin 2, which concludes Sept. 8, one of the five challengers will be eliminated with the top four advancing to the semifinals.

“The hard part of the America’s Cup is that you do years of hard work for eight weeks of racing,” Hutchinson said. “It’s a massive investment for very little racing.”

All six participating syndicates will get a chance to gauge the competition during the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, which begins Thursday in Barcelona. Italy’s Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli is the Challenger of Record, while other contenders are Ineos Britannia (Great Britain), Alinghi Red Bull Racing (Switzerland) and Orient Express Racing (France). Defender Team New Zealand will participate in the preliminary regatta to test its AC75.

More in Sports

Olympics | Paralympic social media accounts bypass traditional media with edgy take

Olympics | Swimmer Ali Truwit makes Paralympics a year after losing lower leg in shark attack while snorkeling

Olympics | How the Paris 2024 Village has been transformed for Paralympians with accessibility in mind

Olympics | What sports are in the Paralympics?

• AROUND THE SAILING WORLD
• BOAT OF THE YEAR
• Email Newsletters
• America’s Cup
• St. Petersburg
• Caribbean Championship
• Boating Safety
• Ultimate Boat Giveaway

Rivals Flush American Magic Facemask Rule Enquiry

• By Dave Reed
• August 27, 2024

As America’s Cup teams explore the fringes and loopholes of the AC75 class rules and Protocol for some measurable advantage, they must do so by filing “enquiries” with America’s Cup officials, which then prompt approval or objections from other teams. Such enquiries often provide fascinating and entertaining reading, especially as those who file often muddy the question itself so as not to give away their true intentions.

With the respective AC75 hull platforms, sails, foils and big bits mostly finalized at the macro level, enquiries at this late stage of the regatta hint at grasps for fractions of a knot, or in the case of a new one from the New York YC’s American Magic, a better way to…err…um…save face.

Rule Enquiry, No. 244, was submitted by American Magic after the practice day of the Final Preliminary Regatta, during which the team suffered a pucker-of-a-pitchpole that buried the boat from the bow clear back to the cockpits, filling them with cool Mediterranean blue and doing a number on the delicate electronics inside the yacht. American Magic CEO Terry Hutchinson shrugged off the crash down as an “oopsie,” but the incident does hint at one particular problem with regard to Patriot’s extremely low freeboard and the location of the cockpit openings. Enquiry No. 224 further highlights the vulnerability of the helmsmen and the flight controllers, especially, which are forward and inboard on the deck—right in the firehose.

“We are looking at ways to protect our sailors’ face from hitting parts of the yacht or being hit by large amounts of water in case of nose dives and other decelerations,” American Magic states in its enquiry. “To do so, we have been prototyping face masks that protect the face, much like the helmet protects the head and goggles protect the eyes. An example of such a face mask can be seen in the pictures below.”

In their appeal, they argue that the goggles and helmets used by other teams provide some aerodynamic benefit, so like, no big deal, right?

While the Rules Committee seemed to be OK with American Magic’s prototype mask, anonymous responses from the other teams were lockstep in opposition: “There is no way to know how the final product might vary from this prototype or example, and whether it might contain additional features such as an integral eye shield rather than the separate pair of goggles this prototype seems designed to accommodate,” wrote one respondent.

“The author of the enquiry has acknowledged that the device is designed to provide hydrodynamic fairing by writing ‘protect our sailors’ face from […] being hit by large amounts of water.’ So, it is designed to provide aerodynamic fairing, in the sense of smoothing the shape of the crew’s face,” wrote another in the nay column, followed by, “We believe that other designs of face protection masks such as motocross, paintball, ice-hockey, lacrosse provide protection without providing aerodynamic fairing and that the design presented in the rule enquiry differs from them uniquely to provide fairing.”

“We remain convinced that this is an unsafe development,” was another response, and finally this one: “We disagree with the [Rules Committee] draft interpretation, which may set a dangerous precedent when considering safety versus aerodynamic gain.”

“When we consider the helmets and goggles used by the competitors, all are commercially available components of which the competitors have selected the basic versions rather than those specifically engineered for aerodynamic efficiency,” one response stated with a hard no.

By our count, that’s five against one, with only the Rules Committee seemingly siding with American Magic, who perhaps put in the final word with: “We sustain that being able to divert the water from the nose and mouth is a key feature of the mask that will allow sailors to continue breathing unobstructed by said water in the event of a nose dive or rapid deceleration.”

• More: America's Cup , America's Cup 37 , Racing , Sailboat Racing
• More Racing

The Reemergence of Jimmy Spithill

Running Tide Runs Swiftly Still

Mistakes And Misfires On the Final Day of Cup’s Preliminary Regatta

Emirates Team New Zealand Remain the Bullies of Barcelona

Start-Box Sparring in Barcelona on Day 2 of Preliminary Regatta

Real-time Wind Overlay Feature Added to Cup Broadcast

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Terms of Use
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND WIN THE LOUIS VUITTON PRELIMINARY REGATTA

As the sun set in Barcelona on a memorable Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta, it was Emirates Team New Zealand spraying the Moët & Chandon champagne as winners, after an enthralling and epic, super-tight final battle with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Undoubtedly the race of the regatta, we saw match-racing of the highest order with the finest helmsmen on both teams going head-to head in a race where no quarter was given right from the start. Thrilling, engrossing, it was simply sporting brilliance and a huge advert for the Louis Vuitton Cup that starts on August 29th.

Peter Burling, skipper of Emirates Team New Zealand was understandably delighted with the win but described what it was like onboard, saying: “I think just incredibly challenging to sail in those conditions, we had a fair few issues we were managing on the boat, but we lucked-out in the pre-start and got a penalty on them, I was amazed the second penalty got turned off when it did with them still ahead of us – but then to stick to our guns and make a pass from there was really pleasing.”

And Burling further added: “We were expecting it to be tight and we were struggling to get the shifts right, but it's going to be a close regatta. It’s all about making sure you get the phases right and sail the boat in the right places. I think we were a little frustrated with how we sailed today but plenty to go back and have a look at afterwards.”

Aside from the final, we also had three high-quality races with all six teams in action and with the weather changing to an east-south-east direction, bringing with it a vicious swell, we saw overtaking aplenty and a marker of intent laid down by the New York Yacht Club American Magic team.

Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison, sailing ‘Patriot’ inflicted the first defeat of the regatta on Emirates Team New Zealand with a stunning display of boatspeed, tactics and technique. On the day, the Americans were a class apart but with their place already secured in the final by dint of a 100%-win record coming into today, there was no panic from the Kiwis.

Paul Goodison, port helm on ‘Patriot’ was pleased with the win but contextualised it saying: “It was really satisfying the way we sailed today. We were very disappointed yesterday to miss out on racing with the French and to come out today get a win is just great. It’s especially satisfying to do that in the lighter trickier conditions we are more expecting to see as we move through this competition. To be able to perform well in those conditions and to race well as a team was a big, big, win for the team.”

Skipper and President of Sailing operations at NYYC American Magic, Terry Hutchinson, came ashore happy with the win against Emirates Team New Zealand but laser-focused on the challenges ahead: “The way the guys sailed today was really consistent and it was everything that we've been talking about, so we have an almost vertical learning curve of improvement in front of us which is really encouraging because you can see the potential of ‘Patriot’ and you can see the potential of our team. We’ve just got to keep chipping along and getting it all together. It’s hard not to be happy, but we still got third, so if you win a couple battles but don't win the war you’ve got to keep the bigger picture in mind and I think that's what we will do.”  

Elsewhere we saw a brilliant race between Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Alinghi Red Bull Racing with the young Swiss team inflicting penalties at the start and gaining an early lead. Front running in pressure situations is hard and the Swiss gave away their advantage through boat-handling issues and tactical errors that they will undoubtedly learn from as the Italians secured the win.

Arnaud Psarofaghis, skipper of Alinghi Red Bull Racing described one of the key moments of the race saying: “During the downwind we lost the rudder out of the gybe. We don't really know what happened because afterwards the boat was working pretty well again. We need to review the data but maybe we pushed a bit too much there. It was a great fight with Luna Rossa. We kept on trying to push them away, but they kept on coming back. It was tough racing and the guys on the bikes did a really good job, because we pushed really hard on the power consumption today.”

For INEOS Britannia and Orient Express Racing, both teams came into today with a point to prove and a point to gain. The pressure was on both teams and early errors gave the advantage to the French, but Sir Ben Ainslie’s British team kept the pressure on and eked out the marginal gains to eventually get a lead that they never relinquished.

Speaking afterwards, Ainslie’s co-helm Dylan Fletcher who was appointed to the race team just before the regatta, commented: “I think it was a fantastic day of racing across the whole fleet we saw some exciting racing, good passes, and we had a bit of a tough one with the French but I think once we found our rhythm we decided to stretch our legs and there's lots of work to do between now and the Round Robin and going forward but we're just trying to be on that steep trajectory to be at the right place we need to be to win at the end of the day.”

For Kevin Peponnet, port helm of Orient Express Racing, it was another day of positives and frustrations with the team performing well on the racecourse over five legs in tricky conditions: “There was a lot of good things but we made some mistakes at the pre-start and on the choice of the jib - we were struggling and we need some training in the lower range of the jib so we're going to work on this but yeah, we had a great fight against the British, it was a really good crunch.”

The final race of the day – the final of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta – was a classic. This was high-performance foiling racing of the highest order with the rules being tested from the start and desperately close boat-on-boat action all throughout the race. Emirates Team New Zealand came out on top, picking the pressure well on the final run to the finish but for Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli it was an outstanding performance.

Speaking afterwards Francesco Bruni, port helm accepted some blame for the loss saying: “It was painful to lose that race, we fought hard and I’m very sorry for the whole team because obviously part of those penalties are due to mistakes I made. We have to review deeply all the situations because we have very small screens on board that are super hard to judge if the penalty was for you or for your opponent. Hats off to New Zealand, for a great race, but I'm very proud with the team. I think we have a great boat, a great team, a great sailing team and I think it will be a very interesting America's Cup.”

With the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta trophy presented to Emirates Team New Zealand by local blind Patí Català sailor Dani A. Pich, on the main stage at the Official Race Village on the Moll de la Fusta in the Port Vell, the curtain comes down on a thrilling regatta that revealed much.

All eyes are now on the Louis Vuitton Cup, starting on Thursday August 29th where every race and every point matters. The Louis Vuitton 37 th America’s Cup is about to get serious.

(Magnus Wheatley)