Cup Spy – June 20-21: Kiwis get over jetlag..Swiss abort sailing session..Italians sail on

Cup Spy – June 20-21: Kiwis get over jetlag..Swiss abort sailing session..Italians sail on

by Richard Gladwell Sail-World NZ 22 Jun 23:08 EST
21 June 2023

Emirates Team NZ has sailed each day this week since returning from SailGP Chicago. American Magic has arrived in Barcelona (and are sailing their new AC40 – see team announcement and next Cup Spy edition. Alinghi Red Bull Racing aborted a planned sailing session on Wednesday. Luna Rossa has sailed two days this week. It looks as if the Kiwis and Italians will continue sailing until the end of June, when the no-sail-except-in-Barcelona Protocol rule turns on, and until the end of October, when the teams are free to sail at a venue of their choosing.

What happened in the Cup – June 20-21, 2023:

• American Magic has arrived in Barcelona, and taken delivery of their second AC-40 – which is #8 off the production line (see team announcement). Their first AC40 – #5 is also being used as the teams LEQ12 test boat. The team has an AC75 Patriot, which they say is en route to Barcelona.
• Luna Rossa sailed from Cagliari, in a 7-10kts breeze which made for marginal foiling conditions, requiring several tow-starts.
• Emirates Team New Zealand sailed on June 20 and 21 – two markedly different days with the 20th being near summer weather, and the next being definitely in the winter category. The Emirates Team NZ crew arrived back from SailGP Chicago and sailed soon after getting back from the airport on Tuesday morning. Some small changes have been made to the tips of the development foil, along with the addition of some new cameras/sensors. The ETNZ AC75 is on a freighter which has just exited the Caribbean, the projected arrival in Barcelona is July 2.
• INEOS Britannia did not sail, and are packing out for Barcelona. They will restart their sailing program in August.
• Alinghi Red Bull Racing was anticipating sailing their AC40 OD and the LEQ12, on August 21, however on the basis of the forecast decided to leave the AC40 in the shed. They rigged the LEQ12 and towed out, but gave the session away when they saw the sea-state. The winds came through in a two-hour squall, and interesting sea-state – just visible on some of the images in the Recon File System.
• No further news from the Orient Express Team (formerly K-Challenge).

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – LEQ12 – Day 71 – June 21, 2023 – Cagliari

From the AC37 Joint Recon Team – Michele Melis:

The Italian LRPP rolled out the LEQ12 at 08:15 scheduling dockout for approximately one hour later.

Beside some minor modifications and previously seen markings on wings, the boat seemed to run the usual configuration.

On the dock the boards were raised and lowered multiple times before the sailors proceeded with their trim controls set for the day.

At 9:30 the LEQ12 was boarded by four crew and was towed out of the harbour to fully hoist the M1 mainsail paired to the J1.5 jib while some checks were conducted on the mast base/ jib track.

The forecast looked light with patchy 7-9kn SSE breeze with swell of approximately 0.8m 4s from SE offering interesting conditions looking similar to Barcelona. After the first of several, and only, tow-to-fly take offs, the LEQ12 was foilborne on starboard tack for some minutes and back hullborne hitting a wave exiting a tack maneuver.

Shortly after being towed back up, the LEQ12 sailed for a while straight line on portside tack and stopping having entered a patch without breeze. The prototype was towed back towards the harbour where it awaited the arrival of chase1 to resume sailing. Three more tow-to-fly followed and all the rides were interrupted by splashdowns exiting tacks, mostly transiting from portside to starboard tack. The team decided to lower the J1.5 to hoist the J1 as the breeze seemed to decrease even further.

Towards Sarroch the light air looked to be more consistent and a series of tacks has been observed before the pressure died and the LEQ12 was towed back further inshore towards Cagliari. Once some air was encountered, the LEQ12 was released from towline and sailed downwind completing a series of gybes, looking less dry and successful from starboard to portside tack.

The team seemed to focus on light air performance and maneuvers execution during the whole session which lasted 4 hours and was ended with an approximate total foiling time of 132 minutes, with 24 tacks, 18 gybes [Michele Melis AC Recon].

Session Statistics: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli – LEQ12 – Day 71 – June 21, 2023 – Cagliari

• Weather: Sunny 27°C
• Wind Strength 7-10kts
• Wind Direction: SSE
• Sea State: 0.7 – 0.8mtr
• Roll out: 0830hrs Dock Out: 0930hrs
• Dock In: 1340hrs Crane out: 1500hrs
• Total Tacks: 24 – Fully foiling: 14; Touch & Go: 5; Touch Down: 5
• Total Gybes: 18 – Fully foiling: 13; Touch & Go: 2; Touch Down: 3

Crew: Francesco Bruni, Marco Gradoni, Andrea Tesei Umberto Molineris

Emirates Team NZ – LEQ12 – Day 35 – June 20, 2023 – Auckland

From the AC37 Joint Recon Team [Alastair Moore AC-Recon]:

The LEQ 12 was on the docks edge at 11.04 and had her rig stepped by 11.15. New tips on the development foil were observed along with white stripes and three protrusions on the under side (cameras?) She was swung into the pen at 11.25.

At 13.00 she was bow towed from the dock and taken just out side the break wall to bend on sails. The one design J1 and I think M2 were on their locks at 13.09. The yacht was up and foiling in a very light NE breeze at 13.18 and went about some short windward leewards between Westhaven and Shoal Bay before beating down the harbour and out Rangitoto channel.

Time was spent on starboard tack at different speeds and ride heights, also doing some bear-aways and roundups. She came to a stop off Takapuna boat ramp at 13.50 and changed from the #1 to the #2 one design jib. Back up and sailing again at 14.06 she sailed close hauled out past “A” buoy (northern entrance to the Rangitoto Channel), tacking every 600-800 meters.

The recon team tried hard to get beam on shots when she was on port to study the foil.

On her beat out, in 7-9 knots of NE breeze, the recon boats best speed was about 25 knots. When she bore away we were tapped out and not gaining.

On the run in towards Takapuna our best speed was around 32 knots- all best speeds were observed when the yacht was on starboard tack/gybe.

The LEQ 12 ran up the harbour and quickly left us behind as the recon boat slowed for the harbour speed restrictions.

She was stopped with Chaseboat alongside just off the ETNZ base in Wynyard Harbour base at 14.45.

Sails down at 14.52

Session Statistics – Emirates Team NZ – LEQ12 – Day 35 – June 20, 2023 – Auckland

• Weather: 23°C 20% cloud cover, Sunny
• Wind Strength: 5-9kts
• Wind Direction: NE
• Sea State: Moderate
• Roll out: 1125hrs Dock Out: 1300hrs
• Dock In: 1500hrs Crane out: 1526hrs
• Total Tacks: 25 – Fully foiling: 17; Touch & Go: 5; Touch Down: 3
• Total Gybes: 14 – Fully foiling: 13; Touch & Go: 1; Touch Down: 0

Crew: (LEQ12) Nathan Outteridge, Peter Burling, Andy Maloney, Blair Tuke (AC40)

Emirates Team NZ – LEQ12 – Day 36 – June 21, 2023 – Auckland

From the AC37 Joint Recon Team [Alastair Moore AC-Recon]:

The yacht was swung into the pen at 08.31 looking to be in the same set up as yesterday. Bow towed out of the pen in 10-12 knots of ENE breeze, she bent on sails just outside the break wall. The J3 OD was on its lock at 09.09 followed by the M2 at 09.11.

She was up and sailing, beating down the harbour by 09.22, all the way out to Motuihe Island before turning and running back down towards Bean rock. She did two full laps of this area with long boards out to the natural boundaries before coming to a stop off Northern Leading. She changed out the one design J3 for the development #3 with fatter square top head. The OD came down at 09.51 and the development #3 was on the lock by 09.58.

The LEQ12 was up and sailing again at 10.02 completing another two laps of the Motukorea channel with some big round ups and bear aways observed. Also several periods where the yacht sailed to windward with both boards down.

At the end of the second down wind she headed out the Rangitoto channel but did not go past a line from Rangitoto light house to Takapuna boat ramp. The sea state here was large, steep and very uncomfortable for us in the recon boat. She looked in control most of the time but there were several moments where the yacht crashed down hard sending spray flying. After a bad 360 degree turn she came off her foils in the worst of the sea state and took 5 to 8 times as long as Flat water to get foil borne again.

Once up and sailing again she turned for home, as we were North West of her when she turned for home we had no chance of keeping up as the sea had really built up and the breeze was above 20 knots.

She came to a stop off the base at 11.33 and had sails down by 11.39.

Session Statistics – Emirates Team NZ – LEQ12 – Day 36 – June 21, 2023 – Auckland

• Weather: 15°C
• Wind Strength: 10-12kts increasing to 20kts
• Wind Direction: ENE
• Sea State: Moderate
• Roll out: 0831hrs Dock Out: 10900hrs
• Dock In: 1150hrs Crane out: 1210hrs
• Total Tacks: 326 – Fully foiling: 326; Touch & Go: 0; Touch Down: 0
• Total Gybes: 25 – Fully foiling: 21; Touch & Go: 1; Touch Down: 1

Crew: (LEQ12) Nathan Outteridge, Peter Burling, Andy Maloney, Blair Tuke

Alinghi Red Bull Racing – LEQ12 – Day 35 – June 21, 2023 – Barcelona

From the AC37 Joint Recon team:

Alinghi Red Bull Racing rolled out their AC40-4 at 08:30 and prepared two AC40 rigs on the forecourt. On account of the rough sea state, a decision was made to keep the AC40-7 inside, and only launched the AC40-4, with their ‘Delta Foil’ back on the starboard foil arm. It is not clear exactly what changes have been made to the foil since the last time it was seen on 6th June.

The only noted difference is a screw/camera/pressure sensor on the foil arm (close to where the arm meets the wing) that was not visible in previous days; though a surface was missing in this area after the last time the foil was used.

A decision was made to give sailing a miss on account of the sea state, and systems checks were carried out instead, ahead of sailing planned for Thursday and Friday.

Phil Robertson was back at the base and given a run through of the port helm. The team docked out at 12:05 with the AC40 alongside Chase Bravo, running through systems checks for 40 minutes in the port.

The yacht was craned out at 13:35 and rolled in shortly after.

Session Statistics: Alinghi Red Bull Racing – LEQ12 – Day 35 – June 21, 2023 – Barcelona

• Wind Strength: 8-15kts peaking at 1300hrs
• Wind Direction: East
• Weather: Sunny 27°C Cloudy
• Sea State: Beaufort 4 Easterly swell 1.2metre
• LEQ12 Crane In: 0855hrs Dock Out: 1205hrs
• LEQ12 Dock In: 1245hrs Crane Out: 1335hrs
• Total Tacks: 0; Fully foiling: 0; Touch & Go: 0; Touch Down: 0
• Total Gybes: 0; Fully foiling: 0; Touch & Go: 0; Touch Down: 0
• AC40-4 – Yellow bowsprit
• The LEQ12 carried the Tubercle wing foil on the starboard foil arm; an AC40 One Design wing foil on the port foil arm and a standard (One Design) elevator on the rudder.

Additional Images:

Alinghi

ETNZ

Luna Rossa

This commentary was written and compiled from video, still images and statistical content extracted from the AC37 Joint Recon program and other material available to Sail-World NZ including photo files, and other on the water coverage from the 2010, 2013, 2017 and 2021 America’s Cups. Its format is intended to give Sail-World readers a snapshot of all teams’ progress on a given day or period.