Posted by 
Will it be the moment of truth, or the moment before the moment? Either way, the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta gets underway on August 22 with far more questions ahead of the competition than answers.
This is the third Preliminary Regatta on the journey to the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup but is the first to be sailed in the latest generation AC75 yachts, and the final preparation ahead of the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series beginning on August 29.
It’s a very simple fact that no team wants a bad, morale-sapping regatta at this stage but with the racing not counting towards points in the Louis Vuitton Cup, there could well be a number of different strategies at play and variances of approach team by team.
Everyone will be eyeing the competition with interest with a focus on performance in specific wind ranges. The Performance Analysts and coaching teams will be working overtime to analyze every aspect of the competition’s yachts and tactics and for sure, the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta will start to reveal profiles and nuances un-seen before.
What we do know is that relative speeds are incredibly close across the fleet. At this stage, there is simply no front-runner across all the conditions, and every team is more than capable of beating the others. The starts are key and the ability to sail a clean, powered-on race with great tactical and meteorological execution will, undoubtedly, produce results.
First up is a fascinating opening encounter between Alinghi Red Bull Racing and Orient Express Racing Team where the well-drilled Swiss will be looking for success against a French team that clearly has a very fast boat – particularly upwind.
Skipper of Alinghi Red Bull Racing, Arnaud Psarofaghis and his co-helm Maxime Bachelin will be looking to use the high maneuverability of BoatOne whilst the French will be eyeing outright speed profile. This will be a close call but the form book from training would suggest a Swiss win.
Next up, is a blockbuster race between the finalists of the last America’s Cup in Auckland 2021 – Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. In training, these two teams have continued to set the standards in this America’s Cup cycle and with the reveal of their AC75 designs, it was clear that both teams have taken a step forward and, on the face of it, appear to have a similar speed profile across a wide range of conditions.
This could well come down to racecraft and skill from the respective afterguards with skipper and Cup winner Peter Burling alongside Nathan Outteridge for the Kiwis enjoying a solid and consistent relationship. Equally Luna Rossa, who have an abundance of helming talent, will most likely pair skipper Jimmy Spithill, one of the true global talents of the sport, with the experience of Francesco Bruni. This race is just too close to call.
Next up we will see INEOS Britannia and NYYC American Magic facing off with so many performance and boatspeed questions to be answered.
Can the American cyclor team, seated in a recumbent position facing aft, match the power output of the traditional set up on the British boat? How fast is Britannia now that her foils are shorn of the Pitot tubes and in race trim? And which hull design is fastest – the low profile of the Americans or the muscular aero profile of Britannia?
What is more certain is that we will see some top-class match racing with Ben Ainslie and either Dylan Fletcher-Scott or Giles Scott on the British boat matching up to Tom Slingsby and Paul Goodison on ‘Patriot’ – expect fireworks but picking a winner out of these two teams could well come down to outright performance in a specific condition.
The final race of the opening day sees Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli return to the racecourse for their second race of the day, this time against Orient Express Racing Team. What will be incredibly revealing here will be the pre-start and the relative upwind performances with the French more than capable of pressing hard and using their inherent hull-form speed. The race may well come down to maneuver execution, which is an area that Luna Rossa excel in, but this is match-up where we can expect the unexpected. Not to be missed.
Days two and three of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta see the format unfold and patterns emerging. By the end of Saturday, after three days of intense racing we are expecting the leaderboard points to be tight. The final day of racing on Sunday with New Zealand against USA, Italy against Switzerland, and France versus Britain could well be the final determinants for the top spots ahead of the grand final where the top two boats will fight it out in a one race, winner-takes-all decider.
The business end of this America’s Cup cycle is within touching distance and it’s almost time to reveal all. As the precursor to the Louis Vuitton Cup, this final test regatta has an importance and a resonance that can set the tone for the coming weeks.
How to watch:
On all competition days, races start at 14:00 CET (08:00 ET) and run until 16:30 or 17:00, depending on the schedule. The races will be streaming live and free on the event website, YouTube, and Facebook. The races will also be broadcast in over 200 territories around the world. To check the available broadcast options, click here.
For live viewing opportunities, click here.
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 was from December 1, 2021 until July 31, 2022, but late entries for the 37th America’s Cup could be accepted until May 31, 2023. The Defender was to announce the Match Venue on September 17, 2021 but postponed the reveal, finally confirming Barcelona on March 30, 2022. The 37th America’s Cup begins October 12, 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)
• Orient Express Racing Team (FRA)
2023-24 Preliminary Regattas
September 14-17, 2023 (AC40): Vilanova i la Geltrú, Spain
November 30-December 2 (AC40): Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
August 22-25, 2024 (AC75): Barcelona, Spain
2024 Challenger Selection Series
August 29-September 8: Double Round Robin
September 14-19: Semi Finals (Best of 9)
September 26-October 7: Finals (Best of 13)
2024 America’s Cup
October 12-21: 37th Match (Best of 13)
For competition details, click here.
Additionally, 12 teams will compete in the 2024 Youth & Women’s America’s Cup.
Noticeboard: https://ac37noticeboard.acofficials.org/
Event details: www.americascup.com/en/home
Source: ACE, Scuttlebutt
Follow Us!