Update
HAVE AT IT – Terry Hutchinson Back to work in Barcelona! The turn of the year has been a good one for American Magic. Patriot sailing has been up and down. As expected, mother nature has not co-operated perfectly for us but in the same breath it has been good enough. In Barcelona the biggest difference at this time of year (besides the temperature) is that the wind is typically a bit more westerly. It will be a sad day when Patriot has her last sail. Three years to
the day as I am writing to that moment in New Zealand. She has been a great boat for our team but perhaps it is time to rest! We are now 215 days to the start of AC37 Louis Vuitton Cup. On
19 January the defender and challenger of record Ineos released the four-page challenger selection series race conditions, albeit a month and a half late… American Magic continues a pathway that for now will include
Patriot and then transition over to the AC40. Our focus is to slide as smoothly as possible out of the systems work in the 75 across to sail development and racing in the AC40. It has been interesting to watch the competitors and each team’s
approach over the start of the year. The defender is in New Zealand and has taken delivery of their final test foil set, no4. Looks to be 1.36m2, give or take 2%… It’s a good-looking foil working hard on sectional shape. Still just one boat sailing as they wait for the arrival of AC40 no2 back from Jeddah. Luna Rossa has been racing the LEQ12 boat against the AC40
in Cagliari – as always looking slick. Alinghi has continued two-boat testing/racing AC40s in Jeddah
while also sailing the AC75 in Barcelona. Ineos is two-boat racing in one-design mode on the racecourse
in Barcelona. Have they fallen out of love with their complicated and troublesome LEQ12? Orient Express just received their AC40 back from Jeddah and
14 SEAHORSE
will be one-boat training in Barcelona. Not a lot of surprises apart from the fact that we have not seen Luna Rossa in their AC75. That would mean that they are confident with systems and development on a test bench and simulation. I guess time will tell as the efficiency will be paramount once all the teams launch the 75s! Other happenings: it was great to see the turnout of boats at the
Southernmost Regatta. A good combination of GL52s, Cape 31s, J111s and J70s, with a small ORC group. Not a massive number but good racing nonetheless… especially as the rest of the US was under snow! From here it will be back on the water in Barcelona. Standing by at 17ft!
RACING? – Jack Griffin Nope, we’ll see no more racing for the 2024 America’s Cup until August when the defender and the five challengers square off in their AC75s for the final Preliminary Regatta. One week later the five challengers will begin the Louis Vuitton
Challenger Selection Series. After the double round robin, one team will be excused from further competition and the other four will go into the first-to-five semi-finals before the last two have at it in the first-to-seven LVC Finals. The AC Match begins on Saturday 12 October. The challenger will
need to beat Team New Zealand seven times if they are to wrest the Cup from the Kiwis. That’s a tall order. So how will the teams spend the dwindling time between now and racing in anger? May seems to be a likely time for most of the AC75 launches.
In June the teams will learn how well they were able to scale up the designs they tested on their smaller AC40s and LEQ12s. They will see how the data coming off their AC75 matches up with their simulations. Data doesn’t lie. The Technical Regulations limit the teams to three new foil wings and five new flaps. Those numbers are totals. Only 20% of the mass
VINCENT CURUTCHET/ALEA
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