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Left: the apparently completely unflappable Pete Burling quietly gets on with the job. At the 2021 Cup in Auckland Burling and his sailing team started the Match looking a bit rusty in the pre-starts after a long gap before the Cup began. This year they hit the first two-minute warning signal very obviously ready to rumble, winning their first four races on the bounce; Emirates TNZ being one of the teams with their own pair of AC40s for match racing practice. Above: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli’s exceptional youth team won their America’s Cup series at a canter. An at times jaded-looking Jimmy Spithill was a bit less ‘pitbull’ than expected in the Louis Vuitton final and there was even talk of giving Marco Gradoni a shot… it didn’t happen. But the day after being eliminated Luna Rossa’s AC75 was back on the water and now with Gradoni and AC40 co-helm Gianluigi Ugolini leading Italy’s finest Cup sailors
11. The television graphics package continues to improve. It seems like the technology of presenting the event is improving at the same rate as the technology on the boats. 12. Team NZ is always just a little faster. Not having the benefit of the tough racing that Ineos had, you would have thought ETNZ would have been a bit rusty at the outset. Do they still have better simulators than the other teams? 13. Sail selection was critical. Too small downwind or too big upwind really affected performance. So the meteorology team was critical in calling the pressure. 14. The racetrack was tactical. There was almost always a right bend going up the windward leg. Owning the right was usually key to being first at the top mark. Right-hand turn at the top was also powerful.
It looked like Barcelona was a great venue. The wind was challenging for the competitors, being in Europe was good for spectators and sponsors and I am sure the town was full of life at night as ‘full of life’ is Barcelona’s DNA.
I am certain England was abuzz with the possibility of Ineos winning. I was really impressed with Ben and his team. This is for sure his best effort yet. He may just get there! I suppose ETNZ will rinse and repeat the exercise in Barcelona in AC75s in 2027. Or maybe not? That’s easiest for all and maybe they can get a couple more entries.
In the meantime, SailGP will have restarted by the time you read this. The first event is in Dubai and then the fleet will ship down to Auckland for a GP in January. I hear Brazil will be joining the fleet with Martine Grael at the helm. That will be very cool for her and for the event!
I still believe SailGP is the best commercial product. With 10 or 12 boats there is always action somewhere on the racetrack as the races are short and in equal boats; 12-14 events keep the spectators engaged throughout the season and the international venues are interesting. You run a team for €10 million/year rather than €50 million/year in the Cup. Each team will race in 36 or more events before the next America’s Cup. Now that they are selling off some of the teams, I have to believe that SailGP is getting over the hump of self-sustenance.
Don’t know for sure of course… I am just a spectator. SEAHORSE 33
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