America’s Cup: the worrying threat to the world series regatta

A worrying wind forecast threatens the first official action of the America’s Cup in Auckland.

The World Series Regatta and Christmas Cup will run Thursday through Sunday, the only chance all four teams will have to race under real pressure ahead of the Prada Cup Challenge Series in January and February.

It is also the only chance the New Zealand team has to be able to face a challenger before breaking their way to train on their own for two months, awaiting the start of the America’s Cup match in March.

Now it’s a matter of waiting to see if the winds cooperate after a frustrating day of practice races on Monday in which only one of four races was completed.

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Monday’s winds ranged from six to 10 knots, mostly on the lower end of that, and the inability of the traditional sea breeze to build meant too much downtime for everyone in the Gulf of Hauraki as the northernmost field of bays. from the east coast. was employed for the first time.

Forecasts are similar for the final practice races on Tuesday and the long-term outlook for the full four days of the World Series regatta calls for winds at the lower end of the race limits of 6.5-21 knots.

Race Director Iain Murray will have to go to great lengths to choose the best of the five available courses to find a steady breeze and get the action going.

The race organizers are desperate for the new breed of frustrated monohulls to be shown to the world via international broadcast in spectacular fashion. Monday’s dress rehearsal did not bode well and there are no reserve days for this opening hit-out that has 16 races scheduled, four a day in three-hour sessions starting at 3 p.m.

Complicating matters will be the threat of a long-distance swell from the first summer storm and cyclonic activities in the Pacific islands. The north direction of the swell will take you directly into the Hauraki Gulf.

The most vulnerable of the teams in these conditions is clearly the British union INEOS Team UK in its ultra-sleek design.

Their brief falls in light conditions, hinted at in recent practice, were exposed on Monday when they came off their foils twice in pre-starts and were unable to get back up.

His first race against the New Zealand team was canceled and his second effort against the Kiwis was a disgrace as they were stuck in the starting box as the defenders sailed comfortably.

The Brits have had a disastrous late build-up, missing all three of last week’s practice sessions and are now missing again.

The New Zealand team’s Te Rehutai, with his wider aft area, seemed comfortable transitioning to his foils in light conditions and, without the British to test them, he trained relatively easily in areas along the race track. .

Luna Rossa was an impressive winner of the only race of the day, as Jimmy Spithill showed the benefit of winning the start against American Magic’s Dean Barker and controlled from there, extending Luna Rossa’s lead with the Italians looking good, particularly upwind. .

None of the four teams were using their massive 200 square meter Code Zero sails, preferring to go with their larger jibs.

It will be interesting to see if there is a change of plan with the ratchet.

The America’s Cup Village at Auckland’s Viaduct Basin would officially open in a ceremony from 9am to 11am on Tuesday.