Lessons for all Copa América World Series teams

Gladwell’s Line: Lessons for All America’s Cup World Series Teams

By Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com/nz Dec 29 8:28 PM EST
December 30, 2020

Just over a week ago, in case you missed it, the first of what should have been three America’s Cup World Series was decided in the final race.

In the second stage of the six-stage race, an 800-meter drop turned into a 300-meter lead and a margin of victory.

The next day, the Christmas Cup ran out of wind just before the finish line. The Britannia II was physically only a few meters aft of the race leader, Te Rehutai, but was actually 5,500 meters adrift, or two legs behind.

Both races were decided by the teams’ ability in light weather conditions or lack thereof.

Surprisingly, the sail that could have made the difference, the Code Zero, remained firmly in the sail lock on the teams’ chase boats.

What was learned from the two series?

First, all teams have a weak point in the winds at the lighter end of the range, which is not 6.5 knots during the race, but only during a five-minute measurement period before the start of the race. .

The AC75 wind measurement system is not perfect, but the same system worked very well in Bermuda. His only weak point was demonstrated in one of the last practice races, where Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli had to compete. In the five-minute period between minutes nine and four of the countdown, the wind did not activate the lower limit of the 6.5-knot moving average, and the departure continued.

In the last four minutes, the wind became significantly lighter. Neither the Italian boats nor the Kiwis could be frustrated and, in the end, both struggled to get to the starting line before the race exploded, several minutes after the starting signal.

During the third and final day of the ACWS, we saw several cases of AC75 sailing at speeds close to 30kts, but doing 0kts VMG (speed to the next mark).

It was similar to what we saw in Bermuda where the AC50s could do a windward mark on occasion, but when it came time to turn downwind, the navigation physics didn’t work. All they could do was navigate back and forth expecting a slight increase in pressure, which would be enough to point in the direction of the leeward mark, and perhaps gain an advantage over their opponent.

Then the race director, Iain Murray, compared the situation to cutting a piece of wood with a blunt saw.

Across the Bermuda regatta, light winds only prevented racing for two of the 17 days, causing another race to be abandoned and restarted after the time limit expired.

On several occasions the field braced for a sea breeze, only to have the west check-in around 4:00 pm, which confused the tipsters, and made the races feasible on Course C but not in the A.

For various reasons, the British Challenger, INEOS Team UK was unable to fire, due to a combination of breakdowns and poor low-light performance. From the beginning, they were under siege from the major global media and navigation, most of which have never seen an AC75 sail, but seem to have many answers.

There is a sense of déjà vu about the British situation. Forty years ago, Jack Knights wrote before the America Challenger Cup final in 1980: “In most of the previous challenges, the British did not know what had hit them until they were congratulated on falling as knights. This time they understood the magnitude of your assignment within a week of your arrival in Newport. Once you diagnose the problem, you are halfway to a solution. ”

If your problem has been diagnosed by the UK INEOS team, it will reveal itself in two and a half weeks.

British helmsman, captain and team manager, Ben Ainslie has certainly put a brave face on the team’s troubles. The best possible twist on the situation is that Britannia II has some major issues with milder winds, but it is competitive, all systems work as they should, in the moderate to cool.

Perhaps the Briton’s problem could be as simple as a poor choice of wings when they declared their configuration five days before the start of the race. For the Prada Cup, the AC75 configuration only needs to be declared two days before the race.

The intent of the rule is for crews to use wings that are “all purpose”, capable of operating in a range of conditions and not being targeted by an expected wind force, based on a long-term weather forecast.

Looking back at Sail-World image files, INEOS Team UK has tested various wing shapes, including some that look more conventional.

Of course, while there is a limitation of six wings per boat, that doesn’t mean three pairs, and each AC75 can have up to 20 flaps as well. Add to that mix the allowance for the first ship (another six wings and 20 fins), and Ainslie’s team should have plenty of data and options.

Getting extra power from the platform is another option for INEOS and indeed for all equipment. While hull surgery may be an obvious choice, other designers on the team say that the hull is just a terminal plate between the deck and the water – quite a different proposition from displacement yacht design.

While American Magic finished ahead of Luna Rossa, Team USA has been sailing in Auckland since July, more than any other team except Defender. The position could easily be reversed, once the Italians get a few more miles of sailing, which they have been doing since the conclusion of the ACWS.

Emirates Team New Zealand topped the ACWS rankings, despite being the last boat to launch. The kiwis had been in the water for less than four weeks, compared to nearly eight for the other three, which were released five days apart between October 16 and 20. ETNZ splashed on November 19.

There is a limit to what can be read in a three-day series. Fortunately, each day was quite different: speed was the determining factor on day 1, match races on day 2, and flight control dexterity with lighter air on day 3. The race leadership did a good workout. during the three-day series and five days of racing. Herding the fleet of spectators is a work in progress.

All teams claim they have a lot of developments to implement and are undoubtedly looking to polish their team’s work, match racing skills and systems reliability during the five weeks of Prada Cup races.

Kiwi fans will be following with great interest how Emirates Team New Zealand approaches for the next two and a half months.

COVID-19 dominates intrigue on both the Defender and Challenger side of the equation. The cancellation of the 2020 Rolex Sydney Hobart race should be a healthy lesson for everyone involved in the 36th America’s Cup race.

I wish you a great 2021!