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A postponement of the America’s Cup match may have been inevitable without the premature arrival of Auckland’s latest Covid-19 crisis.
The final between the New Zealand team and Luna Rossa was due to start on Saturday but has been called off until March 10 at the earliest as Auckland faces a Level 3 situation that would require a government waiver to start the races. .
The hope is that a reduction in the level when the health situation is reviewed this weekend will allow the races to begin in a Level 2 setting that would allow for a fleet of spectators and small crowds on the ground.
Chris McKeen / Stuff
The New Zealand team and Luna Rossa have a longer wait to face each other.
But a worrying wind forecast threatened the start of “The Match” anyway.
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While the Challenger series was affected by light conditions, winds beyond the upper 21 knot wind limit are on the horizon for this Saturday and Sunday.
The unexpected delay has given the teams more time to prepare for the final and arguably will benefit the Italians more as they manage to refine their racing drive on the back of hasty preparations after beating the UK team. in the final of the Prada Cup.
The Italians have flown new sails and other teams in the last minute to increase their arsenal for the challenge of beating the New Zealand team.
Now they can sleep with them.
However, there are important restrictions. While the races have been suspended, the schedule for declaration and measurement has not. That was still scheduled for 4pm on Monday, which means that all the main equipment on the boats, such as the foils and the rudder, for the final will be secured.
The two teams will not be able to change or adjust the main appendages, but they can spend the week getting to know them better in sailing conditions.
Teams can train below Level 3 and the wind forecast through Friday looks ideal, covering the wide spectrum of racing limits from 67.5 knots to 21 knots.
Pietro Sibello, Luna Rossa’s strategist and wing trimmer, has spoken of the challenge in front of the team, saying that the New Zealand team looks strong, having decided to take extra steps in terms of their aerodynamic package on their second-generation boat Te Rehutai.
“And then they have a T-shaped foil, while we have almost a Y-shaped foil, they seem to have focused on the speed of the boat, especially in medium and strong winds,” Sibello said. The impression in Italy.
“We think we have something else with light winds and maneuvers.
“They will be strong, we know that we have to give everything to have a chance to beat them. We will give everything to the last meter. “
Sibello confirmed that they had heard rumors from Italy that the New Zealand team was testing a dual helmsman system used by Luna Rossa.
Fiona Goodall / Getty Images
The New Zealand team was hanging around the race track as Luna Rossa battled the UK team in the Prada Cup final.
“We haven’t seen it here in Auckland. They only have one helmsman, Peter Burling, who goes back and forth when maneuvering and gives the helm to Glenn Ashby. Maybe they are thinking about having longer transitions, “he said. The impression.
Important last minute adjustments are fraught with dangers. But a refined use of having two men on the wheels and avoiding crew changes during intense two-minute turns within the starting area could be a plausible way to counter an area of force for Luna Rossa where construction work from Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni are in their prime.
The New Zealand team will keep trying to improve what is apparently a very fast Te Rehutai now.
The defenders were desperate to get back to racing as they had not lined up against an opponent in an official race since December 20, when their Christmas Cup clash with Team UK was abandoned due to light winds.
The New Zealand team has worked hard to improve their performance in light airs and their latest innovation sees them testing out a lightweight modified Code Zero which they have already surprised after it was revealed at the end of their development program to try to deny Luna Rossa the opportunity to replicate it.
The giant sail appears to be carried upwind and then deployed for the legs downwind, used in conjunction with a jib.
Kiwis have been exploring this idea, seeing gains in the lower wind range as the largest area to try to take advantage of.
All three challengers, including Luna Rossa, had finished Code Zero in terms of efficiency.
Using that giant ratchet instead of a jib, came with a trade-off of working against additional drag against the wind.
They had been content to refine their larger jibs to cover that lower wind zone.
The new Team New Zealand pack could give you the ability to keep Te Rehutai effectively cruising in displacement mode when the boats are out of their foils.
