Countdown to victory: 32nd America’s Cup Match Race 2

The racing was close as Simon Daubney, trimmer on board, explained: “The boat speed is pretty similar, but it was puffy and the breeze was up and down yesterday, so you couldn’t get too much of a read on it in just one race. From a first look though, it seems the boats are pretty similar in speed.” This was the first race for SUI100 and the first time in an official competition for the crew of 17 since Louis Vuitton Act 13 in April: “It felt really good – it was a huge relief to get out there. The racing was close, but we were pretty calm having done so much really competitive in-house racing,” said Simon Daubney.

Read on to find out who was onboard as crew for the second day of racing, what the team was saying on the day and which boat won the second round of the battle of the titans…

32nd America’s Cup Match Race 2: Morning News
Light sea breeze. East north east 8-10 knots turning south east and decreasing 6-8 knots in the afternoon, 28°.

Alinghi crew list SUI100
Bowman Pieter van Nieuwenhuyzen
Midbowman Curtis Blewett
Mastman Francesco Rapetti
Pitman Josh Belsky
Grinder Mark McTeigue
Grinder Matt Welling
Trimmer Simon Daubney
Trimmer Lorenzo Mazza
Grinder Will McCarthy
Mainsail trimmer Warwick Fleury
Strategist / traveller Murray Jones
Runner / pitman Dean Phipps
Runner / grinder Rodney Ardern
Navigator Juan Vila
Afterguard – Runner Ernesto Bertarelli
Tactician Brad Butterworth
Helmsman Ed Baird



Alinghi facts:
Sail number: SUI100
Yacht Club: Société Nautique de Genève
Country: Switzerland
Syndicate established: 2000
Syndicate head: Ernesto Bertarelli
Skipper: Brad Butterworth
Helmsman: Ed Baird
Designer: Rolf Vrolijk and the Alinghi design team
Builder: Décision S.A Switzerland and the Alinghi boatbuilding team
Website: www.alinghi.com
Race 2 – pairing notice
Defender Vs Challenger
Alinghi (SUI100) Vs Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL92)
Alinghi, the Defender of the America’s Cup, has the yellow flag, which means starboard entry in to the starting box.
Emirates Team New Zealand, Challenger, has the blue flag, port entry in to the starting box.
Trivia of the day
Statistics
Alinghi match race general statistics during the 32nd America’s Cup (including the LV Acts)
Alinghi total wins: 61 (82%)
Alinghi total losses: 13 (18%)

Racing with SUI64
wins 10 (71%)
Losses 4 (29%)

Racing with SUI75
wins 51 (85%)
Losses 9 (15%)

In the 72 match races raced during the 32nd America’s Cup Alinghi crossed the start line first 33 times (46%).
16 starts were even.

Alinghi led at the first mark 56 times (78%) and its chance of victory when:
...leading at start line were 91%
...leading at the 1st windward mark were 96%

Did you know? … The weakest line on board the boat can take loads of up to 200kgs and the strongest over 14tonnes?

On this day in1974, in the preliminary trials of the New York Yacht Club’s defender selection series Courageous beat Intrepid and then defeated Mariner in the second race, while Mariner managed to record a rare victory in the series by defeating Valiant during the first race. Valiant was built in 1970 and was one of the heaviest 12-Metre yachts built. She was a rare Olin Stephens design failure.

On this day in2005, Louis Vuitton Act 5, a fleet race, held in Valencia began. Race 1 saw Emirates Team New Zealand, BMW ORACLE Racing and Alinghi take 1st, 2nd and 3rd. In Race 2 Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team, Victory Challenge and +39 Challenge taking the respective places.

32nd America’s Cup Match Race 1: Evening News
ALINGHI 1 - EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND 1
The 32nd America’s Cup Match was evened at 1-1 today when the Defender, Alinghi, crossed the finish line 28 seconds behind the Challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand.

In an 8-11 knot east/southeasterly, Alinghi led for the first half of the race. The Swiss team started to the left of ETNZ, won the first cross on the first leg and led by 19 seconds at the first mark. ETNZ made a small gain on the downwind leg, but Alinghi held the lead to round 13 seconds ahead at the leeward mark.

The turning point in the race came on the second upwind leg. Alinghi rounded the leeward gate to starboard while ETNZ rounded it to port. That put Alinghi to the left of their competition beginning the third leg. Initially it was a strong position as Alinghi led by between 50 and 60 metres. ETNZ gained the lead about one third of the way up the leg when the Challenger got to the left of Alinghi and lifted off in a puff. With both boats on port Alinghi was able to squeeze up from leeward, but when both boats tacked to starboard and the wind shifted to the right, the Swiss Defender was up above the layline to the mark.
“Heading up that second beat, there was a lot of spectator chop and we seemed to lose a bit of speed, we checked the rudder and keel and couldn’t see anything, but we didn’t feel that good up the second beat and they [ETNZ] closed in on us and took the lead,” said Rodney Ardern, runner/grinder onboard SUI100.

The pre-start saw both boats in the deep right hand corner of the box. Alinghi led back to the line with ETNZ pushing. With one minute to the start Alinghi tacked to port to get closer to the committee boat end of the line. Alinghi tacked back to starboard with about 45 seconds to the start and ETNZ tacked to starboard on their windward quarter. ETNZ crossed the start line 3 seconds ahead of Alinghi and to windward.
“The course was basically even and we just had to play the shifts. Jon Bilger, our weather guy said both sides were even, so we just wanted to get a clean start and be on the right tack off the line,” recounted Ardern.

Tomorrow is a scheduled lay day for Alinghi and ETNZ. Race 3 of the 32nd America’s Cup Match is scheduled for 1500 on Tuesday, 26 June.

FURTHER QUOTES FROM RODNEY ARDERN.
Did you feel Emirates Team New Zealand was slightly faster in today’s lighter winds? “The first two legs showed we can sail ok in those lighter winds, of course we were disappointed to get passed,” Rodney Ardern.

What needs to be corrected during tomorrow’s layday to rebound from this loss?
“I don’t think we have to do too much differently. We’ll keep doing what we are doing, that seems to be going pretty well. We’ve got a day off tomorrow to think about it, check the boat and make sure everything is ok. We’ll go out there and race again on Tuesday,” Rodney Ardern.

Did you also prepare for defeat during the four year preparation for the Match? “Of course. You have to respect your opposition and we knew they were going to be a strong challenger, we didn’t expect to win 5-0. We would be silly if we did. There is still a long way to go,” Rodney Ardern.

Tomorrow was a layday during the 32nd America’s Cup Match, but there will be much to see on www.alinghi.com!