Ominous start for INEOS Britannia as Emirates Team New Zealand dominate America’s Cup Day 1 + what we learnt

Pre-start glitch left INEOS Britannia on the back foot in Race 1 of the America's Cup, while Emirates Team New Zealand controlled both of Day 1 races to secure two solid victories

Today was reckoning day for the Defender and Challenger in the 37th America’s Cup – which team’s preparation would have been most fruitful? The battle-hardened Brits, competing in their first America’s Cup in 60 years? Or the seemingly omnipotent Emirates Team New Zealand, who’ve been calmly keeping their powder dry while waiting for the big match?

Barcelona seemed determined to build the tension, with some oppressive grey clouds and light winds leading to a short delay. But both two teams kept the AC75s up on their foils and the racing was more characterised by the need to find pressure, follow the shifts, and avoid mistakes.

Key takeaways from the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Day 1

• First reliability issue we’ve seen from INEOS Britannia in the competition so far before the start of Race 1 – and it was a costly day to have a ‘technical’ 
• Emirates Team New Zealand showed strong upwind pace and once clear ahead could control both races relentlessly
• INEOS Britannia still demonstrating downwind speed, while multiple place changes in the first half of Race 2 hints this contest could be closer than today’s scorecard suggests
• Skipper Ben Ainslie remains stoic about his team’s ongoing development potential.

Race 1 Emirates Team New Zealand Vs INEOS Britannia

Skippers
Emirates Team New Zealand: Peter Burling & Nathan Outteridge 
INEOS Britannia: Ben Ainslie & Dylan Fletcher

Things didn’t get off to an auspicious start for the British challengers in their first America’s Cup match race in 60 years, with INEOS Britannia late coming into the start box on starboard entry late due to a battery issue in the pre-start preparations.

In the light airs, port (first) entry boat ENTZ responded by tacking on top of them to try and give the British boat some dirty air on their entry to the start, but it didn’t knock Britannia off her foils, and the two boats lined up without any further engagement.

Emirates Team New Zealand hit the line on time and at around 35 knots of boat speed to take the early advantage.

On the first beat the Kiwi boat had more pressure on the left-hand side of the course to consolidate their advantage, building a 200m lead by the top mark. The British made some gains on Leg 2, suggesting that the strong performance INEOS Britannia has demonstrated downwind against the Challengers continues relative the Kiwis.

However, upwind Burling and Outteridge covered relentlessly, leaving the British boat continually sailing in their wind shadow and losing metres by metres, with Emirates Team New Zealand doubling their advantage by the second top mark.

There was no way back into it for the Brits: the Kiwis made no mistakes, were fast and controlled from start to finish. It’s not the start INEOS Britannia fans will have wanted for sure – the question is now whether without the pre-start issues INEOS Britannia will be able to engage Emirates Team New Zealand.

“Tough one guys,” said Ainslie to his team as they crossed the line. And there’s no doubt, it was a tough start to a highly anticipated Match series.

In post-race interview he added: “We didn’t have the perfect entry to the race, but actually the guys did good job to stay calm and recover from that.

“We were in a half-decent spot on the start line. It was just really dependent on where the breeze went – the Kiwis did a nice job. They got the left-hand pressure which put them in a strong position.

“Look, it wasn’t that we did do a whole lot wrong, they just sailed a slightly better race.”

Race 2 INEOS Britannia Vs Emirates Team New Zealand

Skippers
Emirates Team New Zealand: Peter Burling & Nathan Outteridge 
INEOS Britannia: Ben Ainslie & Dylan Fletcher

Race 2 saw much cleaner start for INEOS Britannia, who had port entry. Emirates Team New Zealand was marginally ahead at the start gun, but tacked off immediately towards the initially favoured left-hand side of the course.

The first cross was extremely close – INEOS ducking. Then when INEOS came back on port tack Emirates Team New Zealand picked up a slight lift to cross ahead the second time. But all the way up the first beat there was nothing between the two boats: less than 10 metres heading into the top mark.

On the downwind leg, INEOS Britannia initially took the shore side of the course to pick up extra breeze and cross ahead, while the Emirates boat did the same for the second half of the downwind.

Both teams asked for a huge effort from their cyclors at the bottom mark, the British boat hovering perilously close to touchdown while rounding in just 7-8 knots of breeze, but digging their way out of trouble.

Emirates Team New Zealand initially extended on the second upwind, but the randomness of the course continued to be a big factor, with INEOS Britannia this time making big gains on the long starboard tack on the right-hand side of the course.

Meanwhile, on the second downwind the Brits were again first to get into the pressure, and pulled back to within 40m of the Emirates Team New Zealand.

There was another heart-stopping bottom mark manoeuvre for both teams, the boats splitting to two different marks and rounding within 10 seconds of each other, while on the final upwind the breeze had shifted to the left-hand side of the course, which the Kiwis sailed into.

On the penultimate upwind the Emirates Team New Zealand were able to reassert their control, pulling away to over 400m, leaving them a much calmer final leeward mark rounding, and an untroubled path to the finish.

“It could have been an easier day,” Burling commented to his crew as they finished – whether he was addressing the fluctuating and shifting winds or his opposition isn’t clear, but it’s safe to say Kiwi confidence is riding high.

“Not the start we were looking for,” said Ainslie. “Obviously there’s a few things we have to work on and we couldn’t just match them around the track. But I’m confident the team will figure it out.”

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