American Magic fights hard on Day 1 of Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals
by New York Yacht Club American Magic 14 Sep 11:06 PDT
September 14, 2024
Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals day 1 © NYYC American Magic
The opening day of the Semi-Final stage of the Louis Vuitton Cup saw NYYC American Magic sail two intense and closely contested races against the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli syndicate.
The races were held in southerly winds ranging from seven to 12 knots, with a relatively flat sea state and 0.6-meter waves from the east.
Before the first race, an issue aboard Patriot led the team to request a 15-minute delay, but once resolved, American Magic was back to full strength. Tom Slingsby powered the yacht into the start box from the starboard end right on time.
After some close maneuvering between the two teams before the start, it was NYYC American Magic who won the start, to leeward of the Italians, who were slightly late and had to tack away on port. After a series of tight crosses on the first upwind leg, American Magic rounded the left-hand gate mark ahead, holding just a few seconds' advantage over Luna Rossa, who chose the right gate.
American Magic sailed smartly and fast down the first run, increasing their lead to 20 seconds at the leeward gate—a lead they maintained until a brief touchdown slowed Patriot at the second windward mark, allowing Luna Rossa to close in. At the bottom of the second downwind leg, American Magic was still ahead, but the Italians rounded hard on Patriot's transom. By the end of the final upwind leg, Luna Rossa had edged ahead by 22 seconds.
The American crew kept the pressure on, and after picking up a bit more breeze on the final downwind leg, they managed to close the gap to just seven seconds at the finish.
The result was a tough one for American Magic, but their performance demonstrated their ability to compete at the highest level under pressure. The narrow loss set the stage for an exciting second race.
The second race was another tightly matched contest. American Magic won the start at the pin end and took control of the first upwind leg, rounding the top mark 10 seconds ahead. They maintained their lead at the leeward gate but briefly fell off the foils during the rounding, allowing Luna Rossa to regain the lead. However, a fast recovery got Patriot back on the foils quickly and into fresh breeze, putting them bow to bow with the Italians on the next cross.
Unfortunately, the remainder of the windward leg favored Luna Rossa, who managed to establish a 20-second lead at the second windward gate. Despite staying aggressive for the rest of the race, American Magic couldn't regain an attacking position, and Luna Rossa crossed the finish line 13 seconds ahead.
Day 1 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals saw American Magic fight hard in both races, with only small moments and shifts deciding the outcome. Luna Rossa now leads the series 2-0, but with the first-to-five format, there's still plenty of racing left. American Magic has proven they are more than capable of turning the tide, and their resilience will be critical as they look to bounce back in the coming days.
Meanwhile, in the other Semi-Final pairing, Great Britain's INEOS Britannia took a 2-0 lead over Switzerland's Alinghi Red Bull Racing after two comprehensive victories.
Stay tuned for more action as the semi-finals continue. American Magic isn't done yet, and the battle for the Louis Vuitton Cup is far from over!
For full results and standings, visit www.americascup.com/results