A quieter affair for the Americas Cup World Series, but the racing was tight. Matthew Sheahan reports from Italy
Unless you were Dean Barker, who’s team was providing a lesson in how to run away with the lead, the first fleet race of Day 2 was a bun fight at the marks.
With all nine boats back out on the water after a night of major repairs following the bruising opening day’s racing, today’s conditions could not have been better. In 10-15 knot breeze, flat water and sparkling conditions, the day’s racing started with Match racing which, for the first time, wasn’t televised.
An hour later the first of three fleet races got underway and saw the Kiwi team execute a flawless race to win. But in the scrap astern it was Team Korea, skippered by 49er world champion Nathan Outteridge who proved that yesterday’s impressive performance was no fluke.
New to AC45 sailing Outteridge has sailed one of this cats just six times since joining the team. Surviving the boat breaking conditions yesterday was impressive, his performance in the first race appeared to drive the message home as he held second for the first half of the race. Little surprise that he has become such a talking point here in Naples.
Artemis’ skipper Terry Hutchinson was the man to steal second place in this race, for a while, a welcome result following the disastrous capsize yesterday in which they wrecked their wing. Today they were out on the water using a wing from the French Aleph team which has now pulled out of the ACWS. But in the closing stages of the race it was Luna Rossa Piranha, skippered by Chris Draper who slipped into second.
Meanwhile at the back of the pack, rock star James Spithill had a spell in last place having failed to battle through the fleet. In the end he finished 7th but only after Team China and Team Energy had to take penalty turns shortly before the finish.
If there was a message from today’s first race it is that gauging form is becoming harder, not easier, as the new kids on the block show how quickly they can learn.
Provisional Race Day 2 – Race 3 results
1. Emirates Team New Zealand
2. Luna Rossa Piranha
3. Artemis Racing
4. ORACLE Racing Bundock
5. Team Korea
6. Luna Rossa Swordfish
7. ORACLE Racing Spithill
8. Energy Team
9. China Team
Race 4 – Summary
The second race was slightly less of a scrap for the fleet but a repeat performance for Emirates Team New Zealand who disappeared off the front once again to take another easy win.
Behind them it was the turn of the two Italian boats, Luna Rossa Swordfish (Paul Campbell-James) and Piranha (Chris Draper) to take up second and third.
Although a newcomer to AC45 sailing, Paul Campbell-James has spent plenty of time racing Extreme 40s. Yesterday he and his team succeeded in finishing the day, today he demonstrated why he’s been hired.
For Spithill the misery of day 2 continued with a fourth while Terry Hutchinson’s Artemis continued their boom/bust regatta with a seventh.
Provisional Race Day 2 – Race 4 results
1. Emirates Team New Zealand
2. Luna Rossa – Swordfish
3. Luna Rossa – Piranha
4. ORACLE Racing – Spithill
5. Energy Team
6. Team Korea
7. Artemis Racing
8. ORACLE Racing – Bundock
9. China Team