The Prada America’s Cup World Series provided the entertainment and the thrills and spills promised. This was the first time that the Defender and Challengers competed against one another on the same race track. It was also the first time that they were measured boat speed for boat speed.
Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic stood out, their slick manoeuvres and fast-flying boats making for thrilling viewing. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli has the pace too, and their aggressive starts won them many firsts across the line.
INEOS Team UK seemed to struggle with what at first looked like a system failure. They resolved that after the first day, but never quite matched the pace of the other teams. This drew huge debate – was it the foil design, the displacement, or the systems onboard? All we know is that every team will be hunkering down this week to work on what they have learned.
The biggest challenge came when the winds grew lighter and hull displacement became the keyword. It was obvious how important it is to maintain movement even while the boats are in the water. Emirates Team New Zealand tested a few ways to maximise speed in this situation.
Race 1 of the The Christmas Regatta was abandoned yesterday in very light airs. ETNZ and ITUK didn’t manage to finish the race in the allotted time of 45 minutes. The wind never came up enough to run the other planned races.
3 days of tight racing held us captivated!. And we can’t wait for the 24 Jan when the Prada Cup begins. This series of round-robin racing will determine a Challenger. The finals of the Prada Cup will take place from 13-22 Feb. The winner will become the official Challenger to the Defender, Emirates Team New Zealand.
Watch the highlights of each day’s racing below.
