WEEKEND WARRIORS INEOS BRITANNIA AND LUNA ROSSA PRADA PIRELLI GO BACK INTO BATTLE

At 1-1, what we saw on Thursday were two teams at the very peak of their game with neither appearing to have a significant speed edge or overall advantage. This is a sailboat race for sure and now it’s all about who can be consistent and who can start best. Expect this series to go to the wire.

After the stellar upper-end wind conditions that produced such a thrilling spectacle on the opening day, today we’re expecting a more benign airflow. The front that brought Thursday and Friday's windy weather passed through Barcelona overnight and we’re now back to southerly thermal breezes filtering up the Mediterranean in the 7-10 knot range. Sea state will be slight, and we may experience some small delays to the scheduled start time of 14:10.

Two races are planned for today, with another two on Sunday before the next scheduled Reserve Day on Monday. This first-to-seven-points series looks set to be a fight to the finish, with one of these outstanding teams being eliminated from the tournament, whilst the other earns the right to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand for the 173-year-old America’s Cup.

What a prize and what an epic encounter we have in store. With so many questions yet to be answered, we will know so much more by the end of this weekend.

CHECK BACK HERE AT 14:10 CET FOR LIVE UPDATES FROM THE RACECOURSE OF THE LOUIS VUITTON CUP FINAL

RACE 3

In breeze fluctuating from 5-9 knots down the racecourse, after a delay of almost two hours as a south-westerly thermal settled in from across the Mediterranean, Race 3 gets underway with GBR coming in from the port entry. Both boats are carrying their biggest J1 jibs and it’s a fight for survival to stay on the foils.

The pre-start is very much a case of avoidance as both yachts circle out to the right of the box and high on the line with both boats dipping and then setting off. GBR to windward look to have the best start and quickly go into ‘high mode’ and are able to cross ITA after their tack on the boundary. GBR looking quick today in these opening exchanges.

Mid-way up the first windward leg, GBR pick up a big right shift and gain handsomely before covering ITA in the final quarter. Both yachts sailing wide angles to keep on the foils and they go to the far right boundary to try and get on the starboard layline into the windward gate. GBR bear-away at 33 knots with a 19 second lead.

Mid-way up the first windward leg, GBR pick up a big right shift and gain handsomely before covering ITA in the final quarter. Both yachts sailing wide angles to keep on the foils and they go to the far right boundary to try and get on the starboard layline into the windward gate. GBR bear-away at 33 knots with a 19 second lead.

Having rounded the port marker, GBR sit in a hole and gybe to come back at ITA who tacked and bore away at the starboard marker and headed to the left of the downwind course initially and picked up a breeze patch. ITA make the pass and extend into a 150 metre lead but GBR is showing, once again, their downwind deep angles and come back strongly. ITA slap a close gybe-cover to leeward but GBR rapidly closes the gauge into the final quarter of the run and gases ITA effectively.

Big separation on the final entry to the first leeward mark (this is a six leg course) but it’s GBR who gain and retake the lead, gybing and rounding the starboard marker to head left up the beat initially. ITA take the port marker and head to the right boundary. At the tack back, GBR cross well in the lead by over 200 metres.

Flight control looks to be on-point on GBR, riding sl;ightly higher through the tacks but both teams are desperate to maintain 100% airtime - a splashdown would be race-ending. GBR gaining all the time as the lead extends to some 500 metres. In the final quarter of the beat, GBR again click into a right shift and head to the port layline, rounding at the second windward gate at the starboard marker with a lead now out to 1 minute and 28 seconds as the Italians sailed increased distance to stay on the foils.

GBR bounce off the left boundary (looking downwind) and click into more pressure mid-way down the leg. By the final quarter, GBR sail over to the right boundary to come in on the starboard layline to round the port marker and head upwind for the final time, opting for the right side initially up the course. Still sailing wide angles upwind but the lead is healthy at 1 minute and 13 seconds.

Both teams fighting to stay on the foils, with GBR almost falling off in a hole but just keeping flying. The lead is down to just over 150 metres as ITA close fast but GBR keep cool and sail to the right boundary whilst ITA fall off the foils on their tack on the left boundary. GBR build their lead out but know that this is a race that just isn’t over until they cross the finish line.

The Race Committee shorten the finishing leg to 1 nautical mile as GBR fall off the foils on a tack at the right boundary. Both boats in displacement - who can get up first? The breeze at the top of the course is in the region of 4-6 knots so this is looking like a displacement race to the finish now.

Both boats really struggling up this leg, the tacks are agonising with the speed washing off completely but the sailors are calm onboard and desperate to find a puff and get back up on the foils. GBR heads to the far left of the course to get on the port layline and ghost their way into the final windward mark.

GBR solely racing the clock now and with 10 minutes of the race to go, they desperately need to regain flight in order to beat the time-limit. GBR build speed to above 10 knots but still can’t pop-to-flight in the first half of the final downwind.

GBR solely racing the clock now and with 10 minutes of the race to go, they desperately need to regain flight in order to beat the time-limit. GBR build speed to above 10 knots but still can’t pop-to-flight in the first half of the final downwind. ITA round 5 minutes and 59 seconds behind but with the clock ticking down relentlessly, eventually it’s a losing game and the time-limit expires.

The Race Committee announces that the race is stopped and the chase boats come in to put the yachts on tow.

UPDATE AT 1657 Racing stopped for the day.

SCHEDULE FOR TOMORROW
SUNDAY 29 SEPTEMBER

LV Finals Match 3
Start: 14:10
Port: GBR
Stbd: ITA

LV Finals Match 4
Start: 15:15
Port: ITA
Stbd: GBR