A MANIC MONDAY ON DAY 4 OF THE LOUIS VUITTON CUP FINAL

Yesterday we had it all. Desperately close quarters action from start to finish, these two remarkable campaigns for the Louis Vuitton 37^th America’s Cup went at each other like gladiators at the Colosseum in Rome.

With the score at 2-2, this contest is creeping inexoribly towards its conclusion and the bare fact is that one team exits the contest when the other scores seven points. In theory that could be achieved as early as Wednesday this week if one team goes on a tear, but, in reality, this is a series that looks like going to the wire. Mistakes are costly and are punished hard. Who will blink first?

Conditions today are expected to be upper-range once again with the ‘Garbi’ south-westerly system still in place and the warm thermal winds coming up the Mediterranean are expected to be in the 12-16 knot range.

Iain Murray, Race Director, also briefed this morning that we could see gusts in excess of those predictions. With that airflow, a premium is placed on the start, and we often see teams protecting the right side of the upwind legs tenaciously, but in this battle anything is possible.

We go live on air at 14:10 CET and it’s a contest that is unmissable with two very evenly matched yachts in terms of boatspeed producing the ultimate man-on-man confrontation that the America’s Cup is famous for.

We have two world class crews of sailors at the very peak of the game. Predicting this one is not for the feint-hearted and the Port Vell is beautifully split 50/50 with the Race Village and Fanzones rocking to the sounds, colours and cheers of both the British and Italian fans. Game on for Day 4 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Final.

CHECK BACK HERE AT 14:10 FOR LIVE COVERAGE FROM THE RACECOURSE IN BARCELONA:

Race 5

Luna Rossa have the port entry in the first start and will certainly be looking for a smarter entry than yesterday. The wind is up towards the limit of 21 knots, but crucially just below and the race is called as ‘live’ on time. At the start ITA come in smartly at 40 knots with GBR entering faster at 46 knots and going into an immediate gybe to follow ITA out right. ITA gybe at the boundary and sail deep, followed by GBR who set up to windward and then cross over the bow of ITA as ITA fall off the foils as they luff up. Clear start for GBR but ITA are back and foiling quickly and tack away to the right side.

GBR cover to the right and then capitalise with a tack on the bow of ITA, forcing the Italians to tack back to the boundary. GBR cover and then cross ITA to hold the right side into the final quarter and then cross ITA to take advantage of doing one less tack into the first windward gate. Taking the starboard marker at the gate, GBR round with a lead of just 5 seconds with ITA taking the port marker and exiting the gate at speed.

Having bounced off opposite sides, GBR maintain the lead coming downwind on a long starboard with early comms onboard suggesting they want to keep manoeuvres to a minimum. In the final approaches, GBR go for a tight gybe on the bow of ITA and force them to gybe away but it’s desperately close at the leeward gate with a 6 second advantage to GBR.

ITA heads to the right boundary whilst GBR come in from the left to cross at 85 metres ahead and continue to the right boundary. ITA hold mid-course and it’s a small gain to GBR. Into the final quarter and GBR execute a good cover on ITA in the final approaches before tacking on the port layline and lead at the second windward gate by just 7 seconds and hit 52 knots on the bear-away.

Both boats head left down the run and then gybe off the boundary before matching each other gybe for gybe before GBR gets onto the port layline to round the starboard marker with the lead up to 11 seconds. Again GBR goes left initially before tacking back to cover ITA who are far out at the right boundary. At the cross back, GBR still holding the lead and eschews the slam dunk to head to the right boundary. ITA looking for pressure or a shift up the left but there’s nothing there and GBR make a small gain. This is a match-race!

Both boats head left down the run and then gybe off the boundary before matching each other gybe for gybe before GBR gets onto the port layline to round the starboard marker with the lead up to 11 seconds. Again GBR goes left initially before tacking back to cover ITA who are far out at the right boundary. At the cross back, GBR still holding the lead and eschews the slam dunk to head to the right boundary. ITA looking for pressure or a shift up the left but there’s nothing there and GBR make a small gain. This is a match-race!

In the final quarter, ITA gets out of phase with GBR effectively and at the third top mark GBR execute a tack and bear-away to round the starboard marker and lead by just 5 seconds as both boats head to the left boundary. GBR gybe covers down the run effectively and pulls out a small gain so that by the final leeward gate, the lead is up to 9 seconds. However a poor rounding as GBR slides around on two boards around the gate, brings ITA back into the race and up the beat GBR is in defending mode.

This was the opening that ITA were looking for and it’s tack for tack up the right boundary with GBR tenaciously slamming on ITA’s bow whenever they can. GBR re-establishing their lead into the final quarter of the beat and they round the final windward gate with the lead at 8 seconds. All on for the final downwind!

Both boats head to the left boundary initially with ITA first to break away and gybe which is covered by GBR who are sailing their deep angles again on a long starboard gybe down the course. ITA praying for a miracle now but GBR executes the final gybe perfectly and powers down to the finishing line to go 3-2 up in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final. The final delta is 12 seconds - big win for the British.

INEOS Britannia bt Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (12 seconds)

Race 2

Luna Rossa are going to want to close this one out effectively to level the series and have the starboard entry. GBR comes in from the port end and easily makes the first cross as ITA enters and gybes onto their stern. GBR go immediately into a tack and bear-away to return trailing ITA from distance. ITA goes deep into the box, followed by GBR and then executes a gybe around to take the windward position. GBR start to leeward and both boats start fast and go into their high modes on the lead out to the left boundary. ITA fail to live with the height of GBR and are forced to tack first.

Drag race now back to the right boundary and at the tack back onto port GBR are forced to tack on ITA’s leebow. ITA stay high as the keep clear boat and it’s very close. GBR go for the squeeze but this is an arm wrestle that ITA live with and tack on the starboard layline to the first gate with a 4 second lead.

GBR first to gybe down the left side of the run, covered by ITA and are pushing hard to attempt to roll over. ITA keeps a very nice leeward position and holds the aces all the way to the right boundary with speeds between 44-47 knots. At the leeward gate, both boats go for the right marker and round on two boards to head left up the beat.

GBR first to tack off and head to the right, loosely covered by ITA who are increasing their lead steadily. ITA covers more tenaciously on the right boundary and GBR has no way back into this on the second beat. At the second windward gate, ITA bears away at the port marker whilst GBR goes for a tack-bear-away to head down the left side of the run. ITA gybes on the right boundary and at the first cross downwind, ITA is clear ahead.

No mistakes down the run from ITA, they are looking rapid and by the second leeward gate are leading by some 13 seconds. GBR heads to the right boundary - first time they have exited at the port marker downwind today and ITA tacks across from the left boundary to cover. ITA now sailing their own race and picking the pressure patches, ignoring the tight cover and staying to the right - textbook Garbi sailing here.

At the third windward gate, ITA are in command and round with a lead out to 17 seconds and head immediately to the left boundary whilst GBR does one extra manoeuvre, exits at the port marker and heads right down the run. At the first cross, ITA in the lead by over 300 metres. GBR hoping to capitalise on any mistake from ITA but it doesn’t feel like it’s coming.

At the final leeward gate, ITA come in on the port layline and double-board round with the lead at 13 seconds and again head to the right boundary immediately. Big split here with ITA out left but at the cross back, ITA clear ahead. Sailing for pressure again, ITA head far right whilst GBR look for some leverage to the left.

None is coming and ITA bear-away at the final gate with the lead now out to 19 seconds. Split tactics down the final run but ITA well in control and in no mood to give anything up. Gybing on the starboard layline, ITA come into the finish line at speeds up at 51 knots and level the series 3-3 with a final delta of 17 seconds.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli bt INEOS Britannia (17 seconds)