Americas Cup Finals: Sailing Overdose at “Lucky” Race 13

Images Sander van der Borch (Larry can´t believe what he just saw…) ACEA / Gilles Martin Raget & Ricardo Pinto | “This is Madness” I wrote past week on the high level of sailing we were seeing. On current status and with the incredible daily wins by Oracle while being against the wall it is now a complete insanity.
Title post before the race was “Race 13 Live… Lucky one for TNZ?” … yeah right. 

It all started with calm weather, zero foiling conditions downwind, the scenario was the typical 4-5 knots F18 racing at the start. Code Zeros were up and Spithill led to Mark 1,  the foiling beasts were now slow crawlers , OR went pointing (the thing to do in this conditions) and TNZ decided to luff for speed , passing the now Bolt fast Team USA like they were anchored. That was also another standard move for beachcat racing in those conditions, something the Wildcat does very well, then TNZ simply port crossed with ease and simply disappeared leaving Spithill doing the slowest gybe of his life.

From then on it was all Kiwis, extending the lead in subplaning conditions.
It was a good way to end the Cup cause clearly the best and most versatile crew & boat design combo was winning it, the ones able to race in 5 or 25knots , just like I posted earlier yesterday regarding the Foil or not Foil dilemma on the A-Class.
It was only waiting to NZ to cross the line… but when they were almost reaching the last mark race time limit hit 40mins, and the race was abandoned! The Kiwis thought they had more time to complete the course and take the Cup but it was not the case……………. I can imagine the frustration on board and back at Auckland.

Drama all over the place, another race was started with more wind, New Zealand won the start and lead to mid downwind leg where Oracle forced a port-starboard penalty, that was granted to them, and OR set themselves again in Bolt mode to lead and win the second attempt to complete Race nr 13.
Believe it or not, yesterday was an extremely eerie day ….
As Bundy said, this Never Ending regatta will continue today, and with Oracle new found luck & speed we might keep seeing this final until next weekend. Do you know what? I hope so!   
Meanwhile check this great clip from “Bangin The Corner”