Louis Vuitton Cup Challenger Selection Series – Day 3 features a six race schedule

The Louis Vuitton Cup – Challenger Selection Series started Thursday (29 Aug) in Barcelona.

Following damage to the Emirates Team New Zealand AC75 while craning-out Thursday, and the early abandonment of Friday’s racing, Saturday’s schedule will feature six match-races.

The amended schedule means that all six teams will race twice, weather conditions permitting.

Light winds played havoc with Friday’s racing, only one race being completed, and that was a very ‘off and on foils’ affair, which ended with the American team crossing the finish in displacement mode after abandoning attempts to foil on the final leg.

Emirates Team New Zealand will rejoin the event after being repaired, the damage apparently being less serious than at first thought. Races involving ETNZ are non-scoring.

Barcelona Weather Saturday 31 August:

Wind Easterly 8 to 10 knots, Sea 0.4m at 3s period.

So a packed racing schedule Saturday:

Race 7 – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli ITA 1 pt and NYYC American Magic 0 pt

Race 8 – Emirates Team New Zealand 0 pt v Orient Express Racing FRA 0 pt

Race 9 – Alinghi Red Bull Racing SUI 0 pt v INEOS Britannia GBR 1 pt

Race 10 – Orient Express Racing FRA 0 pt v NYYC American Magic USA 1 pt

Race 11 – INEOS Britannia GBR 0 pt v Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli ITA 1 pt

Race 12 Postponed – Alinghi Red Bull Racing SUI v Emirates Team New Zealand

Racing starts daily at 13:00hrs UK (14.00 CET) and will be screened live here on the America’s Cup YouTube channel.

Latest Race Update.

Race 7 – Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli ITA v NYYC American Magic
Even Start, Luna Rossa tacks away after line. American Magic goes Left and take 140m lead. At gate 1 American Magic have 2 sec lead. USA keep lead at gate 2 by 3 sec. Luna gain to take 100m lead at cross and lead by 20sec at gate 3 and stretch to 200+m. Luna keep lead gate 4 and 5 and Finish with 24 sec win.

Race 8 – Emirates Team New Zealand v Orient Express Racing FRA
Pre start Penalty on Orient Express Racing. ETNZ start and France retire with problem. Win to ETNZ – non scoring race.

Race 9 – Alinghi Red Bull Racing SUI v INEOS Britannia GBR
Ineos put pre start cover on Alinghi who fall off foils. Ineos start and Alinghi finally start 500+m behind. Ineos stretch lead to 1060m at gate 1. Alinghi round 2m 12 sec behind. At gate 2 Ineos have a 1m 54sec lead and by gate 4 they have 2m 36sec. Then touch down but recover to stretch to 1000+m lead.
After gate 5, halfway down course Ineos touch down and Alinghi close to 400m. Ineos recover to take 1m 25sec win.

Race 10 – Orient Express Racing FRA v NYYC American Magic USA
Both early for start and have to do a dip and restart, American Magic lead at gate 1 by 41 sec. At gate 2 Orient Express cut it to 28sec and then to 11 sec at gate 3. At gate 4 American Magic have 38 sec lead and Orient Express fall of foils and never recover. American Magic win by 2750m. Orient Express DNF.

Race 11 – INEOS Britannia GBR v Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli ITA
Race delay 15min by Luna Rossa. Tight start Luna Rossa tack away first, at first cross just lead, then Luna Rossa take lead at gate 1 of 21 secs. At gate 2 Luna Rossa round while Ineos fall off foils and are 2min 5 sec behind. By gate 5 Luna Rossa lead by 1min 30sec, and at finish take win of 1min 24sec ahead of Ineos Britannia.

Race 12 Postponed to Sunday – Alinghi Red Bull Racing SUI v Emirates Team New Zealand