Huge congratulations to INEOS Britannia!

Here’s how today’s winning race played out… A race potentially for the ages, GBR has port entry and with the wind settling higher than expected at 7-9 knots knots, the Race Committee get the race underway and at the start, GBR set-up to leeward and then lead back to the start line with both boats reaching down the line. GBR go bow up at 40 knots and just 4 metres back from the line and gain initially with ITA tacking away first to the right. GBR follow and it’s a drag race to the right.

Very close out to the right boundary with GBR having windward gauge, but when ITA tack, GBR tack on the leebow and force ITA to duck their transom. ITA tack away smartly back to the right boundary and at the next coming together, GBR has gained and slam tacks forcing ITA back again to the boundary. These slow tacks are hurting ITA and at the first gate, GBR bear away around the starboard marker with a 10 second lead. ITA head to the right boundary whilst GBR keeps left before the first gybe.

At the coming together mid-course, GBR is clear ahead and gybes on the same port gybe as ITA. Both boats gybing well in the flat conditions and GBR keep a close gybe cover on the port layline to take the starboard marker at the first leeward gate with the lead at 9 seconds. ITA round the same marker and are the first to tack away to the right, smartly covered by GBR.

Drag race now to the right boundary and just before, ITA tack and then get covered on the bow by GBR and have to live in the wing-wash before getting up to speed and tacking back to the right – again covered by GBR. Rinse and repeat – at the tack back, GBR slams a tight cover as both boats hit the starboard layline to the second windward mark and GBR round the port marker with a lead of 11 seconds as ITA go for a tack-bear-away manoeuvre.

GBR spot the move by ITA and gybe well before the right boundary (looking downwind) to gybe cover ITA. At the gybe back onto starboard, ITA’s bigger jib pulls them back into the battle but GBR covering smartly. GBR gybe on the port layline to the second leeward gate and round the starboard marker on two boards with a 7 second lead as ITA gybes at the gate and takes the port marker to head right initially. This is a boat race now.

At the right boundary, ITA tacks and GBR come onto their bow, 100 metres ahead, and tack. ITA is rapidly closing the gap here and tack back to the boundary. GBR ignore the move for a while to build speed and then tack back. ITA holding positional advantage here, coming back on starboard and GBR just cross ahead and go to the right. Nothing in this. ITA head to left side of the course, GBR to the right boundary. This will be interesting as ITA tack back on the port layline. GBR come in from the starboard layline, tack in front of ITA and the lead is just 4 seconds.

Penultimate downwind leg and the boats both gybe in sync on the left boundary as the Race Committee shorten the windward leg to 1.6 nautical miles. After a starboard gybe down the course, ITA are first to gybe, covered by GBR with both boats then gybing back on the left boundary. GBR round up at the final leeward gate on the starboard marker with an 8 second advantage. GBR go left initially, ITA gybe at the gate and head up on the port marker to head right initially.

ITA looking for the increased pressure to the right, GBR tack across to cover and at the first meeting are clear ahead and cover immediately. ITA cannot live there and tack away, again covered by GBR. This is a match race. In the final approaches GBR decide to go far right as ITA carry on to the left and when ITA tacks back, hold the windward advantage but with the wind dropping at the top of the course, this is tense.

On the starboard layline, GBR tacks right on the bow of ITA and goes for a tack bear-away at the final windward mark with a 9 second lead. ITA go to the port marker and bear-away. As the left hand boundary approaches, GBR go for a gybe and come back to ITA with a clear lead of over 200 metres before gybing on to their line just past halfway to the finish. Half a leg to go, and one gybe on the port layline.

GBR nail the final gybe and fly into the line, scoring a 17-second win and lifting the Louis Vuitton Cup. INEOS Britannia will now face Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup match starting on 12th October.

INEOS Britannia bt Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (17 seconds)

More to follow…

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