Azzurra leads TeamOrigin downwind. Image copyright Ian Roman/TeamOrigin.
by Leslie Ryan
TEAMORIGIN fell to its opponent the Italian Azzurra team in the first match of the best of three semi finals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy in Nice today.
Skipper Ben Ainslie took TEAMORIGIN in from the left hand end of the start line and engaged with the Italian team straight away in a dial-up that took the pair over the line for the next couple of minutes. The low wind speeds meant that the ability to get into a controlling position from the initial left hand entry was tricky and in the final approach to the start line the TEAMORIGIN afterguard opted for a position close to leeward of the Italian team with maximum speed expecting to be in a position to be able to attack further up the course. But approaching the line the pair, both a bit late, split with the Italians on the right.
The first beat saw TEAMORIGIN chase the Italians to the starboard tack layline which TEAMORIGIN’s navigator Ian Moore found more accurately than the Italians, who overstood by a couple of lengths.
Without having crossed, the pair sailed all the way to the top of the course, TEAMORIGIN to leeward moving forwards and eventually being in a position to attack. The Italian team had overstood the weather mark allowing the pair’s tracks to converge as they approached the two boatlength circle around the first mark. The rules say that if the outside boat crosses the imaginary two-boatlength circle clear ahead of the inside boat then they are not obliged to give them space to round inside. TEAMORIGIN crossed the two boatlength circle and luffed to close the door but had not broken the overlap in the eyes of the on-the-water umpires and the Italians were therefore permitted to sneak through the gap between TEAMORIGIN and the buoy to round the first mark with an advantage of just eight seconds.
Azzurra leads TeamOrigin upwind. Image copyright Ian Roman/TeamOrigin.
That advantage grew at every mark turn in spite of the British team’s every effort. The failing winds made it more and more of a one-sided course and increasingly difficult to stay close to the leader and get into a position to attack for the lead.
Team Director and runner-man on board Mike Sanderson summarised the day’s racing thus: “That was a disappointing way to start the semi finals for sure. We had a bit of miscommunication on board before the start which meant that we ended up late to the line. But the boys did a great job to get back into it by the top mark and at that point we unfortunately had a difference of opinion to the umpires as to when we entered the two boatlength circle. We felt we were safely clear ahead when we entered the circle but that was not to be their decision and so we trailed into the first mark. Azzurra did a lovely job thereafter of protecting their lead to take the win. At the end of the day, to win the semis, one team still has to win two races - we just used our ‘get out of jail free card’ a bit earlier than we had hoped".
The wind conditions in Nice on Thursday were not suitable for further racing and the TEAMORIGIN/Azzurra match was the only one of five scheduled matches today to be sailed. The racing schedule for Friday has not yet been published but should feature at least one race for TEAMORIGIN.
TeamOrigin
Louis Vuitton Trophy
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