Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
by Lia Ditton
Last week in Cascais, the opening races of the America's Cup World Series saw the AC45 catamarans take to the water competitively for the first time. While conditions were unusually overcast and foggy with predominantly very light winds, the event nontheless delivered close and tactical racing by some of the world's best sailors. Unlike in previous America's Cup matches, the wing-sailed AC45 catamarans proved raceable in winds as light as 3 knots!
All in all, over three races, Emirates Team New Zealand dominated the nine boat fleet to finish with a one point lead over the Swedish flagged Artemis Racing.
Christophe Launay captured the week in pictures, of which the race umpire driving the jetski (looking somewhat like a water-borne Stig) and the faces of China Team are perhaps the more unusual.
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
Image copyright Christophe Launay/SeaLaunay @SeaLaunay
More images are available from SeaLaunay here
Lia Ditton
SeaLaunay
America's Cup
