The pre-start and the conditions appear to be the key variables in deciding which team will hoist the Auld Mug, though boat speed will also inevitably play a part as is usually the case in the America’s Cup.
Throughout the regatta so far, the team who have gotten the better of the pre-start have put themselves in good positions to lead at the top gate. With the team leading at the top gate generally going on to win the race, getting off the line well will be crucial in the Cup match.
It’s also the area of most intrigue when it comes to this match-up. Team NZ have not had a race in a month, and their performance in that area was one they were critical of in their defence in Auckland in 2021.
Speaking to the Herald earlier this month, port helmsman Nathan Outteridge said they were happy with their starts during the round-robins of the Louis Vuitton Cup – in which they won more races than any other team.
But in the Brits, they meet a team who have shown they’re willing to be aggressive in the starting box and try to force their opponents into uncomfortable situations.
“As everyone saw, the Louis Vuitton Cup final was a great event and had some amazing battles in the pre-starts and around the course as well,” Outteridge said at the pre-match press conference yesterday.
“We’ve been watching pretty closely what Dylan [Fletcher] and Ben [Ainslie] and the [Ineos Britannia] team have been up to, trying to study their moves and understand counter moves, and I’m sure they’ll be trying to guess what we’re going to do come tomorrow as well.
In the round-robins of the Louis Vuitton Cup, Team NZ won more races than any other team.
“I think what we’ve seen in racing these boats are incredibly close in terms of performance and the start’s going to be really critical. I think both teams are going to put a lot into their starting execution, and we’ll see what happens tomorrow.”
On top of the starts, the variable conditions have thrown a few curveballs to the team.
In the early stages, the teams had to deal with light winds, before top-end conditions welcomed Ineos Britannia and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli in the Louis Vuitton Cup final.
It’s an area where equipment choices come to the fore, with one decision enough to derail a race.
“As everyone’s noticed, there’s quite a few different configurations you can do with your sails – big jibs, little jobs, medium jobs – and subtle changes on the main[sail] as well. What we know about October and what we’re seeing is far is that the wind can be quite variable,” Outteridge said.
“That final 10-15 minutes before the start is when the weather team works really hard to try and predict what you’re going to have for 20 minutes or so of the race and make sure you get the right sail up and nail that one.
“We’re relaxed about it right now but wait until 15 minutes before the start when there’s a lot of numbers being crunched and people trying to decide which is the best sail to use.”
The conditions were also highlighted as an area of interest by Ineos Britannia starboard helmsman Sir Ben Ainslie.
His team have done well to continually improve and develop throughout the regatta, and they have proven they’re capable in the top-end conditions, although they had some issues in the lighter airs early in the campaign and have not since had to do much racing in them.
“Both these teams, when we get to the end of these finals, will be significantly faster than when we went into to. It’s inevitable and we’ve seen that all the way through the competition,” Ainslie said.
“Mother Nature will have an impact on the outcome of this, I’m pretty sure of that, but the teams have known the wind range for three years now.
“I’m always in awe of the designers of these boats because in the Louis Vuitton [Cup] final we were right up against the wind limit and the boats were right up against their limits. In most cases, the boats held together and that’s credit to the designers.
“It will be a fascinating final in terms of the weather and just what part that plays in it.”
