The 1851 Cup, attorno a Wight dominano gli statunitensi
Match RaceOracle Team USATeam OriginVela 5 Agosto 2010 Zerogradinord 0
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Foto courtesy Gilles Martin Raget.
The 1851 Cup – Cowes – Al termine di una regata caratterizzata da penalità, vele esplose e danni all’attrezzatura generati dalle impegnative condizioni meteo, BMW Oracle Racing e Team Origin si sono dati battaglia lungo il periplo dell’Isola di Wight. Un percorso di 53 miglia molto caro all storia dell’America’s Cup. Fu proprio sullo stesso tratto di mare, infatti, che la goletta America nel 1851 si aggiudicò la Coppa delle Cento Ghinee, battendo il meglio della flotta britannica.
Anche oggi, dopo oltre un secondo e mezzo e a bordo di evoluti ACC Versione 5, ad avere la meglio sono stati gi statunitensi, cui è stata assegnata la Trafalgar Cup. L’equipaggio di James Spithill, infatti, ha anticipato quello di Ben Ainslie di quasi due minuti. Dopo un pre-partenza molto combattuto, costato una penalità a Team Origin. Nonostante la lunghezza del tracciato, i due team sono rimasti vicini per buona parte del match. Talmente vicini che quando è riuscito a mettere la prua davanti all’avversario, Team Origin ha commesso una nuova infrazione ostacolando l’avanzare di BMW Oracle Racing ed è stato nuovamente penalizzato.
Obbligato dagli umpire ad assolvere immediatamente una delle penalità, Team Origin ha trovato la grinta per rientrare in regata e si è presentato per primo al traverso dell’ultima boa di percorso, posizionata al largo di No Man’s Land. A mettere nuovamente gli inglesi con le spalle al muro è stato un errore in fase di ammainata del gennaker che, finito in acqua, si è avvolto alla deriva, obbligando un uomo del team inglese a buttarsi fuori bordo per rimediare al momento di defaillance. Un intervento effettuato mentre BMW Oracle Racing si involava verso il successo.
“E’ stata battaglia vera sin dai dieci minuti al via – ha commentato Shannon Falcone a fine regata – Di meglio proprio non potevamo aspettarci. Abbiamo rotto ben due jockey poles durante il match”.
Domani, con Team Origin avanti quattro a uno nella serie di regate sulle boe, il programma prevede la disputa di altri tre bastoni: ogni vittoria, però, varrà tre punti. Tutto è ancora possibile.
THE 1851 CUP, BMW ORACLE RACING WINS AROUND WIGHT
[BMW Oracle Racing Press Release] In a race today marked with penalties, blown sails and broken equipment, BMW Oracle Racing defeated Team Origin around the Isle of Wight by 1 minute and 55 seconds to win the Trafalgar Cup. The race re-enacted the famous race of 1851 that gave rise to the legend of the America’s Cup. Instead of a wooden schooner from America racing 14 British yachts, two America’s Cup Class sloops constructed of carbon-fiber sailed the 53-nautical-mile course. But the outcome was similar: an American yacht won.
“It was a fantastic day to go around the island. It was a lot more exciting than I thought it would be,” said James Spithill, skipper of BMW Oracle Racing. “Thanks to Team Origin. They put up a good battle on the water and we enjoyed every minute of it.”
Team Origin skipper Ben Ainslie said, “We started battling about 10 minutes before the start gun and then were overlapped for about an hour and a half. They sailed a great race, congratulations.”
With the wind blowing from the northwest, the two crews were set up for an off-the-win start on the clockwise course around the island. But in pre-start maneuvers Team Origin was penalized for being a port tack yacht and not keeping clear.
With the race underway, the two yachts were tight reaching with giant asymmetric spinnakers, heeling at great angles in the waters churned frothy by a large spectator fleet trying to keep pace at 10 to 12 knots. About 25 minutes into the race the two crews were off Ryde and on starboard jibe, with Team Origin only slightly ahead of BMW Oracle Racing. Then the real fun started.
Spithill jibed away to port and Ainslie followed. With the wind now coming over the left side of the yachts, BMW Oracle Racing was leading when Team Origin got a slight overlap to leeward. The rules for the race allowed for quick luffs in such a scenario, and Ainslie took advantage. Team Origin luffed BMW Oracle Racing but took the American yacht too far into the wind, for which it earned a second penalty. Team Origin had to immediately perform one if its 270-degree penalty turns and that allowed BMW Oracle Racing to regain the lead.
Team Origin regrouped quickly and moments later luffed again in another situation. Each crew was trying to get to the Nab Light Buoy first, because from there the course hardened up into the wind. Once on the wind, the trailing boat would be at a disadvantage.
As the crews went around No Man’s Land Fort Team Origin held the lead, but as the crew doused the spinnaker it fell into the water and parts of it became wrapped around the keel. A Team Origin crewman went overboard to clear the entanglement and BMW Oracle Racing opened a lead that it would not relinquish.
“It was full on action from 10 minutes to the start,” said Shannon Falcone, mastman for BMW Oracle Racing. “It couldn’t have been a better spectacle going down the Solent. We broke two jockey poles in those luffing matches.”
The race was part of The 1851 Cup, a match racing regatta between the two teams. Although today’s race doesn’t count in the standings, it will serve as a tiebreaker in the event the teams finish tied on points.
Racing for The 1851 Cup resumes tomorrow with three races planned on the Solent
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