Victory and Lessons: American Magic’s Competitive Day Two in Barcelona

The second day of the Louis Vuitton Preliminary Regatta included two races for NYYC American Magic on the event's second day. The first match pitted Patriot against Swiss challenger Alinghi Red Bull Racing, followed by a race with the Italian AC36 finalist, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.

Conditions out on the waters off Barcelona remained consistent with the previous day when American Magic secured victory against INEOS Britannia. A southerly breeze, slightly lighter than before, and the prospect of a flatter sea state set the stage for an intense day of racing.

With NYYC American Magic assigned starboard entry to the starting box, Tom Slingsby steered Patriot across the line at speed to engage with Alinghi Red Bull Racing, which had entered on a port gybe. After some cautious circling as the two crews sized up each other's starting strategies, the final approach to the line saw the American team lead back and make a clean, fast start to leeward of their Swiss rivals.

The American crew engaged in a high mode, squeezing Patriot up toward the Swiss boat's line, affecting the airflow over its sails. Unable to live with this move, Alinghi Red Bull Racing tacked away toward the middle of the course, which was soon mirrored by American Magic, who now held a marginal advantage.

At the first windward gate, Patriot led by 12 seconds around the right-hand gate mark, with the team matching Alinghi’s gybes as both boats powered downwind at over 40 knots. At the bottom gate, the delta had extended to 15 seconds. The second upwind leg saw the Americans short-tacking up the favored right-hand side of the course, leaving little to no opportunity for the Swiss to gain ground. The strategy paid off, with the American Magic crew extending their advantage to a 31-second lead, stretching to a 56-second victory at the finish.

NYYC American Magic’s second race against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli did not go as well, after a mistake in the start box allowed the Italians to pin them outside the starboard end of the line in the final seconds before the start gun. Reacting quickly to the situation, the team was able to dive down behind the Italian boat from the windward side of the line to start correctly and minimize the loss.

However, as the racing so far has shown, recovering from a difficult start on the southerly-axised racecourse along the Barcelona waterfront is challenging. Despite a smooth and clean performance around the six-leg course, the American sailors could not make inroads into the Italians' lead, ultimately finishing 40 seconds behind Luna Rossa.

While the day ended with mixed results, it was a positive and confidence-building experience for NYYC American Magic as they continued refining their strategies and performance.

Paul Goodison, port helm on ‘Patriot,’ was positive about the day, saying: “Like every team, we have to learn how to dominate the start box. I think anybody out there and dominating the starts will be really tough to beat. We did a great job of that in the first race, got off clean, and got our nose just in front. From there, we sailed really well, were able to dominate the sides of the course we wanted to, and slowly stepped away – which was really, really promising. We had a similar plan for the second start, but it didn’t go our way. The Italians did a good job of holding us outside the line, which was tough for us. But the reaction on board was really good, the way we kept communicating, and we didn’t let it turn into an easy runaway. So, all-in-all, quite a positive day.”