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An umpire boat collided with Artemis in the pre-start for Race 2. No injuries. Artemis won the re-started race. Image: ACTV
Artemis Umpire Crash seen from onboard Artemis.
Artemis Umpire Crash seen from Team Japan.
Artemis crew making repairs. The bowsprit and forward kingpost were broken off in the crash. The team needed to cut away the rigging that supported the bowsprit.
Artemis Racing won the Bermuda America’s Cup World Series in dramatic fashion, winning Race 2 after a pre-start collision with an umpire boat. In the third race they executed a perfect foiling gybe to pass Oracle just before the finish to seal the regatta win.
Crash, seen from onboard SoftBank Team Japan
The foil rake controls on the AC45F one design cats are relatively primitive, making the boats hard to sail. All of the teams are still doing “wheelies.”
Emirates Team New Zealand took second in the regatta and leads the America’s Cup World Series. No wind on Saturday caused a reshuffle of the schedule and three races were run on Sunday, all worth double points in the America’s Cup World Series.
The Bermuda AC World Series got off to a great start on land but with less excitement on the water. Friday’s practice races were held in light air, and Saturday’s official racing was abandoned, with almost calm conditions at race time. Late in the day four teams put on a demonstration race in Hamilton Harbor, with Groupama Team France taking the win ahead of Softbank Team Japan and Land Rover BAR, with Oracle bringing up the rear. Team New Zealand and Artemis did not race.
On shore things have been much more lively as the photos below show. Tomorrow’s forecast calls for 10-12 knots of wind, ideal conditions. Let’s hope the forecast is right!
Friday’s second practice race finished at Two Rock Passage. SoftBank Team Japan took the win. Land Rover BAR and Oracle Team USA fought for last place. The narrow course made for a confusing rules situation with Oracle and BAR both protesting each other. BAR picked got the penalty. Image: ACTV
As a sailor, you know you’re in the right place when the “clock tower” on the town hall shows wind direction instead of time!
Bermuda is serious about fun and about welcoming the America’s Cup teams and fans. The event kicked off with a pep rally in front of City Hall, with all the local sponsors’ employees in bright T-shirts.
Town crier Ed Christopher kicked off the pep rally in style.
AC45’s moored off Front Steet.
The Spirit of Bermuda, a three-masted Bermuda sloop, moored in front of the VIP Lounge and just to the right of Oracle. Front Street and the Fan Zone in the background.
Corporate hospitality overlooking the harbor and the fireworks for the opening ceremonies on Friday night.
Is this the best hospitality in an America’s Cup Media Center? Oysters and Dark’n’Stormy’s served at our desks by the Media Center catering team. Reuters photographer Mike Segar enjoying the Bermudian hospitality.
Ben Ainslie’s challenge for the 2017 America’s Cup launched their second test boat, T2 in Portsmouth on 5 October 2015. They had been sailing a test boat based on an AC45 with very limited modifications. The new boat is dramatically different, with cockpits, grinding pedestals, wheel steering and a wider beam. T2 is similar to the test boats launched almost eight months by Oracle Team USA and Artemis Racing.
1 Emirates Team New Zealand 72
2 Land Rover BAR 65
3 Oracle Team USA 64
4 SoftBank Team Japan 56
5 Artemis Racing 53
6 Groupama Team France 50
The Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series runs over two years – 2015 and 2016. The winner of the series will carry two points forward into the round robin phase. Second place in the series carries one point. At the end of the round robin, any ties will be broken using these results. That means the AC World Series could determine which team receives the bonus point for the America’s Cup Match and which team is eliminated.