America's Cup Blog

America’s Cup Defender BMW Oracle won the first race of the 33nd America’s Cup Match on Friday afternoon in the waters off Valencia. In perfect conditions for racing, with a stable knot sea breeze.

Match 1 – BMW Oracle beat Alinghi – DELTA 15 minutes and 28 seconds.

Timeline

17:22
Alinghi appear not to have completed their penalty properly and so the final delta is 15 minutes and 28 seconds.

17:08
And BMW ORACLE cross the finish line to provisionally win Race 1 of the 33rd America’s Cup. Delight for the American team and certain vindication in these conditions for the concept of the solid wing sail and the trimaran platform.

16:53
Alinghi shedding some water ballast again trying to keep the power on in the lighter conditions. Something like 10 minutes to the finish line.

16:46
Hard to judge what the delta will be, but the biggest recent Cup Match margins were in the 27th America’s Cup in 1988, the Deed of Gift ‘mis-match’, when USA’s Stars and Stripes consecutively defeated New Zealand’s KZ1 by 18 minutes and 15 seconds and then 21 minutes and 10 seconds.

16:43
Over half way down the downwind leg now.

16:37
USA extending all the time, sailing deeper and faster all the time than Alinghi who are now 3440 metres behind. Certainly the consensus at the moment is that the power and efficiency of the BMW ORACLE Racing Team wing is actually more telling downwind.

16:26
So USA is making 26 knots downwind and seem to consistently be able to fly their windward hulls for longer, peaking now at 28.5 knots of boat speed. Wind speed at the finish is eight knots at 160 degrees. And great work from Harold Bennett and his crew getting this race away, a great spectacle.

16:24
Alinghi gybe first, USA respond almost immediately. USA leading by 2980 metres or so.

16:13
And USA peak speed there is around 25 knots as they spear deeper and faster ‘downind’ than Alinghi in a puff, and as soon as they get their bow lower and sail faster than Alinghi for any length of time then their gains multiply. Now over 2000 metres of lead to USA. Big changes in course as the apparent wind builds and the leader powers up, Jimmy Spithill USA helmsman bringing the bow down and sailing deep and fast. Alinghi pressing well too.

16:11
So net on that upwind leg BMW Oracle pulled back something around 5 minutes on Alinghi, including that initial deficit.

16:06
Wind looks a little lighter but Alinghi marginal for flying a hull on approach to the turning mark, they go around 3 minutes 21 seconds – we believe – behind USA

16:04
And at an hour and a half after the start USA bear away at the windward mark first, unrolling their huge downwind headsail, breeze is about seven knots.

15:58
Alinghi tacking now on to port for their approach to mark 1, navigator Juan Vila (ESP) calling the time to the top mark to helm Bertarelli, tactician Brad Butterworth, strategist Murray Jones, all, of course, America’s Cup winners. Bow and mast crew are preparing the downwind headsail, as they are on USA. Advantage to USA about 1400 metres or so.

15:55
USA now approaching the port tack layline, an hour and 21 minutes after the start, their speed dropping to 6.5 knots as they tack. Speed building on port tack now. Alinghi still to tack. Will they take their penalty before the turn, or hang on?

15:50
Still Ernesto Bertarelli steering Alinghi, just getting a little marginal to keep the weather hull flying on Alinghi. USA have unrolled an upwind headsail to apply a little more power, anticipating the softening of the breeze as they approach the windward mark.

15:46
So downwind there is very little difference between the apparent wind angle generated to that upwind, only five or six degrees. Breeze has dropped a little for both as they approach the port lay line. The wind is between 160 degrees at 10 knots at the windward mark.

15:41
The question is when Alinghi will do their penalty, they must do a gybe if they are going upwind or a tack if they are going downwind. Breeze has picked up to around 10 knots at the windward mark. USA are setting up their giant gennaker for the downwind leg.

15:35
Around six miles to the windward mark, one hour and two minutes into the whole 40 miles race. BMW ORACLE Racing leading by something like 1260 metres.

15:31
So USA lead now by 730 metres and as the breeze decreases we see Alinghi shedding some water ballast. Breeze at the weather mark is around seven knots at 165 degrees.

15:24
Alinghi tack but so far no response from USA. Alinghi’s speed only dropped to 10 knots through the tack and they looked pretty slick. USA tacks now.

15:06
So certainly much closer than most expected, really not much between them in terms of boat speed. Speculation had the crossover between the two around 8-9 knots wind speed perhaps and we are pretty close to that. At the top mark we hear the wind is lighter, maybe 5.5 to 6 knots. About half way up the 20 miles beat now. Really very close, despite the huge differences in design philosophy. Perhaps the design teams taking a quiet sigh of relief, but huge credit is due to both design and build teams…. and those who have put in the hundreds of thousands of man hours of labour to get here. Fantastic match so far…..

15:03
Alinghi catching, now 140 metres or so behind when they were 440 metres behind.

14:57
And USA sitting consistently higher and faster, wing only. Dirk De Ridder (NED) trimming the wing, very experienced sailor on his second America’s Cup, won the round the world race with USA tactician John Kostecki and trimmer Ross Halcrow.

14:55
USA have now rolled away their jib and are flying wing only, no jib and are expected to point a little higher, now making consistently 19 knots plus and hit 20 knots boat speed.

14:51
So at around 15 minutes after the start USA overhaul Alinghi and make good that initial deficit of around 650 metres when they got across the start line. Both making between 17 and 19 knots in 6-7 knots.

14:49
USA appear to have their weather hull flying higher consistently and are sailing at a very slightly higher angle to the breeze. 180 degrees at the windward mark, eight knots.

14:45
And USA are closing in to Alinghi now there is 235 metres between the two, but of course Alinghi have their penalty to unload. But there is really little difference in speed, USA maybe has the small edge.

14:40
At the Windward Mark we now have 8 knots of wind at 180°, Alinghi have changed now to an upwind jib from their bigger GZero. Alinghi’s lead has almost halved since the start, around 450 metres ahead.

14:38
Alinghi lead by about 650 metres, boat speeds are roughly even around 18 knots. USA are now catching a little less than five minutes into Race 1. USA look to be sailing a few degrees higher but they are in slightly different pressure.

14:36
USA have not yet started and it is about 1 minute 45 seconds after the gun that the challenger gets back to the start line.

14:33
USA to the right and both boats are above the start line, Alinghi have the penalty. USA have stalled, flat footed and are stuck, Alinghi win the start and USA are all but stopped on the wrong side of the line.

14:32
Both very slow with two minutes to go, Alinghi pinned to the left of the box a little and USA have the upper hand for sure.

14:30
Alinghi cannot cross and USA take the immediate advantage, USA force penalty on Alinghi for failing to keep clear.

14:29
Getting ready for entry to the start box at 5 mins, timing is crucial. Alinghi at 23 knots BMW Oracle making 17 knots as the gun.

Via: http://www.americascup.com/en/actualite/live-ticker/