Alinghi Red Bull Racing is the only team without a point, but I’m still picking Alinghi to be in for a ‘most improved’ award at the end of the round robins. They had a big lesson yesterday from the American Magic boot camp: do not sail into dirty air, do not fall off the foils and if you do fall off the foils, here are some tips on how to get up. Actually, the best tips came from commentator Glenn Ashby.
I shouldn’t have said that because I’ve jinxed it. Alinghi lacks pace in the pre-start and Sir Ben dumps a tack on their face. It’s a classic move. As commentator Peter Lester says: ‘Alinghi will learn that you cannot put yourself in that compromised position and expect to survive.’
Ineos is doing 23 knots up the course as Alinghi is eeeking towards the start at 9 knots. It’s yesterday once more. The lower section of their mainsail is looking like that TV ad of decades ago: ‘That’s my mum with the baggy pantyhose.’
Alinghi gets back in flight but Ineos rounds the first gate 2.12 ahead.
That’s pretty much the race, with the lead extending to nearly a kilometre.
At gate four, the delta is still 1:54. Heading up leg 5, Sir Ben Ainslie is concerned about hitting the gas of Alinghi, and as they exit a tack, Ineos is on 21 knots and struggling to stay in flight.
The breeze is softening. Both boats are sailing hot angles to generate apparent wind. The lead is more than 1122m and Alinghi’s only hope is that Ineos falls off the foils.
It does: Ineos exits a gybe as the breeze goes soft and slumps to a splosh.
Alinghi is doing 30 knots and the lead plummets as Ineos struggles along at 16 knots. Sir Ben Ainslie, knight of the realm, later says he was ‘bricking’ at this point. But a lucky gust of wind finds his sails and takes him to the finish.
Alinghi still has no win and I want to give them a hug.
© Rebecca Hayter
Photo credit: Ricardo Pinto, America's Cup
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