It was some of the best racing we’ve seen in this fabulous summer of sailing in Barcelona with the Invited Teams of the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup having a rip-roaring day in a big sea state that rewarded accuracy and consistency in the foiling AC40 yachts. Five races were completed in an easterly ‘Llevant’ wind that peaked at just over 17 knots atop a swell and waveform that challenged the sailors to the limits.
Dramatic nosedives, broaches, spill-outs and sky-rockets were seen all down the fleet as the young sailors rode some solid puffs of pressure with the AC40 yachts right on the edge of control – particularly downwind. There were place changes aplenty throughout the five races completed today, whilst a never-say-die spirit was hugely rewarded more than once.
One team though were imperious and the young, well-drilled Swedish Challenge powered by Artemis Technologies with Oscar Engström and Ludvig Lindqvist on the helms, were a class apart.
Scoring four race wins from five starts, this was a dominant performance from a team that has put in the long hours at their training facility in Belfast, Northern Ireland before coming to Spain and basing themselves out of Badalona with the American and British Youth & Womens teams. Their team-work, communication and technique were next level and their remarkably consistent, no-panic approach when behind, paid dividends.
A delighted Oscar Engström came ashore and reflected on what was a sensational day for the Swedish team, saying: “What a day, good breeze, good waves, super happy. There’s a lot to go but it was great to get the monkey off the back with race wins and nice to have some wind and waves. It was tough out there, but we just kept super-consistent, kept the good communication going between us, and found a way to win.
“We stayed calm onboard, concentrated on our manoeuvres, it wasn’t easy, and we had to be patient, but we executed when we needed to and got the wins. The goal now is to get to the semi-final where the really serious racing starts, and we’ve been training with a lot of the America’s Cup teams so we’re confident we can do well. Win it – why not?”
The Swedish were, however, pushed hard in the racing with the mercurial talents of Cole Tapper and Jack Ferguson for Andoo Team Australia showing both tactical racecraft and boatspeed to score the opening race win and push hard all day. Boat handling errors, particularly on the downwind manoeuvres, proved costly for the Australians in terms of securing the top spot but they still finished the day in second.
One of the stories of the day began with a vicious and dramatic nosedive just seconds before the start of the fifth race by the Australians, who then had to recover from a fully swamped boat, a wind data blackout, and a huge distance given away. However, their never-say-die attitude encapsulated all that is good about the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup and a third place was a just reward that elevated the team into second overall.
Hometown favourite, SailTeam BCN the overnight leader after their race win yesterday, had a consistent day, always challenging and in the hunt for the podium and a string of decent results, particular a second and third place in Races 3 & 4 today, sees them in third place with two races left to complete tomorrow. Behind them, JAJO DutchSail, Concord Pacific Racing (Canada) and AC Team Germany, will all be eyeing stellar results to try to catch the local team and secure a podium place and onward qualification to the semi-finals.
Conrad Konitzer, port helm for SailTeam BCN, described just how tough it was on the water today, saying: “It was quite wavy, at least for us, who don’t have much experience with these boats. The wind was not that strong, but the waves were difficult. There was also a lot of intensity between races, so you had to be prepared and focused after each race. The day was about trying to touch the water as little as possible, go fast and keep things very simple. Sometimes we didn’t do that well and made things a bit too complicated, but overall, we’re happy. Keeping it simple is the hard part.”
Jaime Framis, starboard trimmer for SailTeam BCN spoke about the team potentially making the semi-final after tomorrow’s two scheduled races, saying: “I think we can make it, absolutely. We’ve had a few problems with the boat that have slowed us down a bit, but as soon as we get things right, we’re fast and we’re looking good. We’re confident that tomorrow everything will go well, and we’ll keep going.”
The Race Committee announced after racing had completed, that tomorrow will see a six race schedule, with the first two races of the day being for the Invited Teams to complete their regatta schedule, followed by four races for the America’s Cup teams to complete theirs.
A six-race ‘Super Sunday’ for sure in the UniCredit Youth America’s Cup where tomorrow’s talent, the next generation, will continue putting on a display that is truly captivating and exciting the world of sailing.
