Race 1: Italians in top form against the US
The Americans got off to an excellent start, controlling their rival Luna Rossa. They kept the pressure on for the first three tacks, resulting in some very hot upwind crossings, with both foilers launched at over 30 knots.
But on channel 2 e upwind, Luna Rossa, which benefits from better upwind speed than its rival, managed to cross in front of Patriot and regained the lead, which it would not relinquish again. Relegated by more than 200m, Patriot was unable to catch up with the silver AC 75 and finished in 2nd place e position.
Race 2: the Defender returns to face the French 48 hours after his crane accident
Less than 48 hours after damaging their AC75 during craning, the Kiwis are back on the water. After hard work to repair their injured bird, the Defenders were ready to take on the French on this 3 e RRB. The confrontation is all the more interesting given the many architectural similarities between the two foilers.
Unfortunately, the duel was short-lived, as Orient Express Team withdrew a few seconds before the start, victim of a technical problem. However, this withdrawal had no impact on the final ranking, as races against the Defender were not counted.
Race 3: Swiss struggle against the British
The third race of the day pitted the Swiss against the British Ineos. During the start phase, Ineos positioned itself to windward of Alinghi, depriving it of its wind and preventing it from flying properly. The Swiss challenge took almost two minutes to relaunch its boat, leaving Ineos with a good lead, passing the first windward mark with a 1000-metre advantage. The rest of the race was pointless, with Ineos simply completing the course and increasing its lead over the Swiss, who were lacking in success.
Race 4: the Americans beat the Frenchies
After a successful start from the Americans against the French, the latter stayed in contact and significantly reduced the gap to the leader.
But on the penultimate downwind leg, the French crew had a communication problem, missed a gybe and stopped flying. They never manage to get their AC75 back in the air, while Patriot flies towards its 2 e victory since the start of the event. A major strategic error on the part of the French, as they stayed in the game against the Americans, demonstrating that they could rival them in pure speed.
Race 5: Italy confirms its talent against Inéos
The two leaders in the rankings, the Italians and the British, clashed after a headsail change for Luna Rossa. The Italians ceded the start to the British, before regaining the lead to open up a gap of almost two minutes over the chasing pack.
The final race of the day, between the Swiss and the Defender, was cancelled for lack of wind. After three days of racing, Luna Rossa and Ineos lead the standings. The French and Swiss are at the bottom. The pressure is on, especially as a challenger is due to be eliminated this weekend.
