Skip to content

Land Rover BAR Tops AC World Series

By Christine Weaver | November 21, 2016 | Fukuoka, Japan |
Hakata Bay in Fukuoka was the scene for the historic first-ever day of America’s Cup racing in Japan — and indeed in Asia. To the delight of the spectators, SoftBank Team Japan won one race. Land Rover BAR won the whole shebang.

© 2016 Phil Uhl

No glorious comeback upset the standings in the final Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series event, held over the weekend in Fukuoka, Japan — Sir Ben Ainslie’s British Land Rover BAR team led the series going in and emerged with the event victory, the overall victory, and two bonus points that they’ll carry with them into the America’s Cup Qualifiers next May in Bermuda.

At the awards celebration, Aussie — er, USA — skipper Jimmy Spithill dumped the Moët all over the victor, Ben Ainslie. Is this a foretaste of things to come? Will the Brits finally get the Cup back?

© Phil Uhl

After thunder and lightning on Friday night, Saturday broke cloudy and overcast, but without rain. "The racing got off on time to a crowd of over 6,000 on Jigyohama Beach in front of the Hilton Hotel," reports Hawaii-based photographer Phil Uhl. "Many more were on the surrounding beaches and on spectator craft. The conditions improved with each race, and by the third the sun was out and the breeze was up."

Land Rover BAR (UK) won the first race with Team New Zealand second and Oracle Team USA third. "Race 2 was won easily by SoftBank Team Japan, USA second and UK third." Oracle won the third race with Land Rover BAR in second and the Kiwis in third.

"It was very exciting when Team Japan won Race 2," writes Bruce Balan of the Cross 46 Migration, a California-based trimaran currently cruising in Japan. "A cheer went up all around and it was really nice that they got the bullet, since, except for a second in Race 6, their performance wasn’t stellar in the other races."

Describing Sunday, Uhl noted, "The conditions were not great: light wind and overcast, but no rain — no foiling either, so not as much excitement as Saturday. The surprises were Artemis taking the first two races and Groupama Team France winning their first race to end the event. Land Rover had a second, third and fourth, which was enough to secure wins in both the Fukuoka event and the overall ACWS trophy with 512 points."

Oracle Team USA won one race and Artemis Racing won two during the weekend. These two teams once tuned up against each another on the waters of San Francisco Bay.

© 2016 Phil Uhl

Uhl notes that the defender, Oracle Team USA, sailing for San Francisco’s Golden Gate Yacht Club, had two thirds and a fifth on Sunday and finished third for Fukuoka and second for the ACWS with 493 points. "The Kiwis finished sixth, second, and fourth for a fourth for Fukuoka and third for ACWS with 485 points."

"In many places throughout our travels in Japan we’ve met sailors who were planning to go to Fukuoka for the races," commented Balan. "It’s a fairly small and tight community. We are constantly surprised at how many Japanese sailors have been to the USA – usually to San Francisco for the Big Boat Series, San Diego for the America’s Cup or Hawaii for the Kenwood Cup. They were generally very excited about the ACWS coming to Japan."

Leave a Comment




'Lectronic Latitude: Monday, Nov 21
Radical Offshore Racing Update
Shot during a pre-start practice session, either a very large shark — or perhaps orca — is keeping pace with Alex Thomson’s sleek IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss, or we’re getting a look at the tip of his starboard foil, which is now broken.
Getting to the Tropics
We made it! El Gato owners Annie Gardner and Eric Witte, on the right, stand atop the cat’s house after making the 1,500-mile passage from Virginia to the British Virgins. 
More 'Lectronics »