Light Air Plagues AC World Series
As has been the case for most of this year’s America’s Cup World Series events, this weekend’s event in Toulon, France, was another frustrating, light-air affair. Sailed from September 9-11 off France’s beautiful Mediterranean Coast, the event offered plenty of sunshine but, not surprisingly, came up short on breeze with the high-tech foiling catamarans struggling to fly a hull in most races, let alone get up on their foils.
After six races, Artemis Racing crept over the finish line to claim a resounding overall victory with three bullets and five total podium finishes. Artemis finished five points ahead of a resurgent Softbank Team Japan. Softbank managed to climb from fifth to second on the final day, edging out Land Rover BAR by a point.
After dominating the Olympics in the 49er, it was an inauspicious return for Kiwis Peter Burling and Blair Tuke as they struggled with inconsistent results to claim fourth for the weekend onboard Emirates Team New Zealand. Although France is renowned for its sailors’ multihull racing prowess, Groupama Team France struggled on their home turf, finishing fifth at the regatta’s end, and remaining in last place for the season. Oracle Team USA, the American team — which didn’t actually have any Americans onboard in Toulon — finished DFL for the regatta with fill-in skipper Tom Slingsby on the helm, while Jimmy Spithill rehabs an injured elbow.
After the AC’s almost universally unpopular departure from San Francisco, a mid-cycle about-face to ditch the planned AC62 boat for a smaller design (thus reportedly reneging on multiple legally binding contracts), no apparent nationality requirements, and more, the constant struggle with light-air venues that has plagued the AC World Series this year has not helped its popularity here in the Bay Area or in the wider world of sailing. And poor venue selection is only partly to blame.
If these boats had been given a chance to stretch their legs on the west coast of France in a sailing-crazed city such as Lorient, this regatta likely would have been very, very different and far more exciting. Leading up to the regatta, much was made of the foiling tack — a maneuver now mastered by most of the teams — making it all the more ironic that an AC 45 with straight boards probably could have walked away with the weekend’s glory.
The next event for the America’s Cup World Series will take place in Fukuoka, Japan from November 18-20. Find much more ACWS and AC 35 info on the official website.
