American Magic Achieves Crucial Victory Over Orient Express
Louis Vuitton Cup Day 3: American Magic Secures Vital Win Against Orient Express
After claiming their first point of the Louis Vuitton Cup with a win against the British INEOS Britannia syndicate, American Magic was back in action on the third day of the first round-robin stage, facing Italy’s AC36 finalists, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli.
Race 7: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Port) vs. NYYC American Magic (Starboard)
An issue aboard the U.S. AC75 Patriot forced the team to request a 15-minute delay to the start — a request allowed under the regatta rules. Once the problem was resolved, Patriot was towed onto its foils with three and a half minutes remaining before the start.
American Magic made a fast entry at the starboard end of the line, crossing behind the Italian boat, which had come in quickly from the left. The Americans held back briefly to avoid the worst of their rivals’ wing wash before gybing and chasing Luna Rossa out to the right of the start box.
Opting for the leeward position, American Magic tacked in front of Luna Rossa to lead back to the line, making a fast start near the pin end. Slightly slower at the gun, Luna Rossa tacked away to the right boundary. When the boats converged, Patriot comfortably crossed ahead on port before tacking in front of the Italians, forcing them to head right again.
The next cross saw a gain for Luna Rossa, with just 75 meters between the boats when the U.S. crew cover-tacked once again. At the windward gate, the two AC75s were virtually bow to bow as they converged on each other before making simultaneous tacks to round the two gate marks — with American Magic leading by three seconds at the port mark, ahead of Italy at the starboard mark.
The dogfight continued down the following run and the next windward leg, with nothing to choose between the two crews as they traded the lead back and forth. Unfortunately, a down-speed tack by NYYC American Magic cost them around 120 meters and handed control to the Italians, who rounded the top gate 20 seconds ahead.
With the two boats appearing so equal in speed, American Magic was unable to claw their way back into contention — despite sailing fast and cleanly, and doing a good job of getting out of phase with the leaders in the hope of finding better pressure. At the finish, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli won the race by a margin of 24 seconds, showcasing a hard-fought effort from American Magic while ultimately missing out in a closely contested battle.
Race 10: Orient Express Racing Team (Port) vs. NYYC American Magic (Starboard)
In American Magic’s second race of the day, the team faced the French challenger, Orient Express Racing Team, in light and flukey conditions that demanded supreme concentration from the crew to ensure they kept Patriot airborne throughout the six-leg race.
A close-fought pre-start culminated with NYYC American Magic leading the French boat to leeward of the pin end of the line at the gun before tacking around and building speed on port to dip back behind the line and start fast at the committee boat end. Orient Express followed suit soon after with their committee boat end start, but it was the Americans who controlled the first leg, rounding the windward gate 41 seconds ahead.
Despite this advantage, nothing could be taken for granted as increasingly uncertain conditions saw the breeze oscillating around seven knots with wind holes littering the race area. The Americans looked fast and smooth on the first downwind, but the chasing French made gains to round 28 seconds behind at the first leeward gate. Having rounded the right-hand mark, the U.S. crew struggled for breeze as they tacked away from the right boundary while the French were powered up and closing in fast from the left.
When the boats came together, there was just 120 meters between them, and the Americans executed a hard cover tack on their opponent to stop the charge. However, Orient Express proved hard to shake off, and at the second windward gate, the American lead was just 13 seconds.
Throughout the race, the American crew remained composed, executing clean maneuvers and maintaining their lead despite increasing pressure from Orient Express. A crucial moment came when American Magic forced the French team into a race-defining mistake, causing them to drop off the foils and lose valuable time. With the French unable to get their boat back airborne, the NYYC American Magic crew sped away unchallenged over the final two legs, securing their second point of the regatta on the Louis Vuitton Cup scoreboard.
President of Sailing Operations, Terry Hutchinson, commented, “In these races, you’re never out of it. You know, it’s swings and roundabouts, and if you come off the foil as the lead boat, there’s really not a lot you can do to protect against it other than just continue with your processes on board and execute as efficiently as you can.”
Paul Goodison, port helm on ‘Patriot’, expressed his thoughts on the fine margins at the elite level of America’s Cup racing: “I thought we sailed pretty well today. We got really good starts, and we won both first crosses. In the past, when we have won the first cross, we’ve gone on to win; so, we are obviously frustrated that the Italians got round us in a very close race. We have learned that the more consistent we are, the better we are. We just have to keep polishing and brushing up around the edges. The Italians sailed a good race, but I don’t think there’s too much in it.”
Ava Thompson, a skilled sailor and marine journalist from Auckland, has developed a deep connection to the ocean that guides her work. With a degree in Marine Journalism from the University of Auckland, Ava is known for her engaging and detailed storytelling. Her writing brings to life the thrill of sailing and the unique maritime culture of New Zealand, earning her recognition in the sailing community. Outside of her journalism, Ava enjoys exploring the rugged coastlines of New Zealand and competing in local regattas, always in search of her next seafaring adventure.