Youth America's Cup: SailTeam BCN on top after a hometown win in the UniCredit Youth America's Cup

Racing took place in marginal easterly ‘Llevant’ conditions on a day of heavy cloud cover and rainstorms and from the start it was all about who could stay on the foils the longest and execute tricky manoeuvres on the 0.5 metre swell. After some small delays for the weather to settle, at 1419 the fleet of six AC40’s got away with Andoo Team Australia, led by Cole Tapper, making an excellent start at the port end of the line.

Concord Pacific Racing from Canada, with Andrew Wood steering, joined the Australians on the initial drag race to the left boundary but with two pre-start penalties and then a third awarded for not taking their penalties in time, their race was always going to be tough.

However, this was a race where the tough survived and for those teams that could keep their patience, rewards lay ahead. The Swedish Challenge were the first to capitalise on errors elsewhere, and whilst many of the yachts fell into displacement mode, Oscar Engström’s well-drilled team stole into what looked like an unassailable lead, rounding the top gate almost 400 metres ahead of the chasing SailTeam BCN.

The first downwind leg on this shortened three-leg course, saw all of the yachts fall off the foils and huge separation of the fleet with the leaders almost a leg ahead of those still struggling to get around the first windward gate.

It was all about to change though, as Canada, Australia and Germany picked up some new breeze at the top of the course and came charging back into contention. For the Swedish and Spanish, who were almost half way up the final leg to the finish, they could only watch as slowly the back-markers ate up the gap.

Somehow SailTeam BCN managed to get foiling out to the left of the course, just as the fickle Llevant delivered a significant right shift which allowed the Swedish to point directly for the finish line – but still, frustratingly, in displacement.

The Spanish kept cool, nailed a foiling tack and came back to the middle of the course before just making it through a final foiling tack that brought them on the same line as the Swedish. Crossing the line at around 20 knots SailTeam BCN secured a brilliant win and 10 points to top the table.

For Sweden, it was heartbreak as what looked like a certain second place was snatched away when a foiling Concord Pacific Racing flew by right on the finish line, relegating the Swedes to third. Better days to come for sure for the Swedish crew who look to have wonderful boat handling skills and tactical nous in this division.

An announcement after racing from the Race Committee confirmed that the Invited Teams will continue their series tomorrow, starting at just after 1400 CET.

Text and images courtesy of The America’s Cup.