Women's America's Cup: High stakes as Alinghi Red Bull Racing fly on to the podium in the Puig Women's America's Cup

It was a difficult day for both the sailors and Race Committee here in Barcelona as a forecasted southerly thermal breeze failed to materialise after the fleet had docked out early at 1100 CET in the hope of getting two quick-fire races in when the wind settled.

But when the Race Committee’s wind sampling failed time and again to get above the minimum 7.5 knots an initial call was made at 1145 to send the boats back to port to wait for the afternoon breeze. However, almost immediately afterwards a new ‘Gregal’ breeze from the north-east filtered in and the boats were instructed to stay on the racecourse.

With the wind sampling target finally achieved, a race was started that proved to be an on-the-water version of the popular board game ‘Snakes and Ladders.’ Off the start line, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and Emirates Team New Zealand looked imperious with the Kiwis coming off strongest and seizing the early lead. Athena Pathway were late to the start but executed a fine game-plan to play the right side of the course and by the first windward gate these three teams were in pole position.

Athena Pathway and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli opted to play the left (looking downwind) side of the run initially and lost out, whilst Emirates Team New Zealand picked up pressure down the right side and streaked into an enormous lead. By the leeward gate, the Race Committee had shortened both the length of the course and the number of legs to finish at the second windward gate and a Kiwi victory looked highly probable.

However, sailing can be a cruel sport at times and as the Kiwi crew approached the leeward gate they fell off the foils and – despite huge efforts from the sailors – never recovered flight again. Sailing on in displacement in increasing desperation, the New Zealand crew could only watch frustratedly as first Athena Pathway and then Alinghi Red Bull Racing came charging down the course and foiled around the leeward gate.

With the fleet having to deal with some tricky swell it was the Swiss who managed it best and first nailed a boundary tack out right before seizing the lead and staying up on their foils almost all the way to the finish. They crossed in displacement over three minutes ahead of Athena Pathway who had recovered from several splashdowns and were able to hold off the fast-charging NYYC American Magic who finished the race in third – their first podium finish of the regatta.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing’s win in the only race of the day leap-frogs them into third overall – and above the qualification cut line – ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand who will be rueing a day where they were so close to scoring maximum points. The Kiwis were not the only team that Mother Nature dealt a poor hand to. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli started the day in the top spot with a four point advantage over Athena Pathway, but tonight are tied for first with the British crew.

So it’s still very much all to play for in the final Qualification Series of the Puig Women’s America’s Cup for the finest female athletes on the planet competing in what has been a fantastic inaugural event. What cards will be dealt tomorrow, nobody knows, but the pressure is already high and getting higher.

Text and images courtesy of the America’s Cup. Read more at americascup.com.