America’s Cup: That was then, this is now

The evolution of America’s Cup yachts, from the AC72 (2013) to AC50 (2017) to AC75 (2021, 24), has heightened performance to unimaginable levels, but the progression has reduced visible onboard activity. If you love speed and tech, you loved the 2024 America’s Cup, but others cite the lack of crew movement and lead changes.

Today’s narrow course boundaries and short legs would make it hard on any type of trailing boat to pass, though the high speed of the lead boat now offers disturbed air on all legs of the course. With crew tucked into cockpits and sail changes eliminated, foiling stability is now a key performance variable.

Looking back, the 2007 America’s Cup, the fifth and last edition to use the International Americas Cup Class, had lead changes in five of the seven races, with wider courses and spinnaker handling as reasons for why Alinghi beat Emirates Team New Zealand in the best of nine series.

RACE 1
Stable 12 knots breeze with choppy sea. No aggression in the pre-start with both teams making good starts. Alinghi led by 0:13 at the first mark and 0:14 at the final turning mark.
Alinghi-1 ETNZ-0

RACE 2
10 knots breeze. Aggressive pre-start with ETNZ winning the start but Alinghi led at the first two marks. Alinghi did not apply a tight cover allowing ETNZ to benefit and lead through to the finish.
Alinghi-1 ETNZ-1

RACE 3
Very light breeze with race start postponed twice. Aggression from Alinghi forced a poor start by ETNZ who used conditions better to lead by 1:23 at the 1st mark. The gap closed right up when ETNZ could not sheet their jib due to a spinnaker handling error. Alinghi leading at the start of the final leg allowed a left/right separation of more than a kilometre to develop. Closing the finish line, ETNZ gybed slightly in front of Alinghi to win.
Alinghi-1 ETNZ-2

RACE 4
Tricky 8 to 10-knot breeze. Alinghi made excellent full-speed start and rounded first mark 20 seconds ahead. ETNZ then made small gains but suffered wrap in the spinnaker during a gybe, allowing Alinghi to extend their lead. ETNZ continued attacking through to the finish.
Alinghi-2 ETNZ-2

RACE 5
Perfect 15 knots sea breeze. Aggressive pre-start. ETNZ forced Alinghi across the top of the Race Committee boat and into the spectator fleet. ETNZ led by 0:12 at the first mark. For the 3rd race running, ETNZ had spinnaker problems. A small rip developed in the spinnaker which then blew apart. The 2nd spinnaker was hoisted before it had been properly attached and blew like a flag from the mast head. The third spinnaker set worked after 4 minutes of chaos but Alinghi by now had gone into the lead. ETNZ got to within three boat lengths on the 2nd beat and within one boat length on the final leg but Alinghi led through to the finish.
Alinghi-3 ETNZ-2

RACE 6
Aggressive pre-start but each team made a good start. ETNZ led at the first two marks. After a tacking duel, where Alinghi got a right hand shift, Alinghi led at the 3rd mark through to the finish.
Alinghi-4 ETNZ-2

RACE 7
Aggressive pre-start with both boats at full speed off the line. Alinghi rounded the windward mark 7 seconds ahead. Down the run, spinnaker handling by ETNZ looked a little better and at the bottom gate ETNZ rounded the left-hand mark and Alinghi rounded the right-hand mark 14 seconds behind. ETNZ tacked over to loose-cover Alinghi and a tacking duel ensued with Alinghi making very slight gains on each tack until eventually, still a boat length ahead, ETNZ disengaged. ETNZ tacked onto port to lay the mark and immediately bore away to go under Alinghi who was on starboard. Alinghi flew a Y flag in protest, and the Umpires awarded a penalty against ETNZ for not keeping clear. ETNZ rounded the final mark 12 seconds behind. On the run to the finish ETNZ could not close the gap until Alinghi, on their final approach to the finish, had their spinnaker pole fly off the mast collapsing the spinnaker, coinciding with a drop in the breeze and a massive 120-degree windshift to forward. Alinghi, now virtually stationary, was being overtaken. Now heading upwind (due to the massive windshift) to the line, ETNZ tacked from starboard to port and then back to starboard to satisfy their penalty, but did so with too much distance before the line, enabling Alinghi to squeeze across the finish line 1 second ahead while ETNZ was downspeed from the penalty tacks.
Alinghi-5 ETNZ-2