I wouldn't assume Spithill is the better of the two helmsmen in the pre-start. Bruni has a pretty good resume when it comes to match racing. These starts aren't the reaching starts of the two cup cycles. The upwind start leads to positioning similar to a traditional monohull match race.
Luna Rossa Challenge. AC 36
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New interview with Max Sirena and Francesco "Checco" Bruni by Bacci del Buono and Mauro Giuffrè for Giornale della Vela
- Asked by Baci about this ACWS, Max says this racing days were really important, it was the first time they lined up with other competitors. They're analyzing all the data and meanwhile shore team is doing "little big" mods to the boat. Some mods were already planned, some are new, based on what they saw in the races. 25 and 26 are free days, 27 back in the water
- Bacci talks about his high heart rate watching the races, and Max joking adds that during a reunion with Bertelli, some months ago (an agitated reunion), someone's watch rang the heart rate alarm, and Max told him that it was better if he turned off the clock, since for another hour at least his heart rate was going to speed up (edit: Max is joking, so there wasn't any real danger, but that's a fun story). Anyway, he says he feels a lot more stressed watching the regatta from the chase boat than being onboard, 'cause you're not in control of anything, you can only watch powerless.
- Checco Bruni joins the interview, Max jokingly scold him for being late (it was scheduled for 9:30, Checco says, defending himself. It's 9:33 now, Max answers) but they're clearly joking
(Edit: now I'll say when Max is answering and when Checco is answering)
- Question for Max by Mauro: is it settled thet he'll never be on board on LR ? Max says that they tried to convince him, asking to add his name to the crew list for the doping controls, saying that if a lot of people got injured maybe he was needed onboard, but he said no. He adds that he stays on the boat two time each day: in the morning, when he go from one side of the boat to the other, going on the chase boat, and in the evening, doing the opposite.
- Asked about B2, Max says that they're ready to race both with B1 and B2. They're happy about B2, that of course have better performances than B1. They'll apply some mods to B2 along the way in the Prada Cup, some of them will be clearly visible the next time they'll go in the water. They chose to sail with B2 because is a great innovation of B1. This boats need time, there's more cutting edge technology on an AC75 than a F1 car in some departments, every hour of sailing gets better performances, even without any mod to the boat. That was easy to see during this ACWS: they badly lost to ETNZ the first race but they got better and better the other days, and in the end they could have won the Event. Last day they got a 10% better performance from Day 1. LR is the only team at the second stage of foils, and they used training sails for the ACWS. They have a lot in the pocket, but they'll know if it's enough only at the end.
- Question for Francesco by Mauro: were they worried after the first race vs ETNZ ? Checco first says that they weren't happy, because they had three minutes gap with the Kiwis. They knew it was gonna be hard, 'cause they suspected ETNZ was really good in the upper wind range. He adds that half of that gap was LR fault, cause they drop off the foils at the first mark and doing this you can easily loose one minute to your opponent. They made also some tactical errors, in the first upwind leg they were 2 boat lengths behind and then suddenly after few seconds 20 boat lengths behind. They weren't happy at all, but at the same time their main focus right now is to win the Prada Cup, they'll sail against ETNZ maybe in a two months time. He adds that right now ETNZ is set for the upper wind range, while LR for the lower wind range, and that's why LR had a little speed edge in the last day.
- Asked about his sensations in the first pre-start, and if it's scary drive an AC75 so close to another one, Checco says that's not scary at all, the problem is the other way around, you have to be really focused and not boasting around. He's really happy about the team's pre-start training, they sailed vs a chase boat that can go up to 40 knots and simulate to be an opponent AC75. it works pretty well, the downside is that it' a double risk for the team, since if you have a collision, you risk two great assets, the boat and te chase boat. They're the team that trained the most for the pre-start. They trained a lot also in the simulator, so they got pretty clear ideas of what to do in the pre-start.
- Asked by Bacci about who call the shots in the double helmsman configuration, Checco says that's really easy: whoever is helming at the moment makes the call. It can't be different since the flight controller must be really focused on what he's doing, so he can't think at much else than that. When one between him and JS is at the helm, he have to paint the picture in the comms, describing the tactical situation, so when the other one take the helm he has a good picture of the current situation. The double helm configuration is a great plus for the maneuvers, since they have a lot less transitions than the others. He speaks about AM, they have to move someone to the windward side of the boat before they can tack or gybe, and doing so they reveal their move to the opponents. Having three people switching side is also bad for windage and also bad for maneuvers, since in that 4,5,6 seconds people switching side can't control anything on the boat. There are also some downsides of course, but the most important thing for this double configuration to work is that each helmsman trust the other one, and that's the case with he and Jimmy.
- Asked by Bacci about Ineos FCS issues, Max says every team has had some problems with FCS and the software. They had some issues some months ago, right now they have some smaller ones but anything bad enough to compromise a race. AM had some little problems and Ineos some bigger problems, but in the end it's a one design element, so every team has to work out the solution. Speaking about Ineos, he says that he doesn't like to speak about other teams. What he can say is that they have some problems in the take off. The Ineos hull could be a reason, since it's radically designed more for the aero than for the hydro, and there's some rumors about systems issues, but AC75 are so complex that small changes can bring really different performances.
- Max continues speaking about AC75. He disagree with people saying that America's Cup is not a sailing competition anymore, and that pre-start or tactics are not important as before. The first race, when the Kiwis gave them 3 minutes (Edit: he swears speaking of this) is a clear example of this. ETNZ has a speed edge with strong winds, but you can't win a race if you don't sail well. The first upwind leg they were in reversed phase, they lost a lot of ground. First downwind leg, second upwind leg, third downwind leg they had a 5 seconds difference each. With these boats going to the wrong side means going really fast to the wrong part of the course, and that's why there's a lot more covering and close racing with the AC75 then with the IACC, with much more tacking duels.
- Asked by Mauro about how much they can change for the Prada Cup, Max says that every hull can be mod by 12.5%, which is a pretty big part. You can build three pairs of foils. LR is the only challenger (edit: so maybe he was speaking about challengers only before) using their second pair, UK and AM are at their last foils configuration. You can build 4 rudders, Ineos is the only team using the last one. Every competitor can build 10 pairs of flaps. So the three foil pairs have three pairs of flaps, leaving you with four additional flaps, that you can make bigger or smaller in order to target the boat for high, medium or low wind range. Sails are limited to 50, mainsails to 10. You can build only three masts (they made 2) and he thinks limitations are good, 'cause without them you can go crazy testing an infinite number of different conponents.
(Edit: now they're gonna talk about the races, watching the videos. First one is the second race between LR and AM)
- Checco talks about the first penalty. There were some issues with the map the commitee boat send to each boat, so they messed up with the timing. This ACWS, Checco adds, was a general test also for the commitee. Sometimes it was wrong the LR system , sometimes was the Committe's system to fail. Speaking about the first AM penalty, he said that his move was good, but he should have lowered the other arm while doing that.
- Checco talks about the last race of the Event. He gave JS an imput about how to start, JS agreed and put the boat exactly where they wanted, on the same tack of ETNZ, trying to disturb them with bad air. They wanted to make them falling from the foils, since they were flying in what is called a marginal foiling condition. This good starts are a result of the great work they did in the training sessions. Checco adds that there aren't as much schemes as a traditional match race prestart, here you can do 3-4, but it's important to know what you want to do and doing it well.
-Asked about what he expect from the Prada Cup, Max says that - unlike in the ACWS - errors in the Prada Cup will have consequences. Speaking about the boats, differently from the IACC Version 5 of Valencia, it's really difficult to make an AC75 set for all-around wind conditions. You have to stick to your boat declaration for every race blocks, and you can change only sails. Every team designed the boat for a wind range that they think/hope to find in the Prada Cup, the prada Cup Finals or The Match. Statistics for this first summer period is medium to light breeze. The'll decide later about the final set of foils, looking at the wind conditions and the opponents, hopefully for the Prada Cup Final or for the Cup. Ineos didn't show his real strenght, they have the highest number of Olympics winners in the sailing team, the biggest budget, great designers, he expect them to be really strong in the Prada Cup. Whoever will win the Prada Cup will be a strong opponent for ETNZ, also because racing against other boats is different than sailing alone. When you sail alone you always think you're the fastest, but you know the truth only lining up with a real opponent. Anyway, every Challenger must continue to watch them, spy them, see how they change the boat, what foil they'll use.
-Checco thinks that every team, ETNZ included, raced at 100% of their capacity, but every team has a lot of aces in the hole.
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minimumfuss
Anarchist
Great translation thanks. Interesting they used training sails only. Now the fascinating arms race really begins right up til last race of the match. Spying might pay big dividends providing you dont get caught... And of course the teams can always consult SAAC for the latest technical advice.
minimumfuss
Anarchist
Looks suspiciously like it. Lines going forward ? hydraulics. ? long ram like ETNZ's spanner arrangement with bendy battens.
I havent seen much speculation on the lack of backstays seen in ACWS on B2.
It seems our friends Vittorio & Pietro heard you and decided to oblige: right now it’s just the Italian version out, hopefully the English version will soon follow - IMO quite thoughtful evaluation of pros and cons, they point out this decision affects the cut of the sails so it wouldn’t be easy to reverse it / or copy it. Towards the end, people here may disagree when they say all teams have given up on active square top regulation or reverse camber
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minimumfuss
Anarchist
Does anyone know if any other teams are ready to race with B1 still, as above LR PP apparently are. ETNZ have mothballed Te Aihe. Are Ineos and AM B1s in NZ? Could be a deciding factor if someone runs into a mark. They are obviously leaving nothing to chance.
minimumfuss
Anarchist
Jimmy Spithill interview: "We are not stopping for Christmas"
by MPG 24 Dec 21:37 HKT
Jimmy Spithill interview: "We are not stopping for Christmas"
by MPG 24 Dec 21:37 HKT
Jimmy Spithill interview: "We are not stopping for Christmas"
bortolo
Member
So according to Max today (27/12) they should be on the water with mods that a careful observer will be able to notice.
Cameras ready?
Cameras ready?
Liquid
NFLTG
Woolfy
Anarchist
Does JS have a private promo deal with Red Bull or just a caffine addiction issue?
Woolfy
Anarchist
Fuck me I thought sailing for LE was selling his soul to the devil, but RB too, jeez.
RB sponsors a lot of athletes, obviously, and yes JS has perfected product-placement on some very big stages. Does he actually drink it? Who knows, but recent photos of his physique suggests he’s into something better than most of us! Lol
FinnFish
Super Anarchist
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minimumfuss
Anarchist
Jimmy's three favourite things. Taking his shirt off, and copping $ from Panerai and Red Bull. Add a Prada handbag and will be the perfect marketing tool. Go on, someone get the crayons out.
