- In an exhilarating contest, Patriot emerges victorious over Swiss boatone in a tense struggle.
The second day of the challenger round for the 37th America's Cup faced challenges due to light winds, pushing back the competition between the U.S. yacht "Patriot" and Alinghi Red Bull Racing's "BoatOne." The duel finally took place off Barcelona, with the Swiss team having a hard time getting their foils up before the start in the light breeze. In response, "Patriot" surged ahead, leading to a grueling, slow-paced race where both boats often sailed with their full hulls instead of flying on their foils.
The stressful confrontation concluded with the U.S winning their first point in the Louis Vuitton Cup. Co-pilot Tom Slingsby commented, "That was far from beautiful, it was a grueling challenge." Ineos Britannia dominated the second race easily after a strong start. As a result, the race committee eventually decided to suspend the racing schedule due to the calm weather conditions.
Unfortunately, the New Zealand American Cup defenders were not able to participate. Their cup yacht "Taihoro" had fallen six meters deep onto its cradle while being lifted out of the water. Team CEO Grant Dalton stated, "We were fortunate in our misfortune that the boat landed on the cradle. The team had to cut away a portion of the boat that resembled the Titanic. They began repairing it this morning."
The comeback of the New Zealand defenders to the racing scene is yet to be determined. The Louis Vuitton Cup will continue until September 8th, with the aim of identifying the four semifinalists amongst the five challengers.
The U.S. team's victory against Alinghi Red Bull Racing's "BoatOne" took place in the challenging waters of Barcelona, Spain. Due to the team from New Zealand's unfortunate incident with their yacht "Taihoro," Spain becomes an important venue for the remaining America's Cup races.
