American Magic needs a comeback, and they're ready for the challenge
by New York Yacht Club American Magic 15 Sep 12:21 PDT
September 15, 2024
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli vs. New York Yacht Club American Magic on Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals Day 2 - 15th September 2024 © Ian Roman / America's Cup
American Magic entered the second day of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-Finals with their backs against the wall, needing a win to keep their hopes alive in this best-of-nine series. With Luna Rossa leading 2-0, the pressure was on for the American team to turn things around.
The weather was similar to the previous day's racing, with sunny skies and relatively calm seas. However, the southerly breeze built steadily throughout the day, ranging from 12 knots early in the race window to around 17 knots later. NYYC American Magic returned to the fray in their semi-final matchup against the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli squad, determined to put points on the board in this first-to-five series.
The Americans made a strong start in the first race, getting off the line fast, bow to bow with the Italian boat to leeward. The first upwind leg saw both teams fighting for control, but at the first windward mark, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli rounded ahead by 13 seconds. After a mostly even performance from both AC75s on the first downwind leg, a poor execution of a high-speed two-board rounding at the right-hand mark cost the Patriot crew valuable time. Rounding the next windward gate 30 seconds behind, the US crew began to make up ground on the second downwind leg, shaving seven seconds off Luna Rossa's lead. Despite a concerted effort from NYYC American Magic throughout the final lap, the Italian crew closed out the race with a 26-second margin.
The second race of the day was an all-action thriller, with the two boats never more than 15 seconds apart at any turning mark. After an even start, the Italians managed to squeeze into a narrow lead on the first upwind leg, rounding the first windward gate just six seconds ahead. The next two laps saw both crews engaged in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, with Luna Rossa covering hard to fend off the attacking Americans. The race reached a climax at the final windward gate, where the Americans closed to within three seconds of their rivals.
The Patriot crew continued their charge on the final run, and as the two boats approached the finish line on opposite gybes, it was anyone's race. In a nail-biting finish, Luna Rossa managed to cross ahead by just two seconds, snatching victory at the final intersection and leaving American Magic with another narrow defeat.
Tom Slingsby, helmsman for NYYC American Magic, knows the scale of the task that is ahead of the team to stay in the competition, saying: "I just had a meeting with the guys and said: 'Look guys, we're losing by a couple of seconds each race and we're making mistakes.' If we weren't making any mistakes, I'd say it's as good as done. But the fact is we've made mistakes every single race, and we've just got to tidy it up because there's no place for mistakes anymore; we're match-point down, but I've personally seen how quickly these things can change, so I'm confident in our team."
American Magic now faces an all-or-nothing scenario, needing to win every remaining race to stay in contention for the 37th America's Cup. The margin for error is gone, but the fight continues.