Going into the second round of America’s Cup Class 50 practice racing today, all the teams have to be focused on finding a balance between speed, control and safety. This week, Artemis Racing were pressing for speed downwind in their AC45T2 test boat when a hull apparently broke loose from a cross beam. The rig came tumbling down.

No team wants to damage their actual AC Class 50. But they still must sail on, test their boats and continue to improve their speed.

Franck Cammas, skipper of Groupama Team France said: “In foiling boats where instability is a constant, and where crew members have to manage this constant instability, you have to really understand the fine detail of that specific element that you can tweak so that — in collaboration with the designers, the sailors can hit that sweet spot.”

A spokesman from SoftBank Team Japan told The Royal Gazette: “There is a balance point between stability and instability. Stability is slow and instability is fast. We have to find the edge and keep our balance.”

Too much, too fast, too bad.

Cammas, who is realistic about what Team France can achieve, says: “We’re not the favourites ­— that’s clear. We’re outliers, underdogs as you say. But the French have always been strong when in that situation.”

“I’ve always been drawn by building boats, developing boats with designers, and really understanding how a boat works, talking with them so that they can understand how you operate the boat and how things work in real scenarios.”

That is what the practice racing is designed to do. Cammas is looking for that sweet spot.

“I do like to stretch myself. When I do something, it’s generally because I’m passionate about it, excited to do it. I like to understand the limits — whether they’re physical or mental.”

“My mindset is that I like to discover new things. Discovery and adventure — It can be a technical adventure, or a human adventure with a great team.”

“The America’s Cup is for sure an adventure. I feel that we’ve really learnt a tremendous amount as a team — whether it be about management, about strategy, about the structure and background of the America’s Cup.

“Physical preparation is a factor that can really impact performance, given that it’s the energy generated by the grinders that enables us to get the boats to foil steadily.”

“So for the America’s Cup — and this is the case for all the other technical details — you have to be on point when it comes to getting ready physically and mentally.

“You have to get those key performance metrics from each crew member.”

For America’s Cup news or updates, Talbot Wilson can be reached at 595-5881 or 278-0143