A basic guide to America’s Cup racing
Not everyone is completely au fait with the inner workings of the America’s Cup, which might be a problem this weekend.
So, if you’re not sure what gybing is, or why tacking is an essential part of sailing, then this may help.
We’ve compiled a little cheat sheet, so that you at least sound like you know what you’re talking about if you get cornered at one of the many social events taking place over the next few days.
Who? There are six teams racing in this weekend’s Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series Bermuda: Oracle Team USA, the defender, Emirates Team New Zealand, Land Rover BAR, SoftBank Team Japan, Artemis Racing and Groupama Team France.
Why? They are racing to earn cumulative points for the overall two-year World Series competition and also to win the Bermuda event.
On the water: The racecourse is made up of a start line, finish line and turning marks. It is also defined by an electronic boundary, for which the boats are equipped with sensors to detect.
Visually the racecourse is defined by a series of official stakeboats flying red stakeboat flags.
Start: The start of the race is a countdown for which the race boats must stay behind the starting line while they jockey for the best position as it relates to the other boats and the wind.
Strategy: The boats cannot sail straight into the wind nor is it beneficial to sail with the wind directly behind the boat. Therefore the boats crisscross the racecourse looking for the best wind conditions (speed and angle) while also protecting their position against the other boats.
There are rules governing right of way and rounding the turning marks. It is up to the on-course umpires (in the pink Bermuda boat) to determine any infractions and issue penalties, which see the offending boat slow down for a predetermined amount of time.
Gates: The gates determine the length of the racecourse and are positioned at either end of the racecourse. Each time a boat passes through the gate they complete a “leg”. The number of legs in a race is determined before each race by the race director and is dictated by the wind speed. The goal is for the race to be completed in approximately 25 minutes.
Finish: The first boat across the finish line wins the race. Final points are determined by each team’s finishing position in the races, so teams will continue to battle until they cross the line.
Points: There are two races scheduled tomorrow and on Sunday. Point scoring in the races tomorrow is as follows: ten points for first, nine points for second, and so on. On Sunday the races are worth double points.
Tacking: boats cannot sail directly into the wind. When sailing to a turning mark that is upwind, they sail at approximately 45 degrees to the wind and zig zag towards the mark. The turns through the wind are referred to as “tacking”
Gybing: the boats also zig zag downwind. Even though it is possible to sail directly downwind, in a straight line to the next mark, this is slow and inefficient. The boats sail much faster at an angle to the wind. Changing tacks downwind is called “gybing”
Tactics: sailors look at the wave and ripple patterns on the water to read the wind direction and strength. They also observe the clouds as these often influence the wind. With practice it is possible to look at the gusts moving across the water and determine the optimum course the boat should take to be sailing in the most efficient wind strength and angle
Disturbed wind: when the wind flows around the wing of a yacht it becomes turbulent. Sailing in this turbulent air is slow and inefficient for the following boats, so getting an early lead has a big advantage
