GB1 showed flashes of front-running pace during an action-packed second day of racing at the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta in Naples.
With 15-20 knots of breeze on the Bay of Naples, the AC40 fleet produced incredibly tight racing, with penalties, capsizes and frequent position changes across four dramatic races.
GB1 began Race 3 strongly, crossing the start line in fourth before an early touchdown saw the British team drop to fifth. They responded impressively, fighting back through the fleet to take the lead at the first top mark.
The advantage changed hands throughout the race as teams split across the course in search of the strongest breeze. GB1 remained firmly in the fight at the front, moving back into second before eventually crossing the line in third.
Race 4 proved more challenging. A late start left GB1 ninth off the line before the team fought back two places in the opening stages. However, a boat-on-boat penalty involving the Italian team at the bottom mark pushed GB1 back through the fleet, with the British crew eventually finishing ninth.
There was more drama in Race 5. A pre-start boat-on-boat penalty involving ARC Team USA again left GB1 at the back of the fleet, but an aggressive move towards the right-hand side of the course produced an immediate comeback as the team climbed from ninth to third.
At the top mark, GB1, Cobham Ultra GB2 and Luna Rossa’s Youth & Women’s crew converged in a dramatic three-boat incident, with all three coming off their foils just inches apart and receiving separate penalties.
The constantly changing order continued around the course, while a dramatic capsize for the French team whilst leading on the last leg to the finish added to the drama. GB1 eventually cross the line in sixth.
GB1 saved one of its strongest performances for the final race of the day. After starting at the windward end of the line, the team initially crossed in last place but quickly used its pace to slingshot through the fleet and into third.
After being forced to tack away from the left-hand side, GB1 temporarily dropped to sixth before again making gains to climb back into third.
The British team chased La Roche-Posay Racing Team and Emirates Team New Zealand through the closing stages, but two additional manoeuvres in an attempt to close the gap ultimately cost them distance, allowing Luna Rossa to move ahead as GB1 finished fourth.
GB1 helm Dylan Fletcher said: “It was a real day to showcase AC40 racing and just how epic and close it can be. There was plenty of threading the needle, trying to avoid contact with other boats, penalties, capsizes and lead changes – it had a bit of everything today.
“For us, we have to swallow the hard pill that we’re off the pace of some of the key teams, who had some good wheels today. But there’s plenty for us to learn, particularly around fleet racing and our starts, and that’s what we’ll take forward.”