After their dramatic earlier nosedive during training on the 15 July, Luna Rossa’s B3 AC75 has spent the last 14 days in the team’s hangar being inspected and modified.
Returning to the water off Cagliari, Sardinia, Wednesday 29 July, with near perfect conditions of flat water and a thermal breeze of 11-13 knots that faded to around 8-10 knots offshore, Luna Rossa began with a tow-to-fly and then let loose on a downwind leg with the recon team recording that “the boat did not appear fully in control.”
A big windward heel ensued after a rudder stall, and the coaches came in for a chat.
Further drama occurred in the second session whilst Peter Burling was walking aft to inspect the mainsail traveller control.
As the Kiwi ventured precariously to the back of the boat, suddenly the boat heeled aggressively to windward, the bow went down and a slow capsize was very narrowly averted. Burling was fine throughout the incident.
A ten minute break to repair a “minor issue” led to the third session of the day that featured a rudder stall whilst the sailors attempted a full circle – a manoeuvre that is crucial in America’s Cup boat-on-boat match-racing.
Speaking afterwards, Martin Jacobi one of Luna Rossa’s Computational Fluid Dynamicists, spoke about the day saying: “After a stop, we did a lot of upgrades in our systems, and it’s typical the first day of commissioning of the boat that we find out some issues.
So luckily, the team reacted super-fast, the guys on board also, and it all went pretty well and was solved, and they continued as nothing. So really impressive from the team, their reactions.”
The 29 July was day 14 of this training block. Luna Rossa intend to sail again in Cagliari on Friday 31 July.
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