The first big casualty in the Challenger Series occurred yesterday (Tuesday Nov. 9) when New York's Young America broke in half. While dueling with Japan, New York's boat hit a big wave and cracked just aft of the mast. Somehow they managed to keep it afloat and tow it in. Now they must try to get their second boat ready and measured so they can stay in the regatta. This is formula one style racing and everyone pushes the limits, so there will be occasions where designers or engineers go too far and something fails. Luckily no one was hurt.
We had a real battle against Hawaii and unfortunately they got us by 3 seconds at the finish.
Today's' forecast is for 25 – 35 knots so we suspect racing will be postponed until tomorrow.
The above report from Peter Holmberg may have understated the great race Stars and Stripes had against Abracadabra. Reports from the Louis Vuitton media center call the match, "The closest racing seen yet." Stars and Stripes led for the first half of the race with the difference between the two boats seldom more than a few hundred feet, and frequently less as helmsman Ken Read closed the gap from 19 seconds to three seconds at the finish.
Further details about the massive failure of the New York Yacht Club's Young America were revealed at the Louis Vuitton Cup press conference. Ed Baird is the skipper of the NYYC challenge. The team has two boats in New Zealand, USA – 53, the boat that broke, and USA – 58 a boat they have not yet sailed in competition.
Ed Baird of Young America, on how his boat broke and nearly sank: "We were up near the windward mark and literally on layline to turn for our last tack. We were fairly close to rounding and we were starting into a tack. There were just a couple of very, very big waves, very close together, and as we started turning we started going off one wave, and hit the next, and that's when we stopped being able to race!"
Baird on the possibility of sailing Young America (USA-58) on Wednesday: "I don't at this point know how we could possibly sail tomorrow. Clearly some things are similar between the boats, some things are not. Until we learn more about why this failed . . . it may have been something different than a calculation. We have to go and research it."
Baird on whether USA-53 is the stronger built of the team's boats: "I hope not!" to laughter in the press gallery
