Key events
This morning in Barcelona the winds were blowing from the north-west and are expected to die down a bit before the start of the race.
Sea state should decrease slightly during the day, and in the afternoon waves of 0.8m are expected to come from the south at 5-second intervals.
The waves are not aligned with the wind, which could make tricky sailing conditions.
Temperatures are lower with a maximum of 20°C.
Our first email of the day comes from Jeremy
Love ‘em or hate ‘em (that’s my case), when it all goes well these foil boats go extremely fast and are exciting to watch. Today is totally “Squeaky-bum time” for Ainslie’s crew, lose just one and NZ are within a day of retaining their crown, lose both and it’s as good as done. I’m wondering if Sir Jim hasn’t taken the opportunity to invite Lord Ferg for a freebie in Barcelona, as compensation for axing his Manchester United ambassador job/salary, and see if he can’t help galvanise the team performance with one of his famous “teacup” talks? What are the wind/water conditions like today?
You’re so right, lots riding on today. Huge pressure on Ainslie and his crew to back up their performances from races five and six. There is also a bit of history on the line here: Ineos Britannia will be the most successful British challenger if they win one more race. I will also be keeping my eyes peeled for any Jim Ratcliffe and/or Alex Ferguson sightings.
And in terms of the weather …
Let’s take a quick look back as to how we’ve ended up here.
Technical issues hampered Ineos Britannia’s boat in the first two races, giving the Kiwi’s two comfortable victories.
They were then hit with a penalty that hindered them in race three …
And despite a fast start in the fourth race, they could not keep up the momentum.
But the New Zealanders suffered in the last two races after finding themselves unprepared by the altered sea state.
Preamble
A week ago, race seven of the 2024 America’s Cup looked like a mere formality but not anymore. After Team New Zealand took a 4-0 lead Ineos Britannia cut it down to only two. The two wins were the first for a Great Britain team in 90 years and six days.
But the celebrations can’t be too premature. Ben Ainslie and his crew know that there is no margin for error in this best-of-13 if they want their names in the history books. Today’s races provide an opportunity to tie things up. Will Ineos Britannia do just that or will it slip from their fingers.
Start time is scheduled for 1pm BST in Barcelona. Let’s get to sailing.
