In the first race of the America's Cup Challenger series, France faced off against Switzerland in what became a thrilling encounter, despite initially unfavourable wind conditions. The day began with winds barely reaching 5 knots, forcing both teams to rely on a tow. The light breeze resulted in a 45-minute delay to the start of the race, as everyone waited for the wind to pick up.
When the race finally commenced nearly 45 minutes behind schedule, both teams managed a clean start, though the French were notably more aggressive, quickly gaining a lead of 150 metres. As they approached the first gate, France extended their lead to 250 metres, rounding the gate cleanly with the Swiss following 27 seconds later. The French maintained a steady lead, widening the gap to 300 metres as they entered the second leg.
The Swiss team struggled to close the distance, with the French continuing to dominate the race. By the time France reached the third gate, they had increased their lead to 350 metres. Despite the challenging wind conditions, the French team expertly manoeuvred their Kiwi-designed yacht, showcasing their superior sailing skills.
As the race progressed, Orient Express Racing's lead grew even more significant, reaching 500 metres by the time they rounded the fourth gate. Alinghi, although persistent, remained unable to catch up, trailing by 48 seconds at the fifth gate. Orient Express continued to exploit the left-hand side of the course, where the wind was slightly stronger, ensuring they kept the Alinghi in their wake.
In the final leg, the Swiss managed to close the gap slightly but still finished 24 seconds behind France. Orient Express Racing team's victory was a masterclass in yacht racing, completing the course in 24 minutes and 53 seconds, while the Swiss crossed the line at 25 minutes and 17 seconds.
This race marked a significant turnaround for the French, who had delivered an outstanding performance after a series of average results in the preliminary regatta. Their victory in this race set the tone for the rest of the competition, although they had to quickly focus on their next challenge against Luna Rossa later in the day.
There was some question about the French team being able to exploit the same yacht design as ETNZ, from the performance today we can certainly say, for now, that on their day, they are a very impressive team who can deliver stella results.
