There were two races today, we ran the Day 1 race which was abandoned yesterday, and also the race planned for today.
Under sunny skies and gusty winds exceeding 20 knots at times, the iconic J-Class boats navigated a choppy sea, showcasing a dramatic debut on the America's Cup waters. The second race even featured a spirited match-race dial-up at the start, with Velsheda seizing an early lead and extending it to claim victory, much like Svea had in the first race.
The day's first race saw a tightly contested start, with Svea caught between Rainbow to leeward and Velsheda to windward. However, Svea quickly forced Velsheda off and outpaced Rainbow, rounding the first mark in the lead. Velsheda and Rainbow split at the leeward gate, with Rainbow, under the guidance of six-time America’s Cup winner Murray Jones, making gains on the second beat. Unfortunately, disaster struck when Rainbow’s spinnaker tore during hoisting, dropping into the water and allowing Velsheda to slip into second place behind Svea.
Rainbow’s damage didn’t end there, as a problem with their jumper spreader meant they had to sit out the second race. This left only Velsheda and Svea on the starting line for Race 2. Velsheda, determined to gain the upper hand, engaged Svea early, with both boats circling twice before the start. Despite running with a smaller No. 3 headsail, Velsheda built a comfortable lead by the first mark and further extended it after reading a wind shift perfectly on the next upwind leg. Svea, running a larger overlapping No. 2 headsail, couldn’t match their rival’s speed.
“It was a great day on the water,” commented Svea’s tactician, Bouwe Bekking. “It was a shame Rainbow couldn’t join us for the second race, but we had a lot of fun, and splitting honours on the first day is fantastic. In the first race, we managed to peel Velsheda off and extend our lead, but Rainbow came back on the second beat. For the second race, we were running a big jib, so we were less manoeuvrable, but good on Velsheda—they sailed a flawless race.”
Velsheda’s strategist, Andy Beadsworth, was equally pleased with the day’s performance: “With just the two of us on the start line, we were nervous Svea would engage us, so we took the initiative. It was exciting—these are big boats to be spinning circles with!”
Rainbow’s team, making their J-Class regatta debut, showed great promise despite their unfortunate mishap. Their project manager, Matt Sweetman, explained, “We had a mistake on the hoist, ripping the spinnaker and damaging our jumper spreader. We’re hoping to repair it overnight and be back on the water tomorrow.”
Two more races are scheduled for Wednesday, October 9, with the first warning signal expected at 11:30 CET.
J-Class Barcelona Regatta Results – Day 2 (first day of racing)
Race 1:
Svea – 1h 13m 43s
Velsheda – +1m 51s
Rainbow – +3m 14s
Race 2:
Velsheda – 1h 12m 18s
Svea – +1m 33s DNS: Rainbow
Overall Standings after Two Races:
Velsheda – 3pts
Svea – 3pts
Rainbow – 7pts
Stay tuned for more action from the J-Class Barcelona Regatta!
