Letter from 37th America's Cup - Club AC37 Heaven by Mark Covell

Published 16:12 on 4 Sep 2024

As if cancelling all my DJ gigs wasn't enough, the past pandemic also scuppered any chance to be in Auckland for the 35th America's Cup. Other than that I have either competed in or worked on every America's Cup since 2000, so you can see why I leapt at the opportunity to be here in Barcelona. I've blagged my perfect role here, I host the AC37 hospitality lounge right on the beach, just a champagne cork's pop from the race course. I really am in Club AC37 heaven. I have even picked up a few bookings to DJ for the super people on their lovely super yachts in return for some of their super money. Maybe God really is a DJ?

Mark Holliday asked me to pen a few words. I'm not going to deliver race reports as there are a million others covering that news. I will simply try to send you a 'letter from America''s Cup with my observations.

So what have I learned so far after being in Barcelona for just two weeks? I know that it's very hot and humid here and I melt every time I go out side. I know that there is a pecking order emerging as we lean more about the 6 teams racing here. I know that nothing should surprise us when it comes to this crazy event, if it can happen it just might. We have already seen Team New Zealand almost write off their AC75 Taihoro by accidentally dropping it several meters onto the cradle, proving that Kiwi's really can't fly. Thankfully the damage was not as bad as they first thought. The boat builders worked through the night in yet another demonstration of this team's supreme professionalism. The Maori name 'Taihoro' translates as "To move swiftly as the sea between both sky and earth." It's a perfect name for a 75 foot high-tech foiling craft capable of speeds of over 100 kilometres per hour.

If all that drama wasn't enough for the defenders, in race17 between New Zealand and Italian's Luna Rosa both boats were just a few hundred meters away from the shock of their lives when a lighting bolt touched down right in the middle of the race course. The match was immediately abandoned and racing cancelled for the day. Mother nature is still very much in charge.

My biggest observation take away from watching the lighter wind racing closely is just how large the disturbed wind pocket is after another boat had made a manoeuvre there. If another team attempts to tack or gybe anywhere near the turbulent wind flow they will, (to quote Star Wars) "feel a disturbance in the force" and drop of their foils and wallow in full displacement hell until they can find the force again to foil. I think we will see teams use this confused "wind bomb" as a tactical weapon, and also something to avoid at all cost.

These AC75's are so different to anything club sailors have ever sailed. We will need to learn a whole new language and understand tactics that don't apply to us in our slow boats. For now what I do understand is. I like my champagne cold, my club music cool, and we are going to witness some very exciting racing. Bring it on Louis Vuitton!