Dubai: Early thrills marked the start of the last-ever Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta Sunday— on waters off Dubai International Marine Club at Mina Seyahi; just reiterating Mascalzone Latino Audi captain Gavin Brady's belief that the event is "anyone's game".
Brady's team is at the centre of dispute already following a collision with Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) in flight two. The crash caused by ETNZ overlapping and tacking in front of Mascalzone was the centre of a judge's enquiry after print last night.
Both sides blamed the other, but either could now end up with a points deduction, after a sizeable hole was left in ETNZ's starboard stern.
Before the judges intervention, late last night, the points were drawn one apiece after what was a favourable day's racing conditions-wise.
In the other races BMW Oracle Racing got two points over team All4One, while Artemis shared the spoils with Synergy Russian sailing team.
The six teams are competing for honours in Dubai until November 27 before the format bows out after 20 years of sailing these division five International Americas Cup Class (IACC) monohulls.
The next Americas Cup will be on lighter, thus faster multihull vessels rendering the current format obsolete. The move is arguably more exciting, but Brady believes Dubai's unique weather conditions and the more refined selection of team's, will be reason enough to up the angst. "The teams have been whittled down to six. These are the strongest teams that have survived the economic situation. The six left are the best of the best," said Brady. "It really is anyone's game. The fact that the conditions are tricky also leaves it wide open."
Brady explained there's no way of measuring wind conditions between the 130 feet between mast and deck. What happens between is called wind shear — a freak difference in direction and force of gusts.
"You'll be sidling up against the other boat and then all of a sudden the guy beside you will just have more power. The instruments say you're doing the right thing but the other guy gains a puff of wind from nowhere."
The unpredictable shamal conditions add to Dubai's allure as an exciting sailing destination and level an already elite playing field even further. "This will keep racing close, which is great for everybody," added Brady.
With these two components offering tighter odds Brady couldn't name a favourite heading into the fortnight's action. "We're definitely going to see some upsets but when you see six teams of this calibre I don't really know what an upset really is."
