its the start, stupid
09/26/2024 04:42 PM
And that seems to be the single largest determinant on day one of the AC LV final between Prada v Team Frack.
Race 1
Gucci Gucci, Louie Louie, Fendi Fendi, PRADA
Breeze on! Gotta be 18-20. 8 leg race instead of 6. I am expecting at least one, if not both boats to DNF. (I was wrong, which is strange because I've never been wrong before. Weird.)
Prada crushes frack at the start, frack tacks away, tacks back and Prada crosses easy. Prada is flying higher and looks faster, but would we know? the broad aster aren't showing the boatspeeds on the beat. Prada rounds first and immediately hits 52 knots and builds a 275. lead. Fracks rounds well behind, rolls into a clumsy tack, and Prada builds a 330m lead. They look flawless.
400m lead now but Frack takes 50m out of the lead, but Prada, at this point looks untouchable. Kind of amazing to watch Prada round the weathermark and just rockets away downwind at 50 knots. Prada touches down and Frack gains 50m. Prada rounds the leeward mark with nearly a 400m lead.
The Britts butcher the rounding and Prada stretches, clearly the better boat today. A 635m lead proves that. Prada seems to make less fuss going through the water and rounds the leeward mark with a 500m lead.
Breeze drops slightly, but no matter to Prada, as they round the final weather mark with a 44-second lead. The lead builds to over 800m and this race is officially a beating!
Prada has changed jibs,, to what we don't know, although the breeze is up over 20 and the RC has delayed the start. Frack gets a better start and they are going better. Prada's jib looks too small, Frack starts to stretch to a 140 m lead and rounds first and touches down, Prada gains but Frack goes well to round first.
Prada though looks good on the left, gaing the whole time. Frack slams them but Prada keeps gaining though, only 80m behind, Frack rounds ahead, with Prada lurking.
Frack has better vmg on the run and they build on the run. Prada takes the right gate to no avail. Frack simply going better. But Prada is hanging in there, but not gaining. Ineos is simply better, stretching and wins decisively.
