Helmsmen the key to Cup victory

AC75s feel more like being in the cockpit of a fighter jet and, at times, blindfolded

For all the work by designers, shore crew and the sailing team — the difference between victory and defeat in this America’s Cup, between triumph and despair in a little under three months, could hinge solely on the helmsmen.

While sailing foiling boats have always been a bit like flying a plane, the AC75s we’ve had a good look at over the past three days feel more like being in the cockpit of a fighter jet and, what’s worse, at times being blindfolded.

There’s nothing else like it on the planet and, like we have witnessed over the course of the World Series, teams will be learning new skills on the fly. With information coming at you from all quarters, an avalanche of instructions from your teammates and irremediable decisions having to be made in nano-seconds, the helmsman is key.

And that’s before you have even factored in your competitor.

Peter Burling has done a fantastic job so far. He’s very much still learning how to sail these boats and will only get better, as will the other helmsmen.

Burling is arguably a less conservative sailor than American Magic’s Dean Barker but while a more cautious approach might look like the better option sometimes, on these volatile boats, it could also count against you when you need to catch up — something Team New Zealand have had to do a bunch of times.

The Kiwis undoubtedly have the faster boat and while no team has really blown the roof off in terms of speed, they seem to be the complete package and are more refined in a number of key areas like the main sail, the foils and their hull design.

That in itself is not enough to guarantee victory in every race.

Burling and Co are still making too many unnecessary mistakes, they still need to land all their manoeuvres and have consistently strong starts. What has been especially encouraging, however, is their ability to overcome early errors and get themselves out of trouble.

All the teams have also looked rusty at times, and that’s understandable — with Covid-19 and the year we’ve had, their America’s Cup programmes would have been severely disrupted. The challengers — Luna Rossa, American Magic and yes, even Ineos Team UK — will have the added advantage of time with Team NZ not in action in the Prada Cup.

Yet, for all the need to figure things out as you go in the World Series, Christmas Race and the challenger series starting next month, decisions made as far back as two years ago are crippling the British syndicate.

Sir Ben Ainslie and his crew have an uphill battle and what happened during the final day of the World Series on Saturday would have hurt them badly. Floundering across the race course, unable to build speed and foil — all in the glare of the world media — is one of the most painful positions for a sailor to be in.

I have heard some calling for Ainslie to pull the pin, but quitting is not part of his or his teammates’ DNA.

Yes, it will be a tough time for the Brits and you can rest assured that their Christmas and New Year’s plans have all been cancelled in an attempt to find a solution to their myriad issues.

But Ainslie is a fighter and if anything, the humiliation of Saturday will only make him more determined to still be around come March 6.