PATRIOT returned to the water after nine days of trying around the clock (Image Copyright – COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi)
It is often said in times of stress, and when a back is against the wall, people gain strength in them that they did not know they had. That has been especially true for the New York Yacht Club American Magic.
On January 17, the PATRIOT American Cup team race boat hit, sank and caused extensive damage during the RobAD Round Cup race against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team. Nine days later, PATRIOT returned to the water, ready for more.
Going back to the race that changed everything, the American team was ahead and after two challenging days out on the water. They were on track to win their first race prize of the PRADA Cup Robins Round Cup. It was almost a big turn for the books and then, it went wrong when a big gust of wind came.
In three seconds, the wind jumped from 18 knots (20mph) to 23.5 knots (27mph) and just before that, she was sitting at a balmy 12.5 knots (14mph).
2:05 Watch the moment the American Magic Yacht Club’s American Magic race boat, PATRIOT, sank on the third race day of the PRADA Cup
Terry Hutchinson, skipper and executive director of New York Yacht Club American Magic, recalls the moment he knew something was wrong with clarity. He performs the role of one of the grinders on board and after a PATRIOT crash, finds himself in trouble.
“My vivid memory was when I heard Dean [Barker] he lost his temper, “said Hutchinson.
“I’ve been cut into the boat, so I got out of the boat and my crumb didn’t come out, which immediately lifted my tacks so I went for the knife. .
“The cockpit immediately filled up and quickly faded from everything right to a very high fever from my point of view, as I was immediately submerged and pinned under the main sail.
“I was trapped, so Cooper (Dressler) grabbed his knife, cut the left one and got me out. From there, we all came out of being under the main sail. . We did the headline and we were all safe. “
We tried to tow her but then it took a long time as the water boat was no longer tight due to the damage. The boat was literally sinking.
Silvio Arrivabene (Image – COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi)
In the run that followed, it was clear to Hutchinson, his team and the outdoor support team on the water, that PATRIOT was in real trouble.
“We were immediately under a lot of rain, then the situation went away and it grew very quickly,” he said.
“A piece of carbon was taken out of the water and that’s when we thought there might have been a hole in the boat. It caught everyone’s eye very quickly.
“We ended up with 16 pumps inside the boat, we had a jib wrapped around the hole. Then the fire and rescue [units] using what I would classify as two ‘aircraft-style life rafts’ that we would weave under the bow of the boat and tighten. That’s what really stopped the blowing, from that moment on. “
Capsize PATRIOT – Timeline of events
| 5.30pm | The race between Team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and New York Yacht Club American Magic begins. |
|---|---|
| Short before 6pm | PATRIOT takes over in a strong gust of wind as it goes around the final mark of the race. |
| 7.50pm | The first statement from the New York Yacht Club American Magic released states that every member of the team was on board and safe. |
| The statement also confirmed damage to PATRIOT and that efforts were being made to stabilize PATRIOT and get the yacht back to land. | |
| 10f | PATRIOT is said to have been stabilized and towed back to land. |
| 11f | PATRIOT returns to the New York Yacht Club center of American Magic. |
After a herculean effort, with everyone involved PATRIOT made the 10.9-mile journey back to shore and returned to the team base just before 11pm that afternoon.
Then, the whole outfit started to take into account just what had happened, and where they were going to go from there.
“We were torn apart in that last race, everyone had everything back together after a hard day or two,” Paul Goodison, PATRIOT’s main trimmer told American Magic Yacht team American Magic Club after that.
“We were getting a good race and that’s what we have to watch. Hopefully they can weave some magic in next week or so.”
The damage caused by the capize was great (Image Credit – COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi)
When PATRIOT and everyone involved in the shed returned, Hutchinson took the opportunity to talk to them about how the behind-the-scenes photos were highlighted.
“Of course that wasn’t just the end of the day we wanted, but the boat was going very well today,” he said.
“You can’t help but think it’s a sign of things to come when we get her back. That’s an amazing effort by everyone in this room to get the boat back to the dock.
Time and time again, when you look at our history for the past three years, we only have to answer the question. When it gets tough, we’ve just kept going.
Terry Hutchinson (Credit: COR 36 | Studio Borlenghi)
“Our greatest strength in this whole regatta is everyone in this room, so if we are dependent on each other, back to back and supportive of each other, we will not. we will go wrong.
“Let’s not give in because of this, this can be fixed, and we have the skill in this room to do that. We should just do what we have to do to make it happen, because it is ‘going to make one hell of a story. “
Hutchinson’s words lifted his team as they went to work at the PATRIOT restoration to full health and takeover, revealing the best of the sailing world as well as the Emirates of New Zealand Team , INEOS TEAM UK and Team Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli all support their competitor.
Hour by minute, minute by minute, PATRIOT came back together and came back alive.
The Emirates New Zealand Team assisted in the construction of ships while all electronic and mechanical items were removed from the ship, tested, repaired and returned, piece by piece.
AC75 is a boat animal, to give you a hint of their complexity, BRITANNIA’s second INEOS TEAM UK race boat took 90,000 design hours and 50,000 construction hours to create.
The New York Yacht Club American Magic shore team may not have built PATRIOT from the start, but that does not detract from the incredible trick they have accomplished.
With little time for thought, design and accomplishment, the team has gone against the odds. They have looked at what is impossible and made possible.
In the words of their captain and executive director, the New York Yacht Club team of American Magic has “done this”.
Now, everyone at the New York Yacht Club American Magic gets a scene based on a build where they left off about a minute before they were caught, when they were in the lead, torn and torn. going to look for a race.
Watch every minute of the American Cup challenge, live on Sky Sports. Coverage will continue with the PRADA Cup semi-finals at 2am on Sky Sports Mix, again at 9am.