Going into the race Fletcher said the big picture strategy was to be ahead at the first turn mark and try to control the lead from there. However, after being the final boat to enter the start box, the Brits found themselves facing Tom Slingsby’s Australian BONDS Flying Roos and Peter Burling’s New Zealand Black Foils, who had both entered 30 seconds earlier.
The British opted to pass between their two rivals – the Kiwis to windward and the Aussies to leeward – before tacking round with 25 seconds to go to begin their timed run to the start. That left them a few seconds late at the start gun with their bows just off the sterns of the New Zealand and Australian boats who both pretty much nailed the start.
“We obviously didn’t get it quite right,” Fletcher admitted. “We wanted to be the last boat into the prestart and we wanted to approach the line off the back of the others – although, if the option to tack underneath them (like we did in Cadiz) we would have taken it. The plan was to be a second late but at full speed at the gun, but there just wasn’t enough wind for us to get the full launch in time for the start.”
