TEAMORIGIN leads BMW ORACLE Racing downwind. Image copyright Ian Roman.
by Louis Vuitton Pacific Series media
Race 1: Alinghi beat Damiani Italia Challenge, 44s
With the start box set well inside the city end of the harbour for the first time, both Alinghi and Damiani Italia Challenge, the giantkiller of the previous day, needed to kill time in the final seconds to the startgun. Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird tried to trap Damiani Italia Challenge between the line and the committee boat, but the Italian helmsman Francesco Bruni found enough room to sail over the top of Alinghi and cross the line with speed heading to the left. Alinghi dipped down under the Italian boat and headed to the right.
Damiani Italia Challenge was ahead at the first cross and snatched the right hand side while Alinghi sailed off towards Rangitoto. When the boats came together again, two-thirds of the way up the beat, alinghi had made a sizeable gain and Damiani Italia Challenge dialed down pointing at Alinghi to protect their hold of the right. Baird had time to safely duck underneath the Italians, but Bruni's attempt to then slam dunk Alinghi didn't work, tacking too close and not making an effort to get clear. The Italians were then handed a red-flag penalty - to carry out a 360 degree turn immediately - for gaining control from the move. Alinghi then powered away, rounding the top mark 21s ahead, and were never challenged.
Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:21 Alinghi
Mark 2 - 0:33 Alinghi
Mark 3 - 0:35 Alinghi
Finish - 0:44 Alinghi
Race 2: Pataugas by K-Challenge beat Team Shosholoza, 20s
Pataugas by K-Challenge leads Team Shosholoza downwind. Image copyright Franck Socha.
Sebastien Col, driving Pataugas by K-Challenge, made the most of his starboard tack entry to the start box and hunted Paolo Cian, who was steering Team Shosholoza. After herding the South African boat out to the right, Col led his opponent back to the line, the boats almost in line-ahead formation and the French with a one boatlength advantage. Cian split looking for better breeze but still trailed the first time they crossed. The South African boat kept it close all around the course but the honours went to the French.
Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:20 Pataugas by K-Challenge
Mark 2 - 0:22 Pataugas by K-Challenge
Mark 3 - 0:15 Pataugas by K-Challenge
Finish - 0:14 Pataugas by K-Challenge
Race 3: BMW ORACLE Racing beat TEAMORIGIN (rtd.)
TEAMORIGIN leads BMW ORACLE Racing during the racing. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
Russell Coutts for BMW ORACLE Racing was relentless in his attacks on TEAMORIGIN's Ben Ainslie in the pre-start. With the seconds counting down after a long dialup, Ainslie made his bid to break clear. There was hard contact as the boats split away and the umpires docked Coutts one point and Ainslie half a point. The start was Ainslie's and the young Briton staved off Coutts' efforts to grab the lead on the first weather leg and kept it close for the next run until disaster struck approaching the leeward mark.
The headsail wouldn't feed into a damaged headfoil and the British boat sailed down past the mark, its bow draped with the ungathered spinnaker and crew working furiously to get the jib up. TEAMORIGIN was forced to retire and lost half a point. The Americans finished the race but their victory point was cancelled out by their penalty point. Both teams indicated they would appeal the umpires' decision.
TEAMORIGIN and BMW ORACLE Racing cross tacks. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:14 TEAMORIGIN
Mark 2 - 0:18 BMW ORACLE Racing
Mark 3 - BMW ORACLE Racing
Finish - BMW ORACLE Racing
Race 4: China Team beat Greek Challenge, 2m 58s
The hapless Greek Challenge sopped two penalties well before the start gun in their showdown with China Team. The first came when the Greeks, with new Zealander Gavin Brady at the helm, failed to enter the start box within two minutes of the five-minute signal. Seeing the Greeks had a problem hoisting their jib, China Team skipper Ian Williams made a beeline for them and as the starboard boat, forced the Greeks to tack away before they got into the box.
Williams and his ever-improving team made life impossible for Brady's crew, bouncing them off every time they tried to enter. The Greek Challenge got penalized again after a port-starboard incident trying to get around China Team. Forced to cancel one of their penalties immediately after the start, the Greeks trailed China by 39s at the first mark. When they completed their second turn at the finish line, crossing 2m 58s behind, the loss effectively shattered the Greeks' hopes of advancing any further in this regatta.
Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:39 China Team
Mark 2 - 0:40 China Team
Mark 3 - 0:45 China Team
Finish - 2:58 China Team
TEAMORIGIN and BMW ORACLE Racing. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
Race 5: Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rossa Challenge, 26s
To celebrate New Zealand's Waitangi day, Emirates Team New Zealand experienced that winning feeling again with a conservative but comfortable victory over the Italian Luna Rossa team. It was a busy pre-start, with both boats sliding backwards head-to-wind then Emirates Team New Zealand wildly waving protest flags that were all ignored.
The New Zealanders had a distinct advantage at the start, quickly establishing a three-boatlength lead that extended to 23s after a drag-race to the top mark. Little change downwind, and on the second weather leg, Luna Rossa went hard left in search of its own packet of breeze. But Dean Barker and his crew benefited even more from pressure on the right and, keeping a loose cover over their opponents, were always in control. It was also the perfect birthday present for ETNZ crewman Jeremy Lomas.
Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:23 ETNZ
Mark 2 - 0:22 ETNZ
Mark 3 - 0:32 ETNZ
Finish - 0:26 ETNZ
Crew of Luna Rossa Challenge. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Luna Rossa Challenge.
Louis Vuitton Pacific Series
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