Shosholoza lose out against China Team. Image copyright Giuliano Lazzatto.
by Di Meek
After riding the high of a win over America’s Cup defender Alinghi a blown gennaker shredded Team Shosholoza’s chances of victory over China Team today (Thursday) in a dramatic incident packed first race of the second round robin of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.
“We still don’t know what happened. We rounded the last mark, hoisted and it set beautifully. There was no rip in the kite but as soon as it filled the shock load took the clue right off. It is a mystery. It is not like we came in from a funny angle. But whatever caused it, the race was over for us,” said Shosholoza skipper/helmsman Paolo Cian.
The disaster struck Team Shosholoza in the final leg of the race. Although China Team had led throughout the race, the South Africans were in striking distance when they lost their gennaker starting the final run. After some serious trawling the chase boat crew finally cut the halyard and took the load off the mast.
There was no dial up in the pres-start but China Team with world match racing champion Ian Williams at the helm out smarted the South African team with better timing to take control of the advantageous right side and a text book match racing tacking duel took the two boats up the first windward leg in 18 knot breezes. Shosholoza was 17 seconds and over 100 metres behind at the first mark but closed the gap to less than 50 metres after picking up some good wind to scream down to the leeward gate bow-and-bow to round just 11 seconds behind.
The South African team kept the pressure up with a close tacking duel up the second windward leg but China just managed to stretch her lead again to round the final leeward mark just 19 seconds ahead. Shosholoza was hot on her heels and a lead change looked possible as China struggled with a slightly messy hoist..
But then drama erupted aboard the South African boat when the clew tore out of the gennaker just after the set. The team quickly got the headsail and a spare gennaker up, but were initially unable to get rid of the torn kite which was left flapping hopelessly in the wind. They cut the halyard but it got stuck in the mast and eventually the sail was being trawled behind. Fortunately a following chase boat, aware that the problem could cause more damage, spiked the gennaker free and the South African team finally picked up speed again.
China meanwhile had steamed off to cross the line with a delta of 55 seconds.
“Of course it was not a good race but we were closing the gap and we were in the race. But after a break down like that there was nothing we could do,” said Cian.
With one match down Shosholoza has to win their next two races to go forward to the next stage of the event. Racing in the Silver Fleet of Round Robin 2 they face the French Pataugas K-Challenge tomorrow (Friday) and Greek Challenge on Saturday in a “do or die” contest. The bottom two teams will drop out of the contest.
“The loss today against China was very disappointing as it reduces our chances. Now everything is up to us. We can still get two points from the next two races. It’s pretty simple. If we want to go through to the next stage we have to win both of them. We have to do it,” said Cian.
Results from First Day of Round Robin 2
GOLD FLEET
BMW ORACLE Racing beat Luna Rossa – 58s
Damiani Italia Challenge beat Emirates Team New Zealand – 14s
Alinghi beat TEAMORIGIN - 15s
SILVER FLEET
Shosholoza beat China Team – 55s
Pataugas K-Challenge beat Greek Challenge – 27s
Team Shosholoza
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