BMW ORACLE Racing lead Emirates Team New Zealand. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.
by Jane Eagleson
BMW ORACLE Racing finished Round Robin 2 of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series with a 27 second win over the host Emirates Team New Zealand team after a close-fought battle all the way around the track.
The win brought BMW ORACLE Racing's tally in the Gold Fleet to four wins out of five races, while Emirates Team New Zealand recorded two wins through the five match series. At this stage of the regatta, Emirates Team New Zealand advance directly to the event final, while BMW ORACLE Racing progresses to the Quarter Final of the Challenger series. BMW ORACLE Racing will compete in further matches in its quest to win the right to Challenge Emirates Team New Zealand again for the top trophy.
In the start of today's race, both yachts sailed very deep into the box before turning and making their way back towards the startline. In the final countdown, Russell Coutts and the BMW ORACLE Racing team had won control and led away at speed on starboard tack, while Emirates Team New Zealand tacked onto port and headed towards the right hand side of the course. The value of the left quickly established itself as BMW ORACLE Racing tacked onto port and picked up a windshift to make early gains.
"Russell did a great job of the start," said BMW ORACLE Racing tactician Hamish Pepper. "Initially we wanted the right hand side, but just before the start neither side was really advantaged. Emirates Team New Zealand were forced into a downspeed tack just before the gun and we got away cleanly. It was pretty pleasing. Then it turned out there was a nice breeze line 100m off the line on the left side and we hooked into that and made a good gain.
Emirates Team New Zealand initiated a tacking duel, but BMW ORACLE Racing maintained a tight cover. Then, halfway up the first leg, both yachts broke off and sailed parallel tracks on starboard tack with BMW ORACLE Racing making further gains from a right hand windshift. Around the first mark, BMW ORACLE Racing led by 22 seconds, again maintained a close cover down the leeward run and extended the lead to 24 seconds.
Both yachts rounded the right hand side of the leeward gate and once again BMW ORACLE Racing maintained classic match race tactics to cover every move by the New Zealand team. At the final mark rounding the gap had extended to 32 seconds and then in another clinical, textbook run to the finish line BMW ORACLE Racing allowed Emirates Team New Zealand no escape opportunities. Protecting its lead to the finish, BMW ORACLE Racing crossed the line with a 27 second lead.
Today's win balances the ledger against Emirates Team New Zealand, which took first blood in the opening match of Round Robin 1. "It was nice to get one back on them," said Pepper. "We were never comfortable, though. Emirates Team New Zealand is a fantastic team and they have proved that. We knew they would come back at us strongly if we made any mistakes, so our guys did a good job of minimising those.
The remaining schedule sees BMW ORACLE Racing squaring off against the winner of tomorrow's match between Luna Rossa Challenge and China Team. In the other Quarter Final, Damiani Italia will race the winner between Team Origin and Pataugas K-Challenge. The winner of those respective matches will then sail each other in the semi-final to determine which team meets Alinghi in the Challenger Final. "It is more life and death from here on in," said Pepper.
Other Gold Fleet results:
Damiani Italia Challenge beat Team Origin
Alinghi beat Luna Rossa
In the Silver Fleet
Greek Challenge beat Team Shosholoza for 8th and 9th place respectively in the Challenger series.
BMW ORACLE Racing
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