Yves Carcelle of Louis Vuitton presents Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker with the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Trophy after ETNZ won the regatta three races to one against Alinghi. Image copyright Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand.
by Warren Douglas
Emirates Team New Zealand has won the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series with three wins today against Alinghi.
Starting the day one race down in the best of five series, Emirates Team New Zealand won in style, winning the starts and then controlling the races and remaining cool in the face of persistent Alinghi attacks.
Skipper Dean Barker and the crew hit form on the final day of the regatta, thrilling the crowd with a display of match-racing finesse that will be long remembered.
Bruno Trouble of Louis Vuitton on stage with Grant Dalton and Dean Barker of Emirates Team New Zealand for the presentation of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Trophy after ETNZ won the regatta three races to one against Alinghi. Image copyright Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand.
The team has little time to reflect of its success. On Monday the new Emirates TP52 will be delivered to the base and the team swings straight into preparing a campaign which will take them through five tough regattas in Europe over the northern summer.
After the racing today, Barker paid tribute to the crew. “ A helmsman is only as good as the people around him. The win is theirs. They left the dock this morning fired up. I don’t think anything could have stopped them.”
Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Dean Barker punches the air after ETNZ beat Alinghi in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Trophy three races top one. Image copyright Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand.
In today’s three races, Barker got what he wanted in all the starts, forcing a penalty on Alinghi in the second, and then sailed confidently to the finish line.
Alinghi attacked from behind throughout the three races, but were given no opportunity to break ETNZ’s iron grip. Emirates Team New Zealand led around every mark but there was not a moment to relax and the deltas were close – race 2 , 29sec; race 3, 33sec; race 4, 20sec.
Barker said: “We are very happy to have beaten the best team in the world. Alinghi showed their class throughout the regatta and the win gives us a lot of confidence for the future.”
Emirates Team New Zealand helmsman Dean Barker shakes hands with Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird after ETNZ beat Alinghi in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Trophy three races top one. Image copyright Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand.
Grant Dalton: “This morning we were one down and under the hammer. We debriefed Friday’s race and couldn’t put our finger on anything that was wrong so we didn’t change our approach. We clicked and it all came together.
Emirates Team New Zealand MD Grant Dalton shakes hands with Brad Butterworth after ETNZ beat Alinghi to win the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Trophy three races top one. Image copyright Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand.
“For me the telling moment occurred on the first beat when we crossed Alinghi. We didn’t put a foot wrong from there.”
Emirates Team New Zealand Dick Meacham, Grant Dalton and Dean Barker celebrate with Moet and Chandon Champagne after winning the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Trophy three races top one against Alinghi. Image copyright Chris Cameron/Emirates Team New Zealand.
Emirates Team New Zealand
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