Emirates Team New Zealand leads ALL4ONE in their match. Image copyright Frank Socha.
by Warren Douglas
Emirates Team New Zealand won its first match of the Louis Vuitton Trophy second round, beating the French-German ALL4ONE by 47 sec. ETNZ is now clear leader of the regatta with a 7-win, 2 loss record.
Dean Barker fought for the right of the course in the pre-start, content if necessary to lose a couple of boat lengths off the start line in expectation of a pay day further up the beat.
ALL4ONE, faster off the line, initially gained in the left, as Barker kept to the plan on the right and at the first cross were clear ahead by two boat lengths.
They maintained and extended the advantage to the first mark, rounding 38 seconds ahead of ALL4ONE. On the run, ETNZ extended further, rounding 1min 11secahead of the French-German team. At the finish the margin was 47 sec.
Dean Barker: “The forecast this morning was pretty grim but conditions improved as the easterly filled in and the race committee was able to get racing away.
“The pre-start was shaping well, but we were a little early at the line and didn’t get the split-tack start we wanted. But we had the right and the guys did a great job to pickup ALL4ONE by the first cross.
“We used the power of the right to dominate and it was difficult for ALL4ONE to overcome that in today’s conditions.”
Tactician Ray Davies said the plan was to get to the greater pressure on the right. “We got two good shifts on the first beat and gained again on the run. We had a good lead of more than a minute at the third mark and only had to keep between them and the finish line to take the win.”
Emirates Team New Zealand
Louis Vuitton Trophy
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