LVT: Emirates Team New Zealand in Semi-Finals

by Warren Douglas

Three quarter final matches of the Louis Vuitton Trophy regatta were called off on Thursday when the regatta ran out of time and dusk descended on La Maddalena.
Emirates Team New Zealand and Azzurra transferred to the race yachts for their quarter-final encounter just before 8pm.

At 8.35 the quarter-final was abandoned as time had run out. The sun was setting behind the town and the light was fading fast. Time had run out for the quarter-finals.

The regatta sailing instructions stipulated that the quarter-finals had to be completed on Thursday.

Earlier the Mascalzone Latino and Synergy quarter-final was completed with Synergy winning the best-of-three encounter 2-1.

The three top qualifiers in the round robins - All4One, Artemis and Emirates team New Zealand - join Synergy in the semi-finals which will be sailed tomorrow.
Emirates Team New Zealand won its last race of the round robin with a solid 1.05 win over Mascalzone Latino.

Like many matches on the short courses at La Maddalena, the race was won in the pre-start.

Bowman Jeremy Lomas and navigator Jules Salter called the timing to the start line with absolute precision.

Dean Barker was going for the pin end with Mascalzone Latino just to windward; the Italians were a little ahead. Barker gave them nowhere to and they were forced over the start line early and had to return.

That was it. Emirates Tem New Zealand powered up the beat, rounding the mark 55s ahead. At the leeward mark the margin was 1.04, the third mark 1m and at the finish 1.05.

Emirates Team New Zealand finished the round robin on six points, with a 6 win, 3 loss record. Artemis and All4One now race the last round robin match of the regatta.

Emirates Team New Zealand
Louis Vuitton Trophy