LVPS: TEAMORIGIN Score a Win Against Emirates Team New Zealand On Their Home Waters

Emirates Team New Zealand and TEAMORIGIN. Image copyright Ian Roman/TEAMORIGIN.

by Leslie Ryan

Day Four of Round Robin two proved to be a long day on the water but worth waiting for with the TEAMORIGIN boys taking a 7 second race win against the home team, Emirates Team New Zealand, and Ben Ainslie and his team showing form against his old team mate, Dean Barker.

Race one of the day saw Damiani Italia with Vasco Vascotto take a win over fellow Italian team, Luna Rossa, giving them their first point of this RR2 series of racing.

Race two was the much awaited Alinghi vs. BMW Oracle race, promising some interesting action between these two top teams. Unfortunately the wind died and only filled in around 3.30pm so the teams and the extensive spectator fleet faced a long delay on the water. The warning signal was eventually fired at 4.20pm in a nice steady 12-15 knot south westerly breeze.

Alinghi took the win by 32 seconds following a nail biting race that Ed Baird and his team lead from the start but Russell Coutts and BMW Oracle threw everything at it. Distances at mark roundings were as little as 12 seconds and even as late as the last downwind leg, the two teams were neck and neck with Russell keeping in close contact with the BMW Oracle team. This win gives Alinghi 3 points for this round and ensures them a place in the Challenger sail-off.

Race three finally got underway at 6.20pm in a beautiful Auckland evening and perfect 15 knot wind and it was time for TEAMORIGIN to take to the stage to race against the home team, Emirates Team New Zealand. As ETNZ are holders of the Louis Vuitton Trophy from June 2007, they have an automatic place in the finals of this event so races against them do not count for any points but TEAMORIGIN saw this race as a great opportunity to line up against this experienced team and continue their learning curve.

Following some initial dialling up, both teams lined up coming in towards the committee boat end of the start line with TEAMORIGIN holding the ETNZ boat up to weather and leading off the start line by a narrow 8m margin.

The first beat saw both boats heading upwind neck and neck but with TEAMORIGIN in a controlling position and Dean Barker pushing hard and throwing in multiple tacks which TEAMORIGIN matched tack for tack. The distance between the two teams varied from 20m to 90m with the wind shifting but Ben and the team doing an impressive job in keeping in the controlling position.

TEAMORIGIN led around the first windward mark by a narrow but important 12 seconds and the chase was on. Gybe for gybe the pair headed downwind, ETNZ appeared to be trying to draw TEAMORIGIN into a gybing duel perhaps hoping that they might be able to force some errors on this new team but it was not to be.

By the first leeward gate, TEAMORIGIN dropped their spinnaker first and headed for right hand gate and ETNZ followed in, with only a 10 second gap between them round the mark. Both tacked immediately on the mark and headed up the beat again tack for tack, with TEAMORIGIN holding the lead by around 60m.

TEAMORIGIN seemed to pull ahead following tacks by both teams and extended to 100m but with ETNZ not giving up easily. Remember that both Ainslie and Barker were tune up partners in the last America’s Cup and know each other’s moves inside out so this pair were watching each others moves intently.

With both teams playing the game up the middle of the pitch, ETNZ continued to try to reel them back in and TEAMORIGIN continued to hold a controlling and covering position – but still all to play for. Ben and his team did a really nice job staying strong and steady. The New Zealanders pushed hard and managed to close up again to a 30m distance. Both reached the left hand layline, and TEAMORIGIN pulled out again benefitting from a lift in the wind to stretch their lead to 86m, both heading in to the top mark for last time.

TEAMORIGIN led round the windward mark and held a distance of 80m safely around heading downwind for the last time, still not home and dry but as from the start in a controlling position. Both headed downwind pretty much straight down the line on the same tack, the lead stretching to over 90 metres. ETNZ threw in a gybe and TEAMORIGIN followed suit, matching the chasing team. An impressive job by the TEAMORIGIN boys in maintaining their lead over this hugely experienced home team.

ETNZ threw in another gybe and TEAMORIGIN followed again, these gybes absolutely critical to both teams as even a tiny error could cost everything. Two further gybes and TEAMORIGIN matching perfectly. Further gybing put them under pressure and the gap narrowed down slightly. ETNZ definitely pushing to try to get into an advantageous position given the experience they have, the margin narrowed down to 40m – guaranteeing another thrilling finish.

Closing to under 30m, really all still to play for. ETNZ gybed across and TEAMORIGIN carried on to the line, 23m between them. TEAMORIGIN take the win by a mere but impressive 7 seconds.

Mike Sanderson, Team Director, commented after this exciting race, “What a great race. It was a long day on the water and then we had to jump on board and get into it straight away. We had a really good race together as a team, still a long way to go but a nice feeling to get a win in this race. Although our score tally might imply that we have not had as good a week as Round Robin one, we are definitely sailing a lot better as a team and if we keep improving at this rate, we hope to be in this regatta for a while yet.”

TEAMORIGIN are certainly creating waves here in Auckland, having sailed 8 races they have only lost 2 and of the 2 they lost, they were in a leading position for most of those race so a really impressive performance by this exciting team after such little time together!!

Other results from day four of RR2:
Damiani Italia 1 : Luna Rossa 0
Alinghi 1 : BMW Oracle 0
TEAMORIGIN W : Emirates Team New Zealand L
(Races against ETNZ do not count for any points)

TEAMORIGIN

LVPS: Breeze Dictates the Day

Emirates Team New Zealand and TEAMORIGIN head upwind. Image copyright Ian Roman/TEAMORIGIN.

by Warren Douglas

It was a day when a small early advantage could, with determined defence against sustained aggression, win the race. It turned out to be a day without passing lanes.

The first race started on time at 11am and saw Damiani Italia Challenge beat Luna Rossa by 1.42. Then came the waiting.

Race 2 start was delayed until 4.50 pm by which time the southerly had finally filled in. It was a keenly anticipated match between BMW Oracle and Alinghi.

Alinghi won the start and controlled the match to the finish. Oracle came tantalisingly close to breaking through on several occasions but could not. Alinghi won by 28sec.

The Emirates Team New Zealand match against Team Origin finally got underway at 6.30 pm. Both yachts got a clean start, Dean Barker with the right he wanted, and Origin to leeward and slightly ahead.

A shift to the left gave Origin a good lift and enough leverage to exercise control. Barker and his crew attacked, determined to get out from under, but the British team held firm and led around the first mark by 12 sec.

On the run, Barker had better speed and made some gains but it was not enough and Origin rounded the right-hand mark 10 sec clear. Origin defended hard up the beat and ETNZ again attacked but British skipper Ben Ainslie’s afterguard kept their cool and extended slightly to round 15 sec in front.

The final run was a thriller and left Barker and crew wishing the legs were just a little longer. Great crew work whittled Origin’s lead down from more than 100 metres to less than a boat length. At the finish Origin crossed the line only 7 secs ahead.

“Origin sailed a great race,” Barker said. “We don’t like losing, but it was still good practice for the guys. Tomorrow is the last chance to do any racing before the final. We are looking for another pressure race.

“It’s good to work at making opportunities from behind. It’s the strength of the team to battle back into the race... we did some very nice work on them on the last run but we ran out of runway.”

Today’s results
Damiani Italia beat Luna Rossa by 1.42
Alinghi beat BMW Oracle Racing by 28s
Team Origin beat Emirates Team New Zealand by 7sec.

Tomorrow’s draw
Luna Rossa v Alinghi
Team Origin v Damiani Italia Challenge
BMW Oracle Racing v Emirates Team New Zealand

Emirates Team New Zealand

LVPS: BMW ORACLE Racing Keep It Close in Classic Battle

BMW ORACLE Racing with Russell Coutts at the helm. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.

by Jane Eagleson

BMW ORACLE Racing and Alinghi put on a classic match race in a close and enthralling battle all the way around the track in one of the most anticipated clashes of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland today.

Alinghi gained a small advantage at the start as the Swiss team led away from the line at the Committee Boat end of the line. The racing was always tight, but on these short course tracks with tide running in and out of the Waitemata Harbour overtaking opportunities are few and far between.

"We were a little late for the line at the start," said BMW ORACLE Racing tactician Hamish Pepper. "Once that happens, you are always battling to come from behind, but we never let them get away. The team did a good job of keeping it close all the way."

After a spirited tacking duel up the first windward leg, BMW ORACLE Racing closed the game right up and managed to gain an overlap on Alinghi. As Alinghi came across on starboard tack, the Swiss team tacked over to port close to windward of BMW ORACLE Racing. Russell Coutts and the BMW ORACLE Racing crew pushed up nearly head to wind in an aggressive luff, but the umpires ruled that Alinghi had kept clear and no penalty was awarded.

"We thought that was pretty close," said Pepper. "We thought the call would go our way, but obviously the umpires saw it differently."

Round the first windward mark, Alinghi led by 13 seconds and the margin was 8 seconds at the leeward rounding as the yachts split through opposite ends of the leeward gate. Up the second windward leg, the battle was on again as the yachts exchanged tacks, working out towards the port layline. At the second windward mark rounding, the gap had closed up again and the delta was just 10 seconds.

Down the final run for the finish, BMW ORACLE Racing continued to pile pressure on, hunting for opportunities to attack the breeze of the Alinghi crew. At one point, the game closed up so that BMW ORACLE Racing's bow was just metres behind Alinghi's transom. But the Swiss team defended their lead and, as BMW ORACLE Racing split gybes in a last-ditch attempt to gain a passing opportunity, the America's Cup holders took the victory gun by 27 seconds.


Alinghi leads BMW ORACLE Racing downwind. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.

"Alinghi did a good job protecting their lead," said Pepper. "We made a mistake in gybing away and they stayed in good pressure down the last stages of the final downwind leg. We are a little bit disappointed, but we are definitely not down and out."

Although there is still a day's racing left in the second Round Robin, this puts Alinghi at the top of the Gold Fleet leaderboard for Round Robin two and means the Swiss team will advance straight to the Challenger Final. BMW ORACLE Racing will advance directly to the quarter finals and race through a further elimination series to establish the second finalist to meet Alinghi in a sail-off to decide which team will meet Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series final.

"We have to keep racing, but that is OK," said Pepper. "The more racing we do, the more we improve. We learned a lot today. We hope to have the opportunity to meet Alinghi in the Challenger Final and get our revenge."

Other Gold Fleet results:
Damiani Italia Challenge beat Luna Rossa Challenge
Team Origin beat Emirates Team New Zealand

The Silver Fleet completed their second Round Robin yesterday.

BMW ORACLE Racing

LVPS: Alinghi Score a Win Against BMW ORACLE Racing

Alinghi lead BMW ORACLE Racing downwind. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.

by Daphne Morgan-Barnicoat

Gold Fleet, Match 4
Alinghi: port entry
Alinghi drew NZL84

The much anticipated Alinghi vs. BMW Oracle Racing match finally got away at 16:50 after a lengthy weather delay on the Waitemata harbour. Alinghi dominated in the pre-start, the team wanted the right and won it leading off the start line by a boat length. The Swiss covered the American team up the beat protecting the right and led around the first windward mark by 12 seconds. Down the first run, Alinghi kept it close, held on to the right-hand advantage and maintained the 12 second lead. By top mark 2, Alinghi had let 2seconds slip, but held onto the advantage downwind and extended it into the finish to win by 27 seconds.

Alinghi qualified for the Challenger Final with a race in hand, scheduled for tomorrow against Luna Rossa.

Quote from the race boat – Ed Baird gives some insight on today’s race against BMW Oracle Racing:
“In the pre-start there was a bit of right-hand bias to the line, so when we entered we had just enough space to cross in front of BOR which negated their starboard entry. We were sailing into a pretty strong current on our port tack angle so it took a long time to get to a place where you would typically want to start circling. The time went by pretty quickly; we did 2 circles and we basically started getting ready to start heading back to the line. The time that was left at the point that we turned back for the line made it a very difficult decision for the other team to figure out how to deal with our position. At first it looked like they were going to gybe and try to push towards the line and then they changed their mind and they went for distance and looked like they might tack and that gave us an opening, so we tacked twice to end up straight ahead of them and then they were a bit late from there."

Q: How do you prepare for a match against Russell Coutts and BOR?

EB: "The main thing is to realise that BMW Oracle Racing is one of the most formidable teams on the planet to race against and you just have to make sure that you are on your game. You just have to pay attention and do the basic things right and just be careful; that’s really all we can do to prepare. Other than that it has just been a question of getting as many days and time as possible to go and practice and learn."

Q: The team sailed a tight and faultless race – a word on the crew work?

EB: "The team has done a great job of learning about these boats and to sail in the harbour which is something that most of us haven’t done for years. I want to commend how well the team has put this together, but we also do realise that there were a number of places around the race course where we could have done better. We have to talk about that and we have to make sure that the next opportunity we have, that we don’t leave quite as many places on the table."

Q: Can you describe the incident in the approach to the 1st windward mark?

EB: "We had a situation on the 1st windward leg just up by the top mark - it was quite a similar situation to the one we had with the Italians a few days ago where they crossed us and they tacked too early. We crossed Oracle and sailed for a couple of seconds and started to go into a tack, they luffed up hard to try to get us in a windward leeward situation – the umpires green flagged the incident."

Q: A look forward to tomorrow and the final match of RR2?

EB: "Yes we will race Luna Rossa tomorrow. They have had a tough time, we have watched all of their races and they have done a lot of things well but they have also had some bad breaks. We know they are going to be a tough match. We are also wary of being in a position whereby we must be cautious of any kind of collisions and damage. We can afford to lose one point and still win the position into the challenger final, but we can’t afford to lose anything more than that. We have to be cautious, just like yesterday when we chose not to go out and race the match against TNZ where there were no points to gain. At least in this one there are points on the table."

Other news of the day:
Rodney Hide, well known New Zealand politician, sailed as 18th man today on Alinghi. He represents the electorate of Epsom and is Minister of Local Government, Associate Minister of Commerce and Minister of Regulatory Reform. He comments on a great day of racing: “That was my first time out sailing so I picked the race to go out in and what a boat and what a team! Here’s what amazed me: how exciting it was, but also what a fabulous team it is and how the team work together. It was extraordinary leadership from Brad and great discipline; it was a just a pleasure to watch and a lesson for us all.”

Other results
TeamOrigin beat Emirates Team New Zealand - 6 seconds
Damiani Italia Challenge beat Luna Rossa - 1 minute 40 seconds

Alinghi

LVPS: Luna Rossa Defeated by Damiani Italia Challenge

Luna Rossa Challenge racing against Damiani Italia Challenge off Auckland. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Luna Rossa Challenge.

by Luna Rossa Challenge media

Wind: S 10-8 knots
Course: Windward - leeward of 1.4 miles (2 laps)

Luna Rossa Challenge on NZL 84, Damiani Italia on NZL 92

Start: Luna Rossa enters the box from the pin end and goes to the dial-up with Damiani Team Italia, keeping this situation for a while. Both boats will then sail towards the right side of the box in order to gain a right end start. Holmberg manages to start at the Committee Boat, windward of Damiani. On the first part of the beat the two boats sail parallel, subsequently engaging in a tacking duel, each boat promptly responding to the attacks, Damiani Team Italia on the left side of the course and Luna Rossa on the right.

At a few lengths from the starboard layline a wind shift favours Damiani Team Italia and soon Bruni stretches about two boat lengths ahead of Holmberg, to round the mark with an 8s lead. Luna Rossa attacks on the right side of the downwind leg; this move will allow Luna Rossa to close the distance and to round the gate (both boats will chose the left mark) very close to her opponent’s stern.

Luna Rossa tacks immediately and sails to the left side of the course, whereas Damiani stays on the right. A right wind shift increases Damiani Team Italia’s lead and, at the first crossing, Luna Rossa is five boat lengths behind. Halfway through the beat Luna Rossa engages Damiani Team Italia in a tacking duel, slightly closing the gap to about three lengths. At the mark, however, a sudden lull hits both boats and slows them down considerably. It is Damiani who will catch the first puff and round the mark with a 30s advantage.

Both boats start the downwind leg on port gybe; the wind significantly favors the left side and in this first phase Luna Rossa does not have the opportunity to close the gap. Halfway the downwind leg Luna Rossa attacks Damiani with a series of jibes. Although Luna Rossa has a slight gain in the initial phase of this duel, another wind shift, combined with a decreasing pressure on her side, will jeopardize her attempts to catch up with the opponent and Damiani Team Italia will cross the finishing line with an increased lead.

Luna Rossa Challenge

LVPS: Italian Derby Won by Damiani Italia Challenge

Damiani Italia Challenge on their way to defeating Luna Rossa Challenge. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Damiani Italia Challenge.

by Gabriele Cutini

It was a really exciting day on the crowded Waitamata Harbour, in front of the skyline of Auckland. In light and unstable wind conditions, which imposed a postponement of some hours before the big match between Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing, Damiani Italy Challenge confronted and beat, with considerable separation, Luna Rossa, in a race which finished in the evening of this warm Sunday in New Zealand, who had shared with the team of Vasco Vascotto the last place in the Gold Fleet of the second Round Robin.

In the long-awaited Italian match of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, Francesco Bruni, skipper, who seems to refine the actual capacity of match racer, was able to anticipate the every move of Peter Holmberg and to cross the starting line with an advantage of ten metres with respect to the talent of the British Islands Virgins, previously a sparring partner of the "Swiss" and Baird on the waters off Valencia.

however slight, the margin acquired at the start determined the result of the race, because it allowed Damiani Italia Challenge, and Vasco Vascotto, of to monitor the tacking duel that took place up the first beat.

Reaching the weather mark with eight seconds' advantage, Damiani Italia Challenge extended downwind, alternating the control of the opponent to navigation in regard to wind shofts.

The point gained, the crew of Damiani Italia Challenge immediately turned to the important match of tomorrow, that will see it race against the British in TeamOrigin in a duel that will promote the winner to the fourth place in the challenger finals, while a defeat will condemn it to the Sail Off.

Francesco Bruni, skipper of Damiani Italia Challenge: "And 'been a regatta fought. On the line we were in light advantage and we defended it until the arrival. To the marker of bowline there it a shudder was: we entered in an air bubble and we slowed down, they have approached and they have asked the penalty, but the umpire have given the green one. The boys did an excellent work and we are happy to have won this regatta from the very special taste".

Vasco Vascotto, skipper and tactician of Damiani Italia Challenge: "It was a special race, it is pointless to ignore that. On the water two groups of friends have raced and we rejoice that we were the winners, but I am convinced that they will be back, stronger, soon. We had an excellent race and we are not be able to be other than satisfied. The two teams showed themselves to be alive and to know how to promote themselves well: we have given an attractive image of the Italian character. For as much as it pertains us, I hope it will be entered in the heart of some grandmother and of some child: this also counts in the sum of everything".

Damiani Italia Challenge

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series: Round Robin 2 Day Four

Damiani Italia Challenge beat Luna Rossa Challenge in the all-Italian derby. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Luna Rossa Challenge.


Alinghi beat BMW ORACLE Racing. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.


TEAMORIGIN beat Emirates Team New Zealand in the evening (after 7pm). Image copyright Ian Roman/TEAMORIGIN.

by Louis Vuitton Pacific Series media

Race 1: Damiani Italia Challenge beat Luna Rossa Challenge, 1m 40s

The two Italian syndicates racing in Auckland met in the first race of the day. The veteran Luna Rossa with Peter Holmberg as its new helmsman sailed against the fast-rising newcomer Damiani Italia Challenge, skippered by Vasco Vascotto and steered by Francesco Bruni. A dialup after the five-minute gun stretched out for three minutes before Bruni, who had the starboard entry advanatage, broek it off. Bruni chose to start to leeward of Luna Rossa and carried a little more speed over the line, allowing him to push his opponent away. A long and even 12-tack duel up the weather leg saw Bruni always with just enough edge to tak to leeward and push Holmberg back to the right. Damiani led by 11 seconds at the first mark and the margin was the same at the leeward mark. Damiani broke clear on the second windward leg riding a big right shift to a 130 metre lead at the top mark and 300 metres when she took the gun.


Luna Rossa Challenge and Damiani Italia Challenge in their pre-start. Image copyright Stefano Gattini/Luna Rossa Challenge.

Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:11 Damiani Italia Challenge
Mark 2 - 0:08 Damiani Italia Challenge
Mark 3 - 0:30 Damiani Italia Challenge
Finish - 1:40 Damiani Italia Challenge

At 1330 hours, NZ time, Postponement

A 90-minute postponement continued while the Race Committee waited for weather conditions to stablize. The southerly gradient wind faded as Auckland heated up under a clear and sunny blue sky. The only question was how fast the sea breeze would come in from the north, overcome the gradient breeze and permit the resumption of racing.

Race 2: Alinghi beat BMW ORACLE Racing, 27s


BMW ORACLE Racing and Alinghi in the pre-start of their match. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.

After declining to race against Emirates Team New Zealand yesterday for tactical reasons, Alinghi came out loaded for bear in their race against BMW ORACLE Racing.


Alinghi leads BMW ORACLE Racing up the beat. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.

Helmsman Ed Baird made a perfectly timed entrance into the start box from the burdened port side of the line and successfully crossed BMW ORACLE Racing's bow to gain the starboard tack advantage. After a couple of wary circles, both boats returned to the committee boat end of the line with Baird leading back. BMW ORACLE Racing skipper and helmsman Russell Coutts made a vain bid to get to weather of Alinghi only to be shut out. Sailing in a brisk 16-knot southerly right under the noses of spectators crowding North Head and the biggest spectator fleet seen to date, Baird used the right hand advantage to maintain his lead around the course.


BMW ORACLE Racing keeps it close with Alinghi downwind. Image copyright Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW ORACLE Racing.

Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:13 Alinghi
Mark 2 - 0:08 Alinghi
Mark 3 - 0:10 Alinghi
Finish - 0:27 Alinghi

Race 3: TEAMORIGIN beat Emirates Team New Zealand, 6s


Emirates Team New Zealand chases TEAMORIGIN in pre-start circling. Image copyright Ian Roman/TEAMORIGIN.

TEAMORIGIN's Ben Ainslie scored a narrow victory over his old team mate Dean Barker in close racing in the Rangitoto Channel. Despite his port end entry, Ainslie did the circle dance out to the right with barker at the helm of Emirates Team New Zealand before both boats returned to make parallel starts. Barker had grabbed the right hand berth, but Ainslie hit the line with a fraction more speed than the Kiwi and quickly forced him away onto port tack before following. A long board out towards the starboard tack layline went in the Briton's favour and he controlled the rest of the first leg and subsequent legs. A gybing duel leading into the finish saw Barker close to just over a boat length, but it was TEAMORIGIN which got the gun.

Deltas
Mark 1 - 0:14 TEAMORIGIN
Mark 2 - 0:10 TEAMORIGIN
Mark 3 - 0:17 TEAMORIGIN
Finish - 0:06 TEAMORIGIN




Louis Vuitton Pacific Series