11. September 2004
Final race win for Emirates Team New Zealand
Emirates team New Zealand ended the Marseille regatta with a win today against the French K-Challenge.
On overall points for the regatta, Emirates Team New Zealand was third behind BMW Oracle and Alinghi.
ETNZ started the day on 36 points, two behind Alinghi and 10 behind Oracle. If Oracle had beaten Alinghi today, Emirates Team New Zealand would have finished second overall.
Today Alinghi beat Oracle, finishing the regatta with 44 points, behind Oracle’s 46.
Emirates Team New Zealand beat the French K-Challenge by 37 sec, gaining six points to finish the regatta with 42 points.
Sailing the ex-NZL 57 ( the trial boat in the Team New Zealand cup defence in 2000 now FRA 57) K-Challenge showed that sailed well, she was still a class boat.
Managing Director Grant Dalton, delighted with his team’s performance on the water, said the final numbers on the leader board were exactly as he expected. There are only four points separating the top three.
“If Oracle had won today, we would have been second overall, a result that no one would have expected this time last week.
“We finished the regatta where we expected to be, but I was surprised that we sailed so well with so little preparation. Ultimately, what learned this week about NZL82’s performance against the other yachts will be of more importance as we plan the next three years.
“We came to Marseille not really knowing how well NZL82 would go, especially against the form yachts BMW Oracle and Alinghi. We had a fair idea, but we didn’t really know.
“We have learned a lot. We now know that we lack speed downwind, which we did not expect. We have identified other issues with the boat that will have to be sorted out. We won’t be able to do that before the Valencia regatta starting on October 5.
“In Valencia we will just have to hang in there …sail smart, grab any opportunities that occur and not make too many mistakes ourselves.”
Dalton, who sailed in every race, said he was impressed with the way the team had sailed. “There’s real potential here and we will see that develop in Valencia where we will have our first-string afterguard for the first time.
“Then the entire team assembles in Auckland on December 1 to start five hard months on testing and training the Hauraki Gulf.”
Dalton said the team had come a long way in the past 12 months. “The fact that we are here is a minor miracle. The fact that we are here and competitive is a major feat It is a real tribute to the quality of the people in this team.”
“This regatta has really marked the start of the campaign moving on from the phase of being almost totally focused on the struggle to arrange finance and build an organisation to one based on sailing.”
Emirates Team New Zealand contact: Warren Douglas +33 674 793 177
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