Trapani October 4 2005
ETNZ top America's Cup match racing challenger for 2006
Emirates Team New Zealand has finished the Trapani match racing regatta as top challenger, making the team leading America’s Cup challenger for 2006.
After 11 races it was a dead heat at the top of the table – four teams each had nine wins and the final result was decided on a count-back. Alinghi winning because it had beaten Emirates Team New Zealand which in turn had beaten Luna Rossa and BMW Oracle.
The tactical error which cost NZL 82 the race against FRA 60, in the end also cost the team the overall win.
However, the final day of the Louis Vuitton Act 8 was not a day for the faint-hearted on the northern race course off Trapani.
Afterguards needed steel nerves and the courage of their convictions to stick to the game plan as they watched as a light and very shifty breeze took control of their fortune. At times they were virtually helpless to influence events.
Emirates Team New Zealand had a lot riding on the day and depending on the results was shooting for second, third or fourth place overall.
The day ended with NZL 82 second overall for the regatta (behind Alinghi) and the top America’s Cup challenger.
Grant Dalton: “It was a high stress day. Fortunately for us the afterguard had us in the right place at the right time. But to be honest, both races could easily have ended differently.”
NZL 82 had two good wins, against ESP 67 and ITA 74. But the day was unpredictable with a light shifty breeze turning the form guide on its ear. For example:
· K Challenge, against all the odds, beat Alinghi. The French team was sailing the boat that Team New Zealand used to successfully defend the America’s Cup in 2000 to end Alinghi’s string of 31 successive wins. Then in the second match of the day, BMW Oracle also beat Alinghi.
· Luna Rossa built a lead of 300 metres against BMW Oracle only to see it evaporate as USA 76 took the lead. Then ITA 74 regained the lead and won by 28sec.
In the first match today, NZL 82 started well against Desafio Espanol then watched ESP 67 sail out to a 300 metre lead. NZL 82 pulled the lead back a couple of times but the breeze worked against then and ESP 67 extended again.
At the first mark ESP 67 had a 58sec lead. At the end of the first run, NZL 82 had pulled the lead back to 32sec, finally, three-quarters of the way up the second beat, Dean Barker and crew got NZL 82’s bow in front and it was match over for the Spanish as they quickly fell further and further behind.
At mark 3, NZL 82 was 1min 28sec ahead and extended slightly on the run to finish 1min 39sec ahead.
Grant Dalton: “A win against Desafio Espanol was important to us. They are sailing a 2003 OneWorld yacht and they are fast. We followed them for most of the race and worked hard to gain the lead and then keep it.”
The second race of the afternoon the start was even and there was nothing much in it on the beat, possibly with a slight advantage to Luna Rossa. At the first mark, NZL 82 went through on the inside of ITA 74 rounding 8sec ahead. On the run ITA 74 gained a small advantage rounding 11sec ahead.
NZL 82 retook the lead and extended on the second beat and at the top mark ITA 74 was adrift by 39. At the finish NZL 82, playing the shifts well, had a 1min 30sec advantage.
NZL 82 crew race day 6
Helm: Dean Barker
Tactician: Terry Hutchinson
Navigator: Kevin Hall
Strategist/traveler: Adam Beashel
Weather/runner: Ray Davies
indexsheet: Don Cowie
Trimmer upwind: Rob Salthouse
Trimmer downwind: Andy Hemming
Grinder: Rob Waddell
Grinder: Chris McAsey
index Grinder: Chris Ward
Pit: Jared Henderson
Runner/pit: Tony Rae
Mid-bow: Richard Meacham
Bow: Jeremy Lomas
Mast: Nick Heron
Runner/grinder: Grant Dalton
Results today:
Flight 10
NZL 82 beat ESP 67 by 1min 39sec
SWE 63 beat GER 72 by 1min 59sec
ITA 74 beat USA 76 by 28sec
FRA 60 beat SUI 75 by 35 sec
ITA 59 beat RSA 83 by 43sec
ITA 77 beat CHN 69 by 2min 2sec
Flight 11
NZL 82 beat ITA 74 by 1min 30sec
USA 76 beat SUI 75 by 1min 30sec
ESP 67 beat FRA 60 beat ESP 67 by 1sec
ITA 77 beat SWE 63 by 44sec
ITA 59 beat GER 72 by 2min
RSA 83 beat CHN 69 by 4min 22sec
Final rankings (rankings decided by count back)
1 Alinghi (SUI 75) 9 pts
2 Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82) 9pts
3 Luna Rossa (ITA 74) 9pts
4 BMW Oracle Racing (USA 76) 9pts
5 K-Challenge (FRA 60) 7pts
6 Victory Challenge (SWE 63) 6pts
7 +39 (ITA 59) 4pts
8 Desafio Espanol (ESP 67) 4pts
9 Mascalzone Latino (ITA 77) 3pts
10 Shosholoza (RSA 83) 2pts
11 United Internet Team Germany (GER 72) 2pts
9 Team China (CHN 69) 1pt
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