06.05.2007
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Sail-World.com America's Cup 2007Newsletter....
Welcome to Sail-World.Com's America's Cup newsletter for day 20 of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Valencia was on her very best behavior today, with a beautiful breeze, bright sunlight and racing got underway on time.
For most, there was only one flight today, a rather set piece affair with no surprises.
Local attention focused on the second, a re-sailed match from Flight 4 between Desafio Espanol and Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia after a minor measurement infraction by the Italian team. With ESP-97 staging another come from behind win.
It was a masterful display by the Spanish strategist, John Cutler and his on-board comments were a rare treat including this classic, when ESP 97 was in a good position, in the lead and the chatter level was clearly rising: ' Take a long deep breath, count to three, and then speak'.
Cutler, who win a bronze medal for New Zealand in the 1988 Olympics in the Finn class has pulled the Spanish out of some tight positions in this regatta, and today was another of these occasions. They came from behind on the Italians, reversing their first result, and have secured a very handy fourth position on the points table.
To all intents and purposes the Semi-Finalists for the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup have been chosen.
The cut-off seems to be about 30 points, with four Flights left to be sailed. (For those wondering what a Flight is, it is a match racing term covering a set of five matches or pairings that have to be completed by all boats in the draw).
From the four Flights there are a maximum of eight possible points per team. Currently, the fifth placed boat is Victory Challenge who has 22 points and four Matches in hand. If she won all four and took the eight points then she would rise to be equal with Emirates Team New Zealand on 30 points. However to achieve that position she has to beat the fourth placed boat Desafio Espanol when they meet in two days time in Flight 9.
The only way in which Emirates Team New Zealand can be beaten for a Semi-Final spot is for Desafio Espanol to win two or more of her next four matches. For Victory Challenge to win her Match in Flight 9 against Desafio Espanol and all her remaining three matches.
That scenario would see the Spanish on 31 points or 33 points, with Victory Challenge and Emirates Team New Zealand tied on 30 points, which would then require a sail-off. In Louis Vuitton Cup terms this means that the two boats have to race in a best of three event. So the first team to win two races is the one to advance to the semi-finals.
However all that is drawing a very long bead, and the top three currently on top of the table should be thinking of their options in the Semis, while the fourth place will be decided to some extent in Flight 9. Maybe earlier than that if Victory Challenge lose their next Match.
According to our calculations we do not believe that any other team can make the Semi Final cut, unless by some permutation or decision the points cut-off for the Semi's dropped to 28 points and four flights were sailed, in which case Mascalzone Latino get a look in.
Turning to lighter matters, we have started a new feature - the Luna Rossa Monsta Cuptoon by Mark O'Brien who is with Luna Rossa at this regatta. Click on the link to see all his cartoons of the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup, and you can also print these off for your collection, if you wish.
For those of you with limited time or internet access during the racing, Mark Chisnell is writing an excellent and entertaining commentary during the racing which can be seen on his blog www.tackbytack.com We have featured today's coverage from Mark in his story below.
Good Sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
Louis Vuitton Cup' - Round Robin 2 - Flight 8
United Internet Team Germany (GER 89) - Desafio Espanol 2007 (ESP 97)
Team Shosholoza (RSA 83) - Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team (ITA 99)
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 92) - China Team (CHN 95)
AREVA Challenge (FRA 93) - Victory Challenge (SWE 96)
+39 Challenge (ITA 85) - BMW Oracle Racing (USA 98)
Bye Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 94)
Fisher's View: Weekend Wonders
Quite remarkably, the crew of Desafio Espanol appears to be able to raise its game at the weekends when the local crowd of supporters is greatest. Today was no exception and they performed under pressure in two races to emerge with four valuable points on the board and this team is looking likely to become the fourth of the semi-finalists in the Louis Vuitton Cup....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33402&ntid=58
BMW ORACLE Racing Advances To Semi-Final
'We are very happy to be through to the semi-final,' said BMW ORACLE Racing navigator, Peter Isler. 'It is only one step on a long journey and we know there is still a lot of work to do. We will continue to take it one race at a time.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33405&ntid=58
Desafio Espanol 2007 takes two wins from behind
On Saturday, the home team, Desafio Espanol 2007, took advantage of an earlier Jury ruling which ordered a re-sail of its match against Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team. The Spanish team won its second come-from-behind match of the day, beating Mascalzone Latino in the re-sail, following a win over Shosholoza in their Flight 7 contest....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33408&ntid=58
Comfortable win for NZL 92
With two more points earned, NZL 92 retained its third place on the leader board and is the only unbeaten team in round robin 2. With 30 points, NZL 92 is one point behind joint leaders Luna Rossa and BMW Oracle. Fourth in the rankings is Desafio Espanol on 25 points. Four flights of round robin 2 remain to be sailed. Flight eight will be sailed tomorrow and challengers will meet to discuss sailing two flights on Monday and one on Tuesday if the weather makes it necessary....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33398&ntid=58
From the Blogs: Tack by Tack - Mark Chisnell
Mascalzone bounce off them back onto starboard, so the separation opens again. Desafio not anxious to turn this into a gybing frenzy, always the risk of tearing the spinnaker and turning a comfortable lead into a stress-fest. They've waited a couple of minutes before going back to starboard gybe, and Mascalzone immediately gybe with them hoping to force the error and make something happen out there....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33411&ntid=58
Quotes of the Day: LVC Round Robin 2, Flight 7 & 4
Charles Nankin, Mast, Team Shosholoza, on feeling bitter sweet at this stage in the competition: 'I am absolutely stuffed! We have put our all into this and had some very near victories against some of the big teams, including the victory against Luna Rossa that was a big milestone for us. To come so close to so many of the teams, and so clearly be in the league...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33409&ntid=58
From the Blogs: SailJuice - Andy Rice
Vascotto wasn't see the funny side of this gesture, if indeed there was one. 'It's disappointing the end of their victory was marred by an unsportsmanlike gesture from John Cutler. In my crew I have Spanish sailors and he - who is a Kiwi - doesn't deserve to sail on a Spanish boat. The whole world saw this, and I hope the Jury saw it too.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33410&ntid=58
Penalty for +39 and the race is over
Penalty for +39 that tries to get even but the umpires fly a green flag. It is then 11 seconds that separate the two boats. In the upwind leg Luna Rossa increases her lead to 100 metres. Today's match race against Luna Rossa was decided at the start....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33407&ntid=58
Luna Rossa Challenge defeats +39
The pre start skirmishes are closer than usual and come to a close when the umpires inflict a penalty on Iain Percy for failing to keep clear of Luna Rossa who was tacking. Spithill manages to slow the boat down and keep the opponents pinned to the Committee end at the start....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33400&ntid=58
Good day for Desafio Espanol 2007
Today Desafio Espanol 2007 has won both of their regattas against Shosholoza and Mascalzone Latino. To date, the Spanish team stands five points ahead of their nearest rival, Victory Challenge, with whom they will race next Monday, 7 May. The first regatta of the day was against the South African team, Shosholoza. El Desafio Espanol 2007 fought hard in the pre-start. In the pre-start against Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia, Desafio Espanol 2007 departed along the left and in the first few moves the Italian team moved ahead by a length....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33399&ntid=58
Luna Rossa Cuptoon: Life in the Meditation Centre
Mark O'Brien who was a feature of the Louis Vuitton and America's Cups in Auckland, with his Monsta series, is in Valencia as part of the Luna Rossa team. We will be presenting Mark's latest Cup carton when available, either as a separate feature of as part of the Luna Rossa story of the day....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33393&ntid=58
Shosholoza's dream fades of a place in the Semis
'We are not yet dead. We are still alive and we must still be there. We have three more races to go and AREVA (French challengers) are very close. We can still fight. For us to have started as newcomers at the bottom of the leader board and come so far is incredible. We are still fighting and we will continue as we have been doing for three and a half years. We are not defeated....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33404&ntid=58
German Team succumbs to Emirates Team New Zealand
Germany I took the lead on the left side of the course with one boat length ahead and managed to defend the lead for a few tacks. Only after half of the upwind Emirates Team New Zealand passed the German yacht on the right side and controlled the race from then on. Their lead was up to 32 seconds at the first weather mark....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33401&ntid=58
49er sailors on top in the Cup
Downwind in a Cup boat you're sailing quite big angles, like you do in a 49er,' says McKee, a double Olympic medallist and former World Champion in the 49er. 'The other thing is that both a Cup boat and a 49er travel pretty much at wind speed downwind, so you learn to look in the right place for the breeze.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33394&ntid=58
China Team goes down Mascalzone Latino
Today, China Team facing Mascalzone Latino could not circumvent the very solid velocity of the second Italian challenge. Faster on the line, the team helmed by the New Zealander Cameron Dunn remained in the lead for the rest of the course. In more or less regular wind (12 knots), no one would surprise the big teams and the foursome in the top are becoming slowly more defined....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33403&ntid=58
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