08.05.2007
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Sail-World.com America's Cup 2007Newsletter....
Welcome to Sail-World.Com's America's Cup newsletter for Day 22 of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Valencia made everyone happy with her behaviour today, turning on a beautiful seabreeze of between 11-14kts. Today was significant for two things.
Firstly, it was the first time that Emirates Team New Zealand have beaten one of the other Top Three teams, when they dealt to Luna Rossa by a 36 second margin.
Entering with the starboard tack advantage, Dean Barker showed a coolness under fire from James Spithill, with both getting away to an even start. The Kiwi mettle was tested on the first beat the Italians threw no less than 33 tacks in an effort to break through the Kiwi guard, rounding the first mark 17 seconds in arrears. From there the Emirates Team New Zealand afterguard made no mistakes and had more than doubled this lead by the finish.
Second, the Swedish Victory Challenge kept their Semi-Final hopes alive, beating the local Desafio Espanol, by just 7 seconds or half a boatlength after a controversial spinnaker drop or rather a discard at the end of the first downwind run. Bob Fisher covers this manoeuvre, and its history, in his column.
The race for fourth place got somewhat more tense after this narrow victory.
The Swedish have closed to within three points of the Spanish. Both have a tough run home, with Victory Challenge coming up against Emirates TNZ in the next Flight, and then the unpredictable Latin Rascals in the final Flight on Wednesday. They must win both to make the Semi-Finals.
Spain has an even more difficult draw, with BMW Oracle Racing and then Luna Rossa. However they can afford to lose both, provided the Swedes only win one of their two matches. Now, those close matches that strategist John Cutler won for Desafio Espanol look very useful indeed, as do points from the Acts 1-13 which were carried over into these Round Robins.
Emirates Team New Zealand's Grant Dalton has sparked some controversy at home with an interview in Wellington's Dominion Post where he comments on the Kiwis sailing with other teams. We have published the opening paragraphs of the interview and the link for the rest. It will certainly provide a bit of needle for Emirate Team New Zealand's final match against BMW Oracle Racing on Wednesday.
We've also got some more extracts from Mark Chisnell's and Andy Rice's excellent weblogs to give an insight on the rapport that the crew have with USA-98, +39's view on what might have been, and mark's always interesting Tack by Tack commentary.
In New Zealand, according to the Alexa.com ratings, we believe that Sail-World.com is now NZ's second most visited sports site - behind Crickets's Cricinfo.com, but ahead of the All Blacks, Super 14 and all others, including the official America's Cup site's NZ audience. That is a pretty good indication of the Kiwi interest in this Louis Vuitton Cup.
It can only get better.
Good sailing!
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
Tomorrow's program - Tuesday, May 8th
'Louis Vuitton Cup' - Round Robin 2 - Flight 10
China Team (CHN 95) - +39 Challenge (ITA 85)
United Internet Team Germany (GER 89) - Areva Challenge (FRA 93)
Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team (ITA 99) - Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 94)
Victory Challenge (SWE 96) - Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 92)
Desafio Espanol 2007 (ESP 97) - BMW Oracle Racing (USA 98)
Bye Team Shosholoza (RSA 83)
Fisher's View: Not yet Desafio
Victory Challenge showed no signs of allowing themselves to be rolled over by Desafio Espanol and handing the last available semi-final place to the Spanish on a plate. Rather, Magnus Holmberg took the fight to the Spanish in a characteristic manner for the former world match racing champion....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33466&ntid=58
BMW ORACLE Racing retains Louis Vuitton Cup lead
All the action was in the pre-start, with skipper Chris Dickson making a hair-breadth judgment to hook USA 98's bow behind the transom of the Italian yacht and force them over the startline early. By the time Mascalzone Latino Capitalia had circled back to re-start the match, USA 98 had leaped away into an unassailable lead....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33467&ntid=58
NZL 92 has good win over Luna Rossa
Today's clash was a classic match race with NZL 92 gaining control right at the start by turning up the pressure to lead right to the end. The margin at the finish was a hard-won 36 seconds. As NZL 92 entered the start box the breeze was a fairly steady 12 - 14 knots. The start was even, NZL 92 getting away fast to leeward of ITA 94 and building the lead metre by metre as they engaged in a tacking duel to the top mark....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33464&ntid=58
Victory Challenge sure they can do it
Victory Challenge today took its fourth win in a row in the challenger's series, by beating Desafio Espanol - by seven seconds. There is a restrained joy - and no victory celebrations - on the base after today's win against Desafio Espanol. Everyone knows that only the first of what may be the three toughest days in the team's history has been as successful as everyone predicted this morning....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33485&ntid=58
Kiwi flag flying high in Valencia
But as far as Dalton is concerned, New Zealanders working for other syndicates are deceiving themselves. 'If you're a Kiwi and you're working for Oracle, for example, you're in the process of trying to take it to San Francisco. It just ain't the same. Can't be. I defy anyone who grew up, went to flippin' Kaikohe primary school, played rugby for Te Ara, to be really happy about trying to win it and take it to San Francisco.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33484&ntid=58
Luna Rossa Cuptoon: Oracle Farm
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=33486&ntid=58
Victory Challenge stay alive in Louis Vuitton Cup
Desafio Espanol started the day needing just two more points to tie-up the fourth spot in the semi-finals but Victory Challenge put that on hold with a seven second win over the Spanish....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33471&ntid=58
From the Blogs: SailJuice - No Excuse to Lose
The way Brady puts it, the boat is almost an extension of skipper Chris Dickson. Remember, Brady walked away from the team a couple of years ago because Dickson moved him off the wheel. Now that Brady's back, he seems more than happy to operate in the tactician's role while Dickson continues to steer....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33483&ntid=58
Quotes Of The Day: LVC Round Robin 2, Flight 9
Ian Walker, Tactician, +39, on discovering their boat: 'I think we are definitely better off now than we were before, at the start of this series. The biggest thing that makes a difference to our boat is the wind speed. We are definitely more comfortable when it's windy, but it's no good finding that out now. We needed to find that out six months ago. I know why as well but it's too late now.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33473&ntid=58
From the Blogs: SailJuice - Andy Rice
The new Version 5 rig that was brought down by Germany during the fleet racing, broken into three pieces, was a massive setback for the team. Every rig in the fleet is designed to twist for improved aerodynamics, and with the +39 rig patched up for the Round Robins, Iain Percy says it has lost that twisting ability, and the boatspeed is suffering accordingly....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33482&ntid=58
Team New Zealand gets even with Luna Rossa
After an initial postponement due to wind instability, Luna Rossa begins her eighteenth eliminatory match entering the pre-start box from port and faces off against Emirates Team New Zealand at the dial-up. On the southern course 12 knots of wind from the east south east, sunny skies and calm seas. After two minutes head to wind the Kiwis fall off to starboard followed by ITA 94 less than a boat length away....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33477&ntid=58
From the Blogs: Tack by Tack - Mark Chisnell
We've got the race between the last two contenders for the one remaining semi-final spot, and another smack-fest between two of the three teams split by just two points at the top of the leaderboard. Crack a packet of biscuits and put the coffee on - or alternatively open a spreadsheet or something that makes it look like you're working - and settle down and let the action unroll... ...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33480&ntid=58
Victory Challenge take win over Desafio Espanol
Then it is time for Victory Challenge-Desafio Espanol. Jarv demonstrates its rapid acceleration just before the start line and passes it at higher speed, on the way towards the right layline. A tacking duel has begun. Victory Challenge is still in the lead. At the third meeting Jarv is still in the lead, by just over a boatlength....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33474&ntid=58
More problems for China Team and defeat by Areva
On the menu for China Team today, is the French team Areva Challenge, skippered by Sebastien Col. It is a conservative start for the two teams, who look to be right on the line instead of playing cat and mouse. At the first tack, Longtze finally gives way after a hydraulic problem adversely affecting the mast and genoa trim....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33472&ntid=58
Desafio Espanol 2007 unable to defeat Swedish
In the pre-start, ESP-97 and SWE-96 marked each other along the right until 20 seconds before the departure. The Swedish team set off for the line with the Spanish boat following and crossing the line slightly behind their rival. The Swedish team continued pulling away despite the attempts of the Spaniards and they arrived at the top marker with an advantage of 22 seconds....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33470&ntid=58
Team Shosholoza has disappointing loss to +39
Team Shosholoza stomached a disappointing loss to the Italian +39 Challenge in their penultimate match of Round Robin 2 of the Louis Vuitton Cup being raced off Valencia, Spain, after the Italians got the better of them in the final seconds of the pre-start and went on to lead them around the course to the finish....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33469&ntid=58
Iain Percy and +39 Team defeats Shosholoza
The tactics by Ian Walker were immaculate in the four legs, and ITA85 crossed the finishing line with 250 metres and 50 seconds advantage. A very exciting race and at last a much longed for success for +39 when they beat the Italian/South Africans from Shosholoza with a final delta of 50 seconds....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33468&ntid=58
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