Sail-World.com America's Cup 2007Newsletter....
Welcome to Sail-World.Com's America's Cup Newsletter for the second day of Semi-Final Racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Today saw BMW Oracle Racing stage one of the great comebacks in Louis Vuitton Cup history, when they came from deficits of close to 300 metres to twice close with Luna Rossa, and take a vital win on the finish line to take a 13 second win and level their scorecard.
While USA-98 can rest more peacefully knowing that they have leveled the ballgame, the fact remains that in their last three matches - for a total 12 legs, they have led at one just one of those - the vital final one today.
Looking at the two Matches in the Semi-Finals, there are two distinctive styles.
In Semi-Final A, Emirates Team New Zealand and Desafio Espanol play a tighter game which sees NZL-92 build a useful lead around the first mark and then use conventional matchracing strategy to defend it. If this involves spending some of that lead to maintain contact, then so be it.
In Semi-Final B, it is the very different school of corner sailing and big separations. While BMW Oracle may not have had too much choice today, given that they were significantly behind after being cleaned out at the start, it is 'bet your house' stuff, and it is a little surprising that both seem to be prepared to play this game.
Maybe Luna Rossa strategist Torben Grael is playing on confidence after his performance in the opening race of the Semi-Final. And maybe the USA-98 afterguard didn't have much choice given they were having to play catch-up, however it is not the stuff that wins America's Cups.
Emirates Team New Zealand continues to go from strength to strength and look the best of the four challengers in every department. The slick and confident crew-work is their hallmark and a delight to watch.
Desafio Espanol are no slugs, but are being made to look a little ordinary by the Emirates machine, which runs more smoothly with every outing. On the stats they would appear to have an upwind advantage over the other three, and either hold or gain downwind.
Today was the exception where NZL-92 lost significantly on both downwind legs to Desafio Espanol. But when you have a lead of 75 seconds around the first mark, coupled with a massive seven second jump at the start, it is easy to run out to one side of the Valencian minefield, downwind, and lose contact with your opponent, who splits and takes their chances on the other layline.
It will be interesting to see how these two styles evolve in the course of the Semi-Final, and then come together in the Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup. It takes two to tango in Matchracing, and which style prevails is going to determine the outcome of the Louis Vuitton Cup - unless of course, we see a major switch in tactics in the remaining races in this Semi-Final - which will now stretch to at least a six race series, the case of USA-98 versus ITA-94.
In this issue we are pleased to introduce a new weblog (blog) by Mark Chisnell, who in addition to his TackByTack.com commentary on the Match of the Day is also doing an overview of the day's events.
Good Sailing
Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor
PS We are pleased to able to report that Sail-World in New Zealand continues to climb in the Alexa.com ratings, and is now in the 170's ranking in New Zealand sites and the second highest rating sports site - ahead of the All Blacks and Super-14 which tend to dominate in the Kiwi winter. We are offering great opportunities for advertisers to share this level of success contact nzeditor@sail-world.com or Rob Kothe at media@sail-world.com for further information and readership statistics. Also, Colin Preston of Sail-World.com will be at the Auckland Boatshow on Thursday if you wish to have a chat about advertising on Sail-World.
Fisher's View: The roles reverse
BMW Oracle is faster downwind than Luna Rossa. The American boat, skippered by Chris Dickson, proved this indisputably today by taking 38 and 37 seconds less than the Italian on the two 3.3-mile runs in a steady 12-knot sea breeze. It was another come-from-behind victory for Dickson....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33718&ntid=58
Second straight win for Emirates Team New Zealand
NZL 92 took its second straight win in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals today, beating Desafio Espanol by 40 sec. 'We were never threatened,' Grant Dalton said. 'Dean and the boys controlled the start and we shut down Desafio's options from there. ESP 97 never gave up the fight but unfortunately for them there were not any passing lanes out there today.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33705&ntid=58
BMW ORACLE Racing goes 1-1 in Semi-Final
BMW ORACLE Racing staged a dramatic come-from-behind win against Luna Rossa Challenge in Valencia today to square the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-final at 1-1...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33717&ntid=58
Timing Sheets and Race Summaries: Semi-Final Race
James Spithill took the fight to Chris Dickson in the pre-start and made it pay, taking Luna Rossa to an early lead off the starting line. Unlike yesterday's match between these two, which was notable for big splits up the windward legs, Luna Rossa's tactician Torben Grael kept a tighter game in the steadier, moderate onshore breezes for today's racing....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33719&ntid=58
From the Blogs: - Mark Chisnell: The Day of the Tight Deltas
ETNZ let Desafio shave 3 seconds off yesterday's winning margin, the Kiwis crossing the finish line 40 seconds in front of the Spanish to go 2-0 up in their Louis Vuitton Semi-final. But all the action was with Oracle and Luna Rossa - Oracle pegged it back to 1-1 with a finish margin of just 13s - which tells you about as much of the story as the opening credits of a James Bond movie. And that's what it was - all gun-slinging melodrama compared to the subtle tragedy played out between ETNZ and Desafio....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33722&ntid=58
Desafio Espanol 2007 loses to New Zealand
Desafio Espanol 2007 lost today in the second day of semifinals of the Louis Vuitton Cup to Emirates Team New Zealand. Halfway down the leg the Spanish team turned to the left, the Kiwis continuing down the opposite side and after another crossing, the lead held by the New Zealanders had increased to four lengths. Desafio Espanol 2007 crossed the finishing line 40 seconds behind the New Zealand team....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33706&ntid=58
From the Blogs: Tack by Tack - Mark Chisnell
16.40: It doesn't get any bigger than that, Oracle found the puff at the end again, they always looked stronger downwind, and they made the pass. It's rescued Oracle, no doubt that going 2-0 down at this stage, after the loss to ETNZ, could have been a fatal wounding......
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33721&ntid=58
Luna Rossa Cuptoon: Trimmer's Pasta
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=33723&ntid=58
From the Blogs: SailJuice - Dickson back from the Dead
A week ago Gavin Brady voiced the confidence that BMW Oracle Racing have in their boat USA 98. 'I've personally never been on a boat where we feel we're the only people that could screw it up for 98.'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33720&ntid=58
BMW Oracle stage great comeback; Emirates two up
BMW ORACLE Racing earned one of the great comebacks in the 32nd America's Cup, beating Luna Rossa Challenge after trailing by as much as 58 seconds at the first windward mark - In the other pairing, Emirates Team New Zealand lead Desafio Espanol 2007 from the start...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33714&ntid=58
Quotes of the Day - LVC Semi Finals: Race Day 2.
'It is not all boat speed. We are happy with USA 98 all around the course, the oscillations and puffs gave more opportunity for the trailing boat to look super fast than on a typical sea breeze day where it is more persistent. It was a matter of being patient and looking for opportunities. It is completely maddening to sail against a boat that won't tack on you or gybe with you when you are way behind, and psychologically it's nice when you can make a split. We made a nice gain on the first run. Gavin (Brady) and Eric (Doyle) did a great job calling the wind'...
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33708&ntid=58
BMW Oracle Racing evens the score in Semi-Final 2
Chris Dickson, helming USA 98 tries to hook ITA 94 who instead sails away and succeeds in controlling her opponent, slowing down the Americans. Spithill crosses the start line with an advantage of over a boat length while USA 98 tacks several times in an attempt to shake off Luna Rossa's close cover...Halfway down the final leg BMW Oracle Racing pulls in the lead and wins the race. Luna Rossa crosses the finishing line 13 seconds later....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33704&ntid=58
Fisher's View: Holy Toledo !
The odds against it happening were very long, and it needed a specific type of performance to happen, but the records will always show that Luna Rossa beat BMW Oracle Racing in the first of their semi-final matches in the Louis Vuitton Cup by a massive 2:19....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33698&ntid=58
Bob Fisher's - An Absorbing Interest
The Definitive History of the America's Cup from 1851 to 2003, written by Bob Fisher. Its two volumes covers the drama, boat design, personalities and sheer fascination of the America's Cup....
http://www.sail-world.com/newstext/pda.cfm?Nid=33691&ntid=58
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