The game settles down

Editorial: The game settles down

Welcome to Sail-World.Com’s America’s Cup newsletter for Day 10 of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The breeze appeared for the second successive day in Valencia, increasing in strength on one course to 13kts, causing Emirates Team New Zealand’s Dean Barker to comment that it 'felt like a hurricane'.

Today was the match of the great rugby rivals, New Zealand vs South Africa. Barker was in virtuoso form for NZL-92’s match against Team Shosholoza pinning helmsman Paolo Cian, in low speed mode as he darted back and forth at pace, protecting the starboard (right hand side) of the side starting line and the favoured starboard side of the course.

The South Africans are one of the David’s of this regatta, taking a win off one of the Top Three yesterday in the shape of Luna Rossa, and almost doing the same against BMW Oracle Racing, on the previous raceday.

It was a race that Emirates Team NZ could not afford to lose, given their opening day performance against +39. And they didn’t.

Lady Blake has a laugh with Dean Barker, Jeremy Lomas and Tony Rae before Emirates Team New Zealand leaves the dock for day 11 of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Lady Blake will sail with the team as "18th man"  Emirates Team NZ/ ©Photo Chris Cameron ETNZ

Ashore the 'action' was at the Alinghi base with a weather briefing conducted by their meteorological team, justifying the weather data behind the decision to stage the Louis Vuitton Cup at the present time.

In an interview with TVNZ’s Peter Montgomery, Alinghi skipper Brad Butterworth, confirmed that the America’s Cup dates had been dictated by marketing considerations, and that the Challenger of Record was well aware of the weather data for April.

In one of three stories today, Sail-World’s Bob Fisher gives his insights into the Alinghi briefing, as well as commenting on today’s racing. And we have his missed report from yesterday, Raceday 3. So it is three servings of Bob today, and fine fare it is, too!

Team Shosholoza bowmen Golden Mgedeza (left) and Ken Venn - weather mark rounding in race against Luna Rossa  Peter Goldman

The points table is beginning to settle down with the Big Three consolidating their position. BMW Oracle and Emirates Team New Zealand look very good. However the latter have yet to come up against either of BMW Oracle or Luna Rossa, and it will be the outcome of those matches which will be watched with great interest – as much for self-confidence in what has been a very difficult regatta, as well as points on the Table.

Below these three there is plenty of he ran, she ran, as the implications of vital wins in close matches come into account. Todays’s match for Team Shosholoza against Desafio Espanol being a case in point, with the Rainbow Nation getting it’s bow in front at the first mark only to lose the lead to host team on the first run.

The climb for South Africa became a little steeper at that point. A win and a loss for the day would have been a much better result.

Good sailing

Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor

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By nzeditor@sail-world.com

Two solid wins for Emirates TNZ in a bigger breeze
By Warren Douglas, Emirates Team NZ Media,
Emirates Team New Zealand took to the race course today looking for two more wins. First up was against Shosholoza a match that was keenly anticipated around Port America’s Cup. Shosholoza tipped up Luna Rossa Challenge yesterday and the speculation was that maybe they could do the same to Emirates Team New Zealand.... [more]

Euphoria from yesterday doesn't help RSA today
By Team Shosholoza Media,
Despite lingering euphoria over yesterday’s magnificent victory over the Italian giant Luna Rossa and a second win off China Team, Team Shosholoza failed to sustain their winning form against Emirates Team New Zealand or the Spanish Desafio Espanol Team in two tough races sailed in stronger wind conditions in the Louis Vuitton Cup off Valencia, Spain today.... [more]

Quotes of the Day: Day 10, Flights 6 and 7
By America's Cup Media,
David Brooke, Mast, BMW Oracle Racing, on how the racing in the Louis Vuitton Cup is going to unfold: 'My prediction is that there’ll be some really close racing, a lot of close tacking, a lot of lee-bows, and a lot of slam dunks. I reckon that there’ll be some races won on the umpires’ decision because it is going to be so close.'... [more]

Tough day for Longtze
By China Team media,
Longtze lost honourably against the Spanish, before quitting the second race because of a technical problem. Espanol. The home team, helmed by the Polish Karol Jablonski is in the running for a place in the semi-finals so it is a motivated team which is waiting for China Team.... [more]

Desafío Español 2007's Double Triumph
By Desafío Español 2007 media,
Desafío Español 2007 faced China Team in the first flight today, and in the pre-start the Spanish team was dominant. The second flight of the day was against Shosholoza, another close rival who had gained points yesterday after beating the Italian team Luna Rossa. At the start, with a stronger wind than there had been in the first flight, Desafío Español 2007 maintained a close battle with the South African team Shosholoza.... [more]

Fisher's View: More wind and more racing
By Bob Fisher,
To watch Dean Barker behind the wheels of Emirates Team New Zealand in the pre-start of the match with Shosholoza was like watching a cat toy with a mouse. Paolo Cian simply had no answer when the Kiwis came in with speed on starboard tack and left the resultant dial-up with pace while the South African boat floundered, trying to fall off on port tack.... [more]

United Internet Team Germany's good performance
By Oliver Laskowsky,
'Of course we are not relieved with the defeat, but we are happy with our performance in this race. We did our best to make it as hard as possible for our opponent', Jesper Bank said after the race against Mascalzone Latino.... [more]

USA 98 scores another win in Valencia
By Jane Eagleson, BMW Oracle Racing,
BMW ORACLE Racing maintained its winning momentum and unbeaten record in the opening round of the Louis Vuitton Cup with a comfortable victory over the French Areva Challenge team in Valencia today. With a bye in the first match, USA 98 had a relatively light workload, but still holds its place at the top of the leaderboard, 1 point clear of Emirates Team New Zealand... [more]

Weak winds for Luna Rossa who wins two races today
By Luna Rossa Media,
In the first match Luna Rossa faced off against Areva Challenge (FRA 93). Weather conditions on the northern course (Romeo) saw winds from the east south east at 7-9 knots, cloudy skies and calm seas. At the start the afterguard on board Luna Rossa asks for the left and Spithill gets it shoving the French off to starboard. A brief separation between the boats comes to a halt when Luna Rossa tacks almost immediately towards the right hand side of the course.... [more]

BMW Oracle leads points table at Louis Vuitton Cup
By America's Cup Media,
For the second consecutive day, good racing conditions blessed the waters off Port America’s Cup in Valencia and two full flights of racing were completed. Conditions were ideal for America’s Cup racing with winds up to 13 knots on the south race course and between six and 10 knots on the north race area.... [more]

Alinghi's view of the weather and AC venue
By Alinghi Media,
At a media briefing this morning, the Alinghi weather team, Jon Bilger and Jack Katzfey explained to the media the recent weather pattern that has been plaguing the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup.... [more]

Fisher's View: 'I wish you were beautiful'
By Bob Fisher,
The words of the Jimmy Buffett song were uppermost in my mind as I left the Alinghi Press Conference this morning. Following the abject refusal by ACM to allow us access to the weather data it had used to 'choose' Valencia as the venue for the 32nd America’s Cup, and the admission by its CEO that it had used the Alinghi weather team, I had gone with great expectations of an explanation.... [more]

Shosholoza beats Luna Rossa for first of two wins
By Team Shosholoza Media,
It was an incredible day for South Africa’s Team Shosholoza in Valencia, Spain on Tuesday. After three and a half years of gruelling racing and training Shosholoza finally pulled off the big one by slaying Italian giant Luna Rossa and then going on to take a second victory of the day off China team.... [more]

Images from Anzac Day: Emirates Team New Zealand
By Emirates Team NZ Media,
Anzac Day was remembered in a dawn ceremony at the Emirates Team New Zealand base in Valencia, before starting the racing program for Day 10 of the Louis Vuitton Cup... [more]

Fisher's View: What a difference a day makes
By Bob Fisher,
There was a complete change in attitude in Valencia today when it became apparent that the existing wind conditions were favourable to the formation of a sea breeze. At first, there was a postponement ashore that kept the crews in their bases until the Principal Race Officer, Peter Reggio, was satisfied that the breeze would materialise. And it did, peaking to 10 knots, guaranteeing that racing was definitely on.... [more]

New America's Cup DVD released - a Must Buy!
By Sail-World,
The second in a series of America's Cup DVD's has been released by New Zealand based production company, Mediawave. An outstanding production, this DVD is notable not only for capturing the highlights of the 12 Louis Vuitton Acts sailed in four countries. The camera work is outstanding as is the sight of AC yachts racing against the scenic backdrops of Valencia (Spain), Marseille (France), Malmo (Sweden) and Trapani (Italy).... [more]

2007 America's Cup

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