Round Robin 2 gets off to a slow start

Editorial: Round Robin 2 gets off to a slow start

Welcome to Sail-World.Com’s America’s Cup newsletter for Day 14 of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Today should have been the start of Round Robin 2, and it was for some.

Racing got underway on the northern course after the start was delayed waiting for the breeze to fill in.

On the southern course, racing was called off for the day at around 5.30pm Valencian time.

The delay means that those scheduled to race on the southern course will race two races tomorrow, while those who have completed a race today will be back to just one race.

BMW Oracle Racing had an untroubled race to score another win on Round Robin 2 - Day 1 BMW Oracle Racing © Photo - Gilles Martin-Raget

So tomorrow’s program currently looks like this:

Louis Vuitton Cup - Round Robin 2 - Flight 2
Team Shosholoza (RSA 83) - United Internet Team Germany (GER 89)
BMW Oracle Racing (USA 98) - China Team (CHN 95)
Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 94) - Victory Challenge (SWE 96)
+39 Challenge (ITA 85) - Desafío Espanol 2007 (ESP 97)
AREVA Challenge (FRA 93) - Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team (ITA 99)
Bye Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 92)

Louis Vuitton Cup - Round Robin 2 - Flight 1
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 92) - Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team (ITA 99)
AREVA Challenge (FRA 93) - +39 Challenge (ITA 85)

The process from here is that if a match is not sailed on one day it will be held over to the next until the schedule is back on track for one race per day. For our Emirates Team NZ fans, please note that although NZL-92 is one race behind, they will be sailing only the last race tomorrow, as the have a bye in Flight 2.

For Round Robin 2, the points are the same as for Round Robin 1 – 2 points for a win. However the courses have been lengthened to 3nm miles per leg. The wind limits of seven to 23 knots remain. The leg time limit is extended to 40 minutes.

Emirates Team New Zealand strategist on NZL92 Terry Hutchinson watches the horizon for a sign of wind to come. Day one of Round Robin two was finally cancelled at 5.30 when wind failed to fill in. Emirates Team NZ/ ©Photo Chris Cameron ETNZ

The major drama of today’s racing occurred as Victory Challenge and Team Shosholoza neared the leeward mark ready for the takedown, with the South Africans well in control of the race. RSA’s spinnaker pole was allowed to touch the forestay under full load breaking the pole immediately. Although they made a slight gain on the Swedes on the beat, for the final run they elected to set the spinnaker off their bowsprit.

They hung on very well, only to be rolled the Victory Challenge after two miles of the three mile leg, and thereafter it was game set and match.

The other matches when fairly much as predicted, the only other action point being when Team China did a very spectacular trawl with their spinnaker around the leeward mark.

Hopefully we will see more breeze in Valencia tomorrow.

Good sailing!

By nzeditor@sail-world.com

Fisher's View: Wobbly wind again
By Bob Fisher,
There is an old adage that states: you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make it drink. It is applicable in Valencia to yacht racing. All the paraphernalia was in place – the committee boats, the mark laying craft and the competitors, but only on the north course was any racing possible.... [more]

Victory Challenge earns come from behind win
By America's Cup Media,
A large spectator fleet on the north race course saw the first Flight of action in Round Robin Two of the Louis Vuitton Cup. A close battle between Shosholoza and Victory Challenge was the highlight of the day, although China Team had some surprises for Luna Rossa early in that match as well.... [more]

BMW ORACLE Racing adds another win to tally
By Ivor Wilkins, BMW Oracle Racing Media,
BMW ORACLE Racing added another two points to its score and retained the top place on the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger selection series with a clinical 3 minutes 17 second win over United Internet Team Germany in Valencia today.... [more]

Luna Rossa wins her 200th official
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Luna Rossa’s first race of the eliminatory Round Robin 2 began at 4.25 p.m. with 8 knots of breeze from the north north east, sun at sea and cumulonimbus on land.... [more]

Quotes Of The Day: LVC Round Robin 2
By America's Cup Media,
Our weather team told us there would be a pretty big right hand shift, and whoever was in front would probably win the race. So the mentality had to shift from it being a four leg race to being a one leg race,... [more]

Shattered spi pole costs RSA against SWE
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South Africa’s Team Shosholoza started the Louis Vuitton Cup Round Robin 2 in superb form today by leading their closest rivals the Swedish Victory Challenge around all three marks on the race course but a shattered spinnaker pole put paid to ultimately pulling off a win as the Vikings overhauled them on the final run to the finish to cross the line 52 seconds ahead.... [more]

Victory Challenge wins over Shosholoza
By Bert Willborg/Victory Challenge,
Team Shosholoza takes the lead on the first beat and leads at every rounding, even if it’s close. Only the three matches on the north course are sailed. The two on the south course are delayed.... [more]

From the Blogs: SailJuice - Andy Rice
By Andy Rice: www.sailjuice.com,
Thumbs Up for BMW Oracle: 'A fantastic day’s racing in Valencia to conclude a Round Robin that at one time seemed like it would never end. So what did we learn from today? Well, for starters, that none of the helmsmen in the leading teams are infallible'... [more]

German team succumbs to BMW Oracle Racing
By Oliver Laskowsky,
'We were looking good on the first cross which let us hope. However on the downwind leg our opponent just went away with a wind shift. We don’t know the reasons for that. But we are looking ahead and are motivated for our next races', says Skipper Jesper Bank.... [more]

Emirates TNZ: Second round robin starts for some
By Warren Douglas, Emirates Team NZ Media,
The second round robin of the challenger elimination series got underway for some syndicates today. The breeze failed the others. On the north course three races were completed. On the south course the two scheduled races were abandoned when the breeze failed to fill in and settle.... [more]

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Repairs to Longtze complete
By China Team media,
The race against time has been won by the technical team. The repairs have been finished. 'We have removed the damaged pieces, repaired the carbon pieces which hold the bolts next to the keel box, by making new ones. What is long is the curing. That started this morning and will be finished tomorrow. We will go sailing tomorrow morning to test the boat and we will be on the starting line tomorrow at 14:15', explained Herve Devaux from China Design.... [more]

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