Louis Vuitton Final Day 2 - No mistakes from Kiwis

03 Jun 2007

Louis Vuitton Final Day 2 - No mistakes from the Kiwis

In today's second race of the Louis Vuitton final Emirates Team New Zealand delivered a mistake free match racing performance and they were rewarded with a 40 second win over Luna Rossa. Down 0-2 the Italian Team are looking at the steepening slopes of a mountain larger than Monte Bianco.
Bob Fisher reports

'The race was won and lost at the start. Both weather teams advised the tacticians that the right hand side of the course would be favoured. In Luna Rossa's case, 'More strongly than yesterday,' and Team New Zealand's, 'the right is stronger, but not much in it.' Both helmsmen therefore wanted that side

'James Spithill entered from the pin end and may have been surprised when Dean Barker, coming from the committee boat on starboard began to round up ahead of him. It was a conservative move to protect the right, but after a minute, the Kiwis tacked away. Luna Rossa followed and circling began half-heartedly.

'There was one occasion when fortune favoured Spithill, when it appeared that Team New Zealand had to alter course, when right-of-way boat, to avoid Luna Rossa and a protest flag was waved furiously from the Kiwis' cockpit. The umpires took a more sanguine view and indicated, with a green flag, that no foul had taken place. ''

'On the run in to the line, Barker had most of the control and timed his entry almost to perfection. Being a touch early, he bore away, was right up to speed as he luffed for the line. Spithill was on his weather quarter, but paid dearly for obtaining the right.

'He was forced to tack away immediately and that put Team New Zealand a boat's length up on the gain line. From there, there was little argument, despite 22 tacks, to the Kiwis' control and a lead of 25 seconds at the first mark was a matter of right.

'There was no coming back from that. Even the mercurial Torben Grael appeared muted and Luna Rossa was without his bold and extravagant calls that might have taken her off to a different part of the course. That is, if Terry Hutchinson had allowed his opponent that freedom, which he wasn't.

The 40-second gap at the finish was much of what might have been expected, and unless the confidence of the Italian team can be restored, the Louis Vuitton Cup final could be over very quickly.'

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By The Sail-World Team

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