Challenger Finals start

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Challenger Finals start

Race Committee vessel Louis Vuitton Pacific Series  Richard Gladwell

Welcome to the 14th edition of Sail-World.com's newsletter for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series

Day 12 of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series marked the start of the Quarter Finals, Semi-Finals and first race in the Challenger Final and just three out of the ten teams that started the regatta are left in the competition.

There was sensationally close racing, by any match racing standard, and exceptionally close by America's Cup standards.

In fact there would have been no closer day's racing in any America's Cup, in its 158 year history.

Media and Emirates Team NZ crew watch the Semi-Finals in the Louis Vuitton Pacific series Media centre in the Emirates Team NZ base   Richard Gladwell

However this is not the America's Cup, as so many of the international media were reminded when they tuned into the Appeal Court proceedings in Albany. It was like watching the rerun of a dreadful movie - of claim and counter-claim, accusation and plain untruth.

A far cry from the scenes we have enjoyed each day at this series, where everyone gets along just fine.

Crews, media, race officials and support teams mingle but respect each other's space and role in the event.

Why couldn't it always be like this? Why can't everyone just get along?

It's the same people, same class, same teams, different venue, different organisers, different attitude.

Challenger Final 1 - finish. BMW Oracle Racing picks the wrong end of the finish line  ARL Media

On the water there were two sensational finishes. The first as BMW Oracle Racing managed to clear a penalty turn ahead of a fast finishing Luna Rossa - achieving the feat in just 94 metres of margin instead of the 150metres reckoned to be necessary.

Then in the first race of the Challenger Final, after enjoying what should have been a comfortable lead, BMW Oracle Racing made the most basic of mistakes and picked the wrong end of the finish line, squandering a lead of 60 metres. Alinghi powered down the final straight, headed for the shortest end of the line and sailing 1.3kts faster - to take the win by 1 second and needs just one more win to take on Emirates Team New Zealand in the Challenger Final.

Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Racing Day 12  BMW Oracle Racing © Photo Gilles Martin-Raget

The wind tomorrow is forecast to blow much stronger than the 8-12kts that prevailed today. Officials have decided to start the racing an hour earlier to beat the increase in windstrength, and allow the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Finals to take place on Friday and Saturday.

However there is no doubt that the young Louis Vuitton Pacific Series came of age today. It has a character of its own, and the competition is fierce.

The genie has been let out of the bottle, and there are still three days to go.

Enjoy while you can!

Good sailing!

ends

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