Alinghi Wins LVPS Challenger Finals

Alinghi victory over BMW Oracle Racing in LVPS Challenger Finals

Alinghi won the LVPS Challenger Finals beating BMW Oracle Racing by 1 minute 7 seconds

Auckland, New Zealand - (2009-02-12)

Alinghi, Defender of the 33rd America's Cup, competing in Auckland, New Zealand this month in the inaugural Louis Vuitton Pacific Series has raced its way into the Finals beating rivals BMW Oracle Racing 2-0 in a best of three competition. The Swiss team now passes into the final stage against Emirates Team New Zealand for the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Cup which begins on Friday and wraps up on Saturday.

Brad Butterworth, team skipper and tactician comments on a win on the water against BMW Oracle Racing today: “It's a great result for the team; there were two good crews out there today and we had perfect sailing conditions. In the end we managed to get a good victory and are into the next stage of the event.

"It is really good to get the sport back where it belongs: on the water. Racing not only against BMW Oracle, but alongside all the other teams is something we like to do as a group and I only hope that we can sort all this out as soon as possible so we can get on and do that”

In the LVPS Finals draw this evening, Alinghi drew NZL92 as their race yacht for the rest of the series while ETNZ will race NZL84. Emirates Team New Zealand drew the preferred starboard entry for tomorrow's first race. Ed Baird, helmsman for Alinghi, comments on the upcoming race against the LVPS defending challenger ETNZ: “TNZ have always shown themselves to be the best team going in the Cup boats. They qualified in the AC Challenger Series and raced for the Cup against us last time and here we are sailing their boats, in their bay, in their current and with their stuff. It is going to be really exciting to see how it goes, they do a great job. They are all good friends and it is great to go out against a team like that and have a nice, clean and exciting match.”

Check www.alinghi.com for results and post-race interviews each day.

© Scoop Media