Italy's Prada Ends RR3 As Challenger Favourites

After two days of strong winds and postponed match races the Americas Cup challenger race committee finally gave the gun to the final stages of RR3.

Only the match between Young America and the French of Le Defi has to be sailed in order to complete this Round Robin according to the scheduled calendar.

Their race was abandoned on 7 December due to lack of wind. Young America, however, is now mathematically out of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi-finals after the French collected their 9 points today by sailing alone around the race course, thus gaining the last berth in the Semi-finals.

Team Prada decided this morning not to sail their last match (against the Swiss of FAST2000 who have officially retired from the Louis Vuitton Cup) as none of their opponents could in any way reach them at the top of the overall results sheet at the end of the Round Robin. The Italian team went out sailing with both Luna Rossa yachts, ITA 45 and ITA 48, in order to get under way with their training programme in preparation for the Semi-finals.

In the other matches of the day the Spanish beat Team Dennis Conner, Nippon Challenge defeated Abracadabra 2000; Young America and Le Defi sailed around the course alone.

The six teams who have officially qualified for the Semi-finals are the following: Team Prada, Nippon Challenge, America True, AmericaOne, Team Dennis Conner and Le Defi.

The racing will commence on 2 January 2000; ten racing days are scheduled through to 11 January; each challenger will have previous point scores erased at the start the series and will race each other twice; each win is worth one point; the warning signal (10 minutes before the start) will not be made before 13.05 local time daily.

Team Prada will continue training until 24 December and will stop only for Christmas Day, ready to be sailing again on Boxing Day.

THE RACING TODAY - Race 10 of Round Robin 3
1st Match Le Defi wins over America True (America True not racing)
2nd Match Spanish Challenge wins over Team Dennis Conner (35 seconds)
3rd Match FAST2000 vs Prada Challenge (race abandoned)
4th Match Nippon Challenge wins over Abracadabra 2000 (42 seconds)
5th Match Young America wins over Young Australia 2000 (Young Australia 2000 not racing)
NOT RACING AmericaOne

PROVISIONAL RESULTS SHEET
109 pts - ITA 48 (Luna Rossa)
101,5 pts - JPN 52 (Idaten)
101 pts - USA 51 (America True)
99 pts - USA 49 (AmericaOne)
81,5 pts - USA 55 (Stars & Stripes)
77 pts - FRA 46 (6eme Sens)*
60 pts - USA 58 (Young America)*
53 pts - ESP 47 (Bravo Espana)
43 pts - USA 50 (Abracadabra 2000)
18 pts - AUS 31 (Young Australia 2000)
8 pts - SUI 59 (be hAPpy)**
*One race abandoned, to be re-sailed at the end of RR3.
**FAST2000 has officially retired from the Louis Vuitton Cup.

THE WEATHER TOMORROW
SW, 10 knots, afternoon sea breeze possible. Mainly sunny.

OVERALL POINTS SHEET
PRADA - 109 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 10 / losses 0 / pts 10 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 9 / losses 1 / pts 36 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 7 / losses 2 / pts 63 (9 pts per win)

NIPPON CHALLENGE - 101,5 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 6 / losses 4 / pts 5,5 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 6 / losses 4 / pts 24 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 8 / losses 2 / pts 72 (9 pts per win)

AMERICA TRUE - 101 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 6 / losses 4 / pts 6 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 8 / losses 2 / pts 32 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 7 / losses 3 / pts 63 (9 pts per win)

AMERICAONE - 99 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 8 / losses 2 / pts 8 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 7 / losses 3 / pts 28 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 7 / losses 3 / pts 63 (9 pts per win)

TEAM DENNIS CONNER - 81,5 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 5 / losses 5 / pts 4,5 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 8 / losses 2 / pts 32 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 5 / losses 4 / pts 45 (9 pts per win)

LE DEFI - 77 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 2 / losses 8 / pts 2 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 3 / losses 7 / pts 12 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 7 / losses 2 / pts 63 (9 pts per win)*

YOUNG AMERICA - 60 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 8 / losses 2 / pts 8 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 4 / losses 6 / pts 16 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 4 / losses 5 / pts 36 (9 pts per win)*

SPANISH CHALLENGE - 53 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 5 / losses 5 / pts 5 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 3 / losses 7 / pts 12 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 4 / losses 6 / pts 36 (9 pts per win)

ABRACADABRA 2000 - 43 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 4 / losses 6 / pts 4 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 3 / losses 7 / pts 12 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 3 / losses 7 / pts 27 (9 pts per win)

YOUNG AUSTRALIA 2000 - 18 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 1 / losses 9 / pts 1 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 2 / losses 8 / pts 8 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 1 / losses 9 / pts 9 (9 pts per win)

FAST 2000 - 8 total pts
Round Robin 1: wins 0 / losses 10 / pts 0 (1 pt per win)
Round Robin 2: wins 2 / losses 8 / pts 8 (4 pts per win)
Round Robin 3: wins 0 / losses 9 / pts 0 (9 pts per win)

*Le Defi and Young America have one race to sail yet.

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