Double Win For Luna Rossa

AUCKLAND, NEW ZEALAND

OCTOBER 23, 2002

DOUBLE WIN FOR LUNA ROSSA

After yesterday when the wind was too high to allow racing, today the challengers went back out on the water for the start of Round Robin Two of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

The long awaited all Italian match between Luna Rossa and Mascalzone Latino, postponed for four times due to adverse weather conditions, was finally completed this morning on a short course of 12.5 miles.

After two postponements due to the light and shifty wind, the Race Committee was able to fire the starting gun at 11:15. The match started with about ten knots of wind on the course. Both boats had a man aloft to look for wind gusts. Luna Rossa, with Rod Davis at the helm, crossed the line to leeward of ITA 72 with a slight delay.

During the first part of the beat Mascalzone Latino maintained a lead of approximately one boat length. Halfway thorough the upwind leg Francesco de Angelis tacked to the right and was able to close the gap on his opponent. At the next crossing he again decided to choose the right in view of a favourable wind shift. Luna Rossa was leading over Mascalzone Latino at the first top mark by 49 seconds.

During the first downwind leg Luna Rossa kept full control of her opponent sailing well into the shifts. At the bottom mark her lead over Mascalzone had increased to 1' and 33".

At the end of the second beat Luna Rossa was still firmly in control of the race having consolidated her lead over Mascalzone Latino to 4 minutes and 31 seconds. In the last spinnaker run Francesco de Angelis keeps the lead and cuts the finish line with an advantage of 4 minutes and 28 seconds over Mascalzone Latino.

With the all Italian derby over, Round Robin One is officially closed. In the afternoon, a few minutes before the Italian match was over, Flight One of the secod Round Robin took off.

In her second match of the day Luna Rossa ITA 74 sailed against Oracle BMW Racing USA 76. The Race Committee gave the start at 14:40, in a 10 knot breeze. Oracle took the pin end of the line while Luna Rossa crossed the line at the far right under the Committee boat. Both boats kept a man aloft on the lookout for wind puffs.

Oracle sailed the first leg ahead of Luna Rossa, taking advantage of the good wind on the left side of the course. The Americans rounded the top mark with a 45 seconds lead over ITA 74. The breeze then dropped to 8-9 knots.

In the first gennaker run Oracle extended her lead, rounding the second mark with a 1 minute 14 second delta on ITA 74. Luna Rossa managed to close the gap considerably during the second beat. The wind got lighter and started shifting as the two boats battled for the lead. Near the top mark it came down to tactics as the two boats tried to edge each other out and gain the inside lane at the mark. Luna Rossa won the battle and rounded the mark with a 15 second lead over Oracle.

On the second run downwind the wind was so light and shifty that the boats didn't even set the gennaker. Luna Rossa consolidated her lead, rounding the fourth mark 46 seconds ahead of Oracle.

At the end of the last beat Luna Rossa had a considerable advantage over Oracle, thus firmly in control of their opponent. The Italian boat rounded mark five with a solid lead over the Americans of 1 minute and 50 seconds.

Luna Rossa went to win the race, cutting the finish line in front of Oracle by 1 minute and 55 seconds.

TODAY'S RESULTS

OUTSTANDING MATCH FROM ROUND ROBIN ONE

Luna Rossa ITA 74 wins against Mascalzone Latino ITA 72 (4' 28" lead)

FLIGHT 1 OF ROUND ROBIN TWO - Off Orm SWE 73

Match 1 OneWorld USA 67 wins against Mascalzone Latino ITA 72 (4' 01" lead)

Match 2 Luna Rossa ITA 74 wins against Oracle BMW Racing USA 76 (1' 55" lead)

Match 3 Wight Lightning GBR 70 wins against Stars & Stripes USA 66 (46" lead)

Match 4 Alinghi SUI 64 wins against Le Defi FRA 69 (5' 45" lead)

TODAY'S CREW ON LUNA ROSSA 1. Bowman, Paolo Bassani 2. Mid bowman, Massimiliano Sirena 3. Mastman, Simone de Mari 4. Pitman, Cristian Griggio 5. Left grinder, Massimo Galli 6. Right grinder, Romolo Ranieri (replaced by Nicolas Texier in the second race) 8. Downwind trimmer, Andrew Hemmings 9. Mainsail trimmer, Sean Clarkson 10. Center grinder, Massimo Gherarducci 11. Helmsman, Francesco de Angelis 12. Tactician, Torben Grael 13. Afterguard, Rod Davis 14. Downwind grinder, Daniele Bresciano 15. Strategist, Michele Ivaldi 16. Navigator, Matteo Plazzi

RACE COURSE

The first race of today, the outstanding all Italian match, was sailed on the shorter windward-leeward course of 12.5 miles. The other matches of the day were sailed over the windward leeward course of 18.5 miles, six legs total, three windward legs and three downwind legs; first and last legs are 3.25 miles, the remaining four are 3.00 miles.

WEATHER CONDITIONS TODAY

Wind from SW 5-10 knots. Mostly cloudy becoming sunny by midday.

CURRENT OVERALL STANDINGS AFTER DAY ONE OF ROUND ROBIN TWO

1. OneWorld Challenge, 9 pts (9 wins out of 9 races) *

2. Alinghi Swiss Challenge, 8 pts (8 wins out of 9 races)

3. Oracle BMW Racing, 5 pts (5 wins out of 9 races)

4. Prada Challenge, 5 pts (5 wins out of 9 races)

5. GBR Challenge, 5 pts (5 wins out of 9 races)

6. Team Dennis Conner, 4 pts (4 wins out of 9 races)

7. Victory Challenge, 3 pts (3 wins out of 8 races)

8. Mascalzone Latino, 1 pt (1 win out of 9 races)

9. Le Defi Areva, 0 pts (0 wins out of 9 races)

* OneWorld will be penalised one point at the end of Round Robin Two.

CALENDAR FOR TOMORROW - OCTOBER 24

FLIGHT 2 OF ROUND ROBIN TWO - Off Wight Lightning GBR 70

Match 1 Le Defi FRA 69 against Orm SWE 73

Match 2 Mascalzone Latino ITA 72 against Oracle BMW Racing USA 76

Match 3 Alinghi SUI 64 against OneWorld USA 67*

Match 4 Luna Rossa ITA 74 against Stars & Stripes USA 66

* Match broadcasted live on TV.

WEATHER FORECAST FOR TOMORROW

Wind from N 5-8 knots increasing to 12-15 knots. Mainly sunny.

RACING FORMAT

During Round Robin Two each team races once against every other team. Every day the Race committee gives the start to four match races, two on race course Romeo and two on race course Juliet. The first start of the day is always at 12:15 pm local time, while the last start of the day cannot take place after 4:00 pm. Matches on the same race course start at ten minute intervals. At the end of Round Robin Two the team with the lowest overall score will be elimnated from the Louis Vuitton Cup. The remaining 8 teams will proceed to the Quarter Finals.

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