Team NZ wins a tight one at the Louis Vuitton Cup

Emirates Team New Zealand wins a tight one at the Louis Vuitton Cup

Valencia, 1 June, 2007 - Emirates Team New Zealand won an incredibly close match over Luna Rossa Challenge on Friday to take a 1-0 lead in the Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The Kiwis never led by more than 12-seconds around the race course.

Most observers were expecting some close racing in this contest and the two finalists didn't disappoint. The final run to the finish saw Luna Rossa make a small gain on the left hand side of the race course. With the boats just a few hundreds metres from the finishing line, ITA 94 helmsman James Spithill threw in a final gybe that put his team charging at the line.

But the Kiwi squad held its nerve, executing its own precision gybe just moments before crossing the line, with Luna Rossa nearly overlapped behind them. Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker and his team draw first blood, leading the series 1-0.

Conditions were ideal for racing, with a Southeasterly sea breeze of between 10 and 14 knots. Racing was postponed for a short time to allow the Race Committee to re-set the starting line after a 10 degree wind shift. An enormous spectator fleet was on hand to enjoy the close racing.

Match 1 - Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rossa Challenge - DELTA 0:08

Having won the coin toss yesterday, Luna Rossa selected the starboard entry into the start box for its match today. In the pre-start, however, it appeared the Italians preferred the left-hand side of the start as they happily conceded the starboard advantage to Emirates Team New Zealand.

Off the start line, Dean Barker launched NZL 92 into a small lead to the right of James Spithill, but after a minute the Kiwis tacked away. The Italians soon followed, and then both boats sailed for some minutes on port tack, with nothing to choose between the teams for speed or tactical advantage.

However, when Barker eventually tacked back, he accelerated well while the responding Italian tack looked a little slower. The New Zealanders gained a small advantage which they held to the top mark, although considering the breeze had swung slightly to the right, perhaps by not as much as they would have liked. The Italian boat had the speed to hang on to NZL 92 even if it was on the disadvantaged side of the course.

Once Barker had carried the match beyond the port layline, he tacked for the windward mark and led the Italians by 12 seconds around the first mark. Downwind the boats looked very evenly matched for speed, so Torben Grael called for a gybe away from the Kiwis. It wasn't long before Terry Hutchinson called for a gybe on NZL 92 but when the boats converged again, ITA 94 had made a two boatlength gain on the subtlest of windshifts.

By the leeward gate the deficit to the Kiwis had reduced to just 9 seconds, Luna Rossa rounding the right-hand mark behind Emirates and both boats rolling straight into a tack. With the course axis having shifted 10 degrees to the right, Hutchinson was determined to keep to the right of Grael and kept on bouncing the Italian boat out to the left. After numerous tacks at the top of the course, the delta at the final turning mark was still only 11 seconds.

With the right-hand side of the final run favoured, the Italians played a waiting game, shadowing New Zealand down the course and gybing only after many minutes of sailing. The Italians always looked dangerous, and on the final gybe to the finish they executed a great manoeuvre while the Kiwis had a short delay in getting their spinnaker to fill out of the critical gybe. But Dean Barker took the Kiwis across the finish line 8 seconds ahead of the aggressive Italian team. This was high-quality match racing of the highest order, the outcome of the race decided on the tiniest of details.

Louis Vuitton Cup Final - Friday's match

(The first team to win five points in each pairing advances)

Team

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

Total

Luna Rossa Challenge

0

0

Emirates Team New Zealand

1

1

______________

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Since 1851, the America's Cup has transcended the sport of sailing to become a symbol of the pursuit of excellence. Offical partners LOUIS VUITTON, ENDESA, SANTANDER, ALCATEL - LUCENT and the America's Cup share a heritage rich in passion, innovation and extraordinary achievement. The 32nd America's Cup enjoys the support of Nespresso, Adecco, Ford, El Corte Inglés, Estrella Damm, Grupo Leche Pascual, Coca-Cola and Vodafone.

Racing for the 32nd America's Cup began with a series of Louis Vuitton Acts in 2004, 2005 and 2006 across Europe. It will end in 2007. Valencia Louis Vuitton Act 13 - Fleet Racing - (April 3 to 7) preceded the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger selection series (April 16 - June 12). The winner will race the Defender, Alinghi, in the 32nd America's Cup Match beginning June 23, 2007.

 
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