Fight back keeps overall lead intact

November 20 2011

Emirates Team New Zealand retains its overall lead in the America’s Cup World Series at the end of the San Diego regatta.

After three events, combined match and fleet racing points put the team one point ahead of Oracle 4.

The breeze was up for the final day, a southerly of 15-18 knots replaced the light breeze of previous race days. It was very shifty.

With a winner-takes-all fleet race to end the regatta, Dean Barker, James Dagg, Ray Davies, Glenn Ashby and Winston Macfarlane were looking to do well after finishing third in the match racing championship.

They got a great start and led the fleet around the first and second marks. Dean Barker: “We had a difficult first beat and didn’t get it right, losing several places.

“Fortunately we were able to get back into the race, coming from behind to finish second.”

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Results – San Diego Fleet Racing Championship

1. ORACLE Racing Spithill

2. Emirates Team New Zealand

3. Energy Team

4. Aleph

5. Team Korea

6. Artemis Racing

7. China Team

8. Green Comm Racing

9. ORACLE Racing Coutts

Results – AC500 Speed Trial

ORACLE Racing - Coutts - 26.87 knots

ORACLE Racing - Spithill - 26.79 knots

Emirates Team New Zealand - 26.56 knots

Artemis Racing - 25.98 knots

Energy Team - 25.96 knots

China Team - 25.67 knots

ALEPH - 25.19 knots

Green Comm Racing - 24.74 knots

Team Korea - 24.30 knots

Coach Rod Davis blogs on the last day’s racing

It was windy on the final day at San Diego. Well 17-18 knots and that is windy for San Diego. We had two speed trials before the one winner- take-all fleet race.

In the first speed run, we opted for the code zero, but it was just a little tight and windy, so only posted the fourth fastest time. On the second run, we changed to the jib and had the then fastest run of the day. It comes down to having nice pull for the 40 seconds that it takes to run the course. Translation: luck. We ended up third.

For the big race, deciding whether to use the code zero or the gennaker. The gennaker is bigger and while not faster thought the water, it allows the boat to sail lower at the same speed. So faster to a mark that is down wind.

The downside about the gennaker is that it takes a long time to pull in on a set or gybing. The code zero sheets in quickly and the boat takes off.. Big gains to be made with the zero in the manoeuvres even if it gives away some VMG. The wind was right on the cross-over. We opted to match our competition and ran with the zero..

The start was great. We led at the first two marks and then things started to go bad.We lost five boats up the next beat and rounded the top mark in 6th maybe 7th. This morning the objective was to be in the top three. Funny though, that idea leaves your head as soon as you’re leading. Like a switch is thrown nothing but a win is good enough.

The boys battled back to finish second, a good effort. Done by passing boats at a rate of one or two a leg. I can’t help thinking all the what ifs of the third leg.

Pack up fever is in full swing now. Boats and wings being taken apart and everything going in five 40 foot containers. I had better help Daggy with the sails.

COACH

ENDS

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