Emirates Team NZ- Light, shifty and unforgiving breeze costs lead

by Emirates Team on 17 Apr 2011
Conditions were light for Day 4 of the Extreme Sailing Series China regatta. The breeze across the race course never got above four knots and was very shifty, the complete antithesis of the previous day’s 30-knots gusts.

Dean Barker:'Sailing in such light and fluky conditions in the close confines of the shore proved to be extremely challenging. No matter how well you think you are sailing a little luck is always needed to get the best of the breeze.'

Today’s racing on courses inside the Qingdao breakwater, starting with a flight of match races, followed by straight line duels and four feet races.

It was not Emirates Team New Zealand’s day. Two bad results cost the team its overall lead.

Dean Barker: 'Right up to the last race it felt like we had survived a very tough day. After a good start at the favoured end of the line and sailing off to the favoured left side of the course we were becalmed and rounded the first mark in last place.

‘We tried, but the breeze didn’t come our way and we were never going to recover. Luna Rossa won the race and took the overall lead that we had held for three days.

'Going into the final day we are three points behind Luna Rossa Prada. We are tied with Alinghi so there’s everything to play for tomorrow.'

A storm is forecast for tomorrow.

Extreme Sailing Series Act 2 Qingdao
Overall standings after Day 4

1st Luna Rossa (ITA) 165 points
2nd Emirates Team New Zealand (Dean Barker, Glenn Ashby, Jeremy Lomas, James Dagg) 162 points
3rd Alinghi (SUI) 162 points
4th Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (FRA) 146 points
5th Red Bull Extreme Sailing (AUT) 144 points
6th Artemis Racing (SWE) 114 points
7th The Wave, Muscat (OMA) 111 points
8th Team Extreme (EUR) 101 points
9th Niceforyou (ITA) 94 points
10th Oman Air (OMA) 90 points
11th Team GAC Pindar (GBR) 37 points