Please select your home edition
Edition
Rooster 2025

America's Cup- Emirates Team NZ - 'not easy to win, but easy to lose'

by Warren Douglas on 19 May 2012
America’s Cup World Series Venice 2012 - Racing Day 2 ACEA - Photo Gilles Martin-Raget http://photo.americascup.com/

The America’s Cup World Series fleet moved close inshore at Venice today. The racecourse was tight (only 140m wide at its narrowest) and the breeze was light (6-8 knots) and shifty too.

These factors – and a very competitive fleet – conspired to make for a tricky day, where the only certainty was uncertainty. It was not easy to win, but easy to lose.

The tight course put additional strain on the crew. Skipper Dean Barker: ‘The boats are very physical and very hard on the guys.

'They train for that, but on these short courses they get a real flogging. By the end of a race they’re completely spent.'

Conditions today were unkind to some big names: Artemis (Terry Hutchinson) finishing seventh and Oracle 4 (James Spithill) was eighth in the first race.

Spithill recovered to claim third in the second race but Hutchinson’s run of bad fortune continued for another seventh.

Luna Rossa Swordfish won the first race and was sixth in the second.

Emirates Team New Zealand had a better day with a second in the first race and a fourth in the second.

Dean Barker: 'At the debrief last night we discussed a lot of small details where we had to do better. We knew we had not sailed to the best of our ability and were determined to do better.'

Barker and crew – Ray Davies, Glenn Ashby, Jeremy Lomas and James Dagg - got the start they wanted at the pin end of the course in race 1 and led into the first mark closely followed by Luna Rossa Swordfish.

First around at mark 2, the lead looked good, but in the light shifty conditions nothing was certain.

Luna Rossa got into some better breeze on this downwind leg and snatched the lead as they closed on the third mark. Carrying the breeze, Luna Rossa extended and led to the end.

Barker defended against Energy, which was pushing hard for second. Emirates Team New Zealand prevailed to finish second with Energy third.

Energy was having a good day. Sniffing out the best of the breeze they came back from far back in the field on race 2 to finishsecond to Luna Rossa Piranha. .Oracle 4 was second and Emirates Team New Zealand third.

Results and points – four fleet races

Energy Team third, first, third, second – 35 points
Luna Rossa Swordfish 4,2,1,6 – 31 points
Luna Ross Piranha 5, 5, 4, 1 - 29 points
Emirates Team New Zealand 6, 3, 2,4 – 26 points
Team Korea 1, 6 , 6, 5 – 26 points
Oracle 4 8,4,8,3 – 21 points
Artemis Racing 2, 7, 7, 7 – 21 points
Oracle 5 7,8,,5,8,3– 16 points
China Team 9, 9 ,9,9 - 8 points


Barton Marine Pipe GlandsSwitch One DesignHyde Sails 2024 - One Design

Related Articles

Aussies hunt 'Ashes on Water' win
The BONDS Flying Roos are looking to bounce back with a vengeance in Portsmouth Fresh off a bruising weekend in New York, the BONDS Flying Roos are looking to bounce back with a vengeance as they take on long time rivals Great Britain in their home waters at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix, held in Portsmouth.
Posted on 18 Jul
4 Ultim rocketships to contest Rolex Fastnet Race
The giant 32m long by 23m wide flying trimarans are taking part in the 100th anniversary edition While the 50ft flying catamarans competing at SailGP Portsmouth this weekend will be impressive, charging out of the opposite western end of the Solent will be giant 32m long by 23m wide flying Ultim trimarans taking part in the 100th anniversary edition.
Posted on 18 Jul
SailGP comes to Portsmouth!
We speak to the sailors ahead of the weekend The Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix | Portsmouth takes place this weekend, with the 12 teams competing in F50 catamarans close to the waterfront, where a massive grandstand has been built for the spectators.
Posted on 18 Jul
SailGP: No practice racing at Portsmouth
The Practice Race was a fizzer, however the future of the SailGP fleet development was revealed. The scheduled Practice Day failed to fire at SailGP Portsmouth, after the forecast, admittedly light, breeze failed to male an appearance. The self propelled start marks were making a much better speed than the F50s.
Posted on 18 Jul
Elite Training at New Sailing Centre
Canash Beach, St Vincent, hosts international sailors The SVG Sailing Association held a successful High Performance Race Training Clinic, at the newly established High Performance Centre at Canash Beach, St Vincent. The four-day event ran from July 13th to 16th.
Posted on 18 Jul
McIntyre Mini Globe Race Leg 3 Preview
The race to South Africa starts from Vuda Marina Fiji on 26th July In a world-first sailing challenge, 15 solo sailors from eight countries are navigating identical 5.8-meter (19-foot) self-built plywood yachts around the globe— The fleet has enjoyed a five week stopover in Fiji at the end of Leg 2.
Posted on 18 Jul
Third time Finn World No.1 for Alessandro Marega
Maintaining the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List Italy's Alessandro Marega maintains the top spot in the Finn World Ranking List for the third consecutive release. He remains World No. 1 with an 80-point lead over France's Laurent Hay.
Posted on 18 Jul
World Sailing Nations Cup to make grand return
After a seven-year hiatus, World Sailing has officially opened the bid process for host cities After a seven-year hiatus, the World Sailing Nations Cup, the ultimate event to crown the world's top match-racing nations, is making its much-anticipated return.
Posted on 18 Jul
2025 WASZP Pre-Games in Weymouth Day 2
A classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and drizzle The second day of the WASZP Pre-Games served up a classic British summer's day as sailors launched beneath a blanket of grey cloud and with a hug of fresh drizzle.
Posted on 18 Jul
Moth take a big step forward at Garda Worlds
The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than NZ The just concluded Int Moth Worlds at Lake Garda, Italy were technically much more complex than the 2024 World Championship, held just six months ago in New Zealand.
Posted on 17 Jul