Louis Vuitton Pacific Series – Day 7 Race Reports – 6th February, 2009

by Louis Vuitton Pacific Series Media on 5 Feb 2009 Louis Vuitton Pacific Series – Day Six Results and Reports – 5th February, 2009

BMW Oracle Racing beat Luna Rossa – 58s

Cup champion Russell Coutts dished out a master class on starting technique in his matchup with Italy’s Luna Rossa sailed by Peter Holmberg. After an aggressive circling duel in choppy water and 18 knots of wind in the Rangitoto Channel, Coutts positioned his US team below the committee boat and began a perfectly-timed approach to the line. The speeding US boat rolled over the Italians right at the gun and into an instant lead 26 second lead. When they split tacks a few minutes later Coutts led by 50 metres. The American boat’s port tack start took her into less tide and flatter water under Rangitoto and by the time they rounded the top mark she was nearly 200 metres in front. Coutts kept the pressure on and led by 320 metres at the finish.
Deltas

Mark 1 - 0:35 – BMW Oracle Racing
Mark 2 - 0:26 - BMW Oracle Racing
Mark 3 - 0:38 - BMW Oracle Racing
Finish - 0:58 - BMW Oracle Racing

Race 4:
Shosholoza beat China Team – 55s

Disaster struck Team Shosholoza in the final leg of their race against China Team. Although the China boat led throughout the race, the South Africans were in striking distance when they lost their gennaker starting the second run. After some serious trawling the chase boat crew finally cut the halyard and took the load off the mast. Earlier, in the pre-start, China Team made the smartest moves, slowing down Shosholoza in the approach to the line. World match racing champion Ian Williams guided the China boat to the left and Shosholoza skipper Paolo Cian followed. Upwind, with the breeze up to 18 knots, Williams covered Cian’s tacks in textbook fashion. Downwind, Shosholoza successfully went wind-hunting to the left so the boats were bow-and-bow at the bottom mark. China Team eked out another lead to round the final mark just three-boat lengths ahead, but South African hopes were dashed when the clew tore out of the gennaker after the set. Team China sailed on to a 55s victory.

Deltas

Mark 1 - 0:17 - China Team
Mark 2 - 0:11 - China Team
Mark 3 - 0:19 - China Team
Finish - 0:55 - China Team

Race 3:
Damiani Italia Challenge beat Emirates Team New Zealand – 14s
The biggest upset of the day came as the newcomer Damiani Italia Challenge convincingly put away undefeated Emirates Team New Zealand in the best tacking duel seen yet in this series. The Kiwis had the starboard entry advantage and skipper Dean Barker used it to good advantage, chasing Italian helmsman Francesco Bruni around the start line before settling for a clean start to leeward of Damiani. Both boats bore off momentarily before the start, building speed before hardening up to start together at speed. The Italians tacked and headed out to the starboard tack layline moments later, pursued by the Kiwis, trailing by about 20 metres. When Bruni eventually tacked he was still ahead with the starboard tack advantage. After nine punishing tacks he retained the lead and kept it to the end, despite everything that Barker threw at him.

Deltas

Mark 1 - 0:11 – Damiani Italia
Mark 2 - 0:21 - Damiani Italia
Mark 3 - 0:25 - Damiani Italia
Finish - 0:14 - Damiani Italia

Race 2:
Pataugas K-Challenge beat Greek Challenge – 27s

Gavin Brady steering the Greek Challenge had the starboard tack advantage as the boats entered the box and held the French boat K-Challenge head to wind in a prolonged dialup until he broke it off. The breeze was building to the 10 to 12 knot range. Brady clearly wanted the left and as the seconds ticked down he was below the committee on the starboard layline defending his choice while the French were out to the right. For long seconds it appeared he would shut out French helmsman Sebastian Col. There was just room for Col to get the French boat’s bow into the gap between the Greeks and the committee boat but the Frenchman was forced away to port seconds later. First blood to the fledgling Greek team. A close tacking duel up the first leg ended in a side-by-side mark rounding with no time difference. From their position to windward on the starboard gybe, the French were able to overtake and maintain a small lead for the rest of the race.
Deltas

Mark 1 - 0:00 - Pataugas K-Challenge and Greek Challenge
Mark 2 - 0:21 - Pataugas K-Challenge
Mark 3 - 0:20 - Pataugas K-Challenge
Finish - 0:27 - Pataugas K-Challenge

Race 1:
Alinghi beat TEAM ORIGIN - 15s

After a lengthy delay searching for wind, the keenly-awaited rematch between Alinghi and TEAMORIGIN got underway on the northernmost racecourse in a shifty seven knot breeze. Following some ballet manoeuvres in the early stages of the pre-start, the two boats then kept their distance, content to cross the startline and head left – TEAMORIGIN crossing the line first. Alinghi rode TEAMORIGIN’s hip as they headed towards Takapuna Beach picking up fresh breeze. When Alinghi could no longer survive there, it tacked away and TEAMORIGIN allowed them to go – the distance across the course more than 600m. When the boats met again two-thirds of the way to the top mark, TEAMORIGIN had a 30m lead, and skipper Ben Ainslie smartly kept bouncing Alinghi back to the right and eventually beyond the layline. It gave TEAMORIGIN a 15s advantage around the mark, which it held downwind. On the third leg, Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird engaged the British boat in a tacking duel; the Brits determined not to relinquish the right. On the final approach to the weather mark, the boats split and Ainslie was forced to put in an extra tack to round the mark only 2s ahead of Baird. As the boats headed down the right side of the course, Alinghi charged down TEAMORIGIN, forcing Ainslie to gybe left in search of clear air. The Swiss boat held its course, snatching a morale-boosting 15s win and delivering TEAMORIGIN their first defeat of the regatta.
Deltas

Mark 1 - 0:15 - TEAM ORIGIN
Mark 2 - 0:20 - TEAM ORIGIN
Mark 3 - 0:02 - TEAM ORIGIN
Finish - 0:15 - Alinghi

Pre-Race Report 1000 hours NZ Time

More soft summer weather on Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour this morning as preparations get under way for the second round robin featuring Gold Fleet and Silver Fleet racing.

The boats are remaining on hold in the harbour for one hour as we wait for weather conditions to stabilize. Currently the breeze is light, out of the east. It’s the remains of a south-easterly breeze flowing out of the Thames Valley. We have to wait for the sea breeze from the East Coast to develop and feed down the Rangitoto Channel in a northerly direction.

Teams were told at the morning briefing that efforts will be made to remain on schedule. That may mean more racing late in the day.

Race assignments have been set for the next five days of competition. For all the details, click on BREAKING NEWS on the www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com!home_page. Then choose DAILY RESULTS. There are five pages of information, starting with pairings for the second round robin. Go to Page 3 to see how the Challenger Sail Off, Quarter Finals and Semi Finals have been arranged. Results for the first round robin are on Page 5.

For more race graphics see www.lvps09.com and www.louisvuitton-pacificseries.com