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Sail-World.com : Louis Vuitton Trophy: Semi Finals produce surprises and tight racing
Louis Vuitton Trophy: Semi Finals produce surprises and tight racing
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With two races complete in the Semi-Finals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy, there has been plenty of action on the water and a few surprises.
The first match of the day was a pedestrian affair with Mascalzone Latino getting the jump at the start and led all the way around the four leg course, set in the mouth of the Waitemata Harbour. The Swedish Artemis trailed throughout and was not able to make an impression on the Italian Challenger for the 34th America's Cup.
The second Semi-Final looked to be going the same way, when Emirates Team New Zealand led off the startline and to leeward of Azzurra (ITA). However that little game turned inside out midway up the second leg, when Azzurra drew level and then split tacks into the northern shore to pick up more pressure and a better angle - and a small deficit became a 135metre lead.
That margin was enough to wipe off a penalty the Italians had incurred at the windward mark, at the end of the first leg, when Emirates Team New Zealand lured them them into a luffing match, and Azzurra was caught as the windward yacht.
At the top of the course for the second time the Italians wiped off the penalty, with a well executed gybe, and came out with a 50 metre lead which remained more or less constant for the rest of the final leg.
In the third race of the day - delayed for a couple of hours while the course was reset, and moved down the coast to Takapuna Beach in the Rangitoto Channel - Mascalzone Latino, the winner of the first race, was forced over the startline, by the slimmest of margins by Artemis, and it was game over from there.
That pulled the score back to 1-1.
The next race started back to back with the previous one and no change in boats.Mascalzone Latino pulled the race under control on the first beat and eased away to another comfortable win, and a place in the semi-finals.
Race five proved to be the thriller of the regatta with Emirates Team NZ being caught with a penalty, as a windward boat that did not keep clear, just before the start, however as they worked into a position of control on the first beat and had a comfortable lead, and maintained that through the race. Dean barker (NZL) decided to do the penalty turn right on the finish line in a replay of the final race in the 2007 America's Ciup. This time Barker got it right and the official margin was just 2 secs in favour of the New Zealanders instead of the 1 second arrears in the 32nd America's Cup.
That put the New Zealand team back on level points with Azzurra with one race left to sail to determine the other finalist.
The plan is to stage that tomorrow.
(The image at the top of this story was produced from the new version of Virtual Eye, available for download and use at http://live.virtualeye.tv/ )
by Richard Gladwell
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http://www.sail-world.com/index.cfm?nid=67603
3:00 AM Fri 19 Mar 2010 GMT
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