Emirates TNZ scores narrow win over Luna Rossa

by Emirates Team NZ Media on 25 Jun 2006 It was tough at the top in Valencia today….

Emirates Team New Zealand sailed to a narrow 11 second win over Luna Rossa and in the other 'big four' match Alinghi beat BMW Oracle by just 20 seconds.

In NZL 84’s second match today NZL 84 was untroubled in beating Areva Challenge by 37sec.

The major interest today was in the 'big four'. All were unbeaten as they entered day three of the regatta and the real question was which two would not finish the day without a loss.

After six races in this regatta, Emirates Team New Zealand with six wins now shares the top of the leaderboard with Alinghi.

BMW Oracle and Luna Rossa are equal third with five wins.

NZL 84’s match against Luna Rossa was one the team really wanted to win; last time they met a torn spinnaker, and a penalty incurred when the sail cloth hit Luna Rossa, ended any chance NZL 84 had of winning.

Emirates Team New Zealand has won five of the seven matches against Luna Rossa in the Louis Vuitton Acts.

Today Luna Rossa won the start but by the first mark NZL 84 was in front.

Grant Dalton: 'We did get the right side of the course which was planned and we felt that if we could get some control and keep them to the left, we might have a good chance of grinding them down.'

And that’s what happened on the first beat. NZL 84 slowly eroded ITA 86’s two boat length advantage and slipped past in the final approach to the mark and rounded 8sec ahead.

The race was far from over and ITA 86 clung to NZL 84 and attacked and attacked, looking for the opportunity to pass. It didn’t happen and NZL 84 rounded the first leeward mark 14sec ahead, the third mark 17sec ahead and at the finish crossed 11sec ahead.

Dalton said: 'Although they won the start the boys sailed brilliantly up the first beat to get themselves in front. And once we were in the lead, they soaked up the pressure and didn’t let the Italians rattle them.'


Skipper Dean Barker: 'There’s never an easy race against Luna Rossa and they threw a lot of attacks at us and we managed to absorb every one of them. The boys did a magnificent job.'

In today’s second match, NZL 84 put Areva under pressure in the pre-start and crossed the line 14sec ahead and exercised control from the start.

But FRA 60 fought from behind and NZL 84 never got cleanly away. At the first mark, NZL 84 was 38sec ahead, extending to 42sec at the second mark and 37 sec at the third. At the finish the delta was also 37sec.

Tomorrow: United Internet Team Germany and Desafio Espanol.

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Flight 5, Match 6
24 June 2006
Luna Rossa Challenge vs Emirates Team NZ

Starting time:	Luna Rossa Challenge	Emirates Team New Zealand
14:35:00	ITA 86	NZL 84
Time of issue:	Yacht Club Italiano	Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron
15:46:03	ITA	NZL

MARK	Gain on leg	Leader	DELTA	Leader	Gain on leg
Start	-	X	00:00:12	-	-
1st Windward	-	-	00:00:08	X	00:00:20
1st Leeward	-	-	00:00:14	X	00:00:06
2nd Windward	-	-	00:00:17	X	00:00:03
Finish	00:00:06	-	00:00:11	X	-

MARK	Elapsed Time	Leg Time	Average Speed	Tacks/Gybes	WIND	Tacks/Gybes	Average Speed	Leg Time	Elapsed Time
Start	00:00:04	-	-	-	10@105	-	-	-	00:00:16
1st Windward	00:20:14	00:20:10	9.10	17	9@109	17	9.10	00:19:50	00:20:06
1st Leeward	00:34:34	00:14:20	10.20	4	11@110	2	10.20	00:14:14	00:34:20
2nd Windward	00:52:00	00:17:26	9.20	16	12@112	14	9.30	00:17:23	00:51:43
Finish	01:07:20	00:15:20	10.70	10	11@113	7	10.60	00:15:26	01:07:09

TOTAL ELAPSED TIME: 01:07:09 -WINNER: Emirates Team New Zealand -FINAL DELTA: 00:00:11

Course Information: 4 legs, length 2.50 nautical miles, initial axis 105°

Elapsed Time: The amount of time has passed since the start gun, as a yacht rounds each mark of the course Leg Time: The amount of time that a yacht has taken travelling from one mark of the course to the next Delta: The amount of time that a yacht is behind the leading yacht, recorded as it rounds each mark of the course

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Today’s sailing crew
Helmsman Dean Barker
Tactician Terry Hutchinson
Navigator Kevin Hall
Strategist Ray Davies
Traveller Adam Beashel
Runner/grind Grant Dalton
Mainsail Trimmer Don Cowie
Main Grinder Chris Ward
Downwind trimmer James Dagg
Upwind trimmer Grant Loretz
Grinder Rob Waddell
Grinder Jono Macbeth
Mast Matt Mason
Runner/pit Tony Rae
Pit Barry McKay
Mid-Bow Richard Meacham
Bow Jeremy Lomas

Today’s results:
Flight 3
SWE 63 beat CHN 79 by 1.24
RSA 83 beat FRA 60 by 54s
SUI 75 beat USA 87 by 20s
ESP 88 beat GER 73 by 1.20
ITA 77 beat ITA 59 by 16s
NZL 84 beat ITA 77 by 11s

Flight 4
ITA 59 beat RSA 83 by 46s
SUI 75 beat CHN 79 by 3.31
USA 87 beat SWE 63 by 1.10
ITA 77 beat GER 73 by 30s
ITA 86 beat ESP 88 by 42s
NZL 84 beat FRA 60 by 37s