Frustration & sensation on Day 2 for Emirates TNZ

by Warren Douglas, Emirates Team NZ on 5 Apr 2007
Day 2 of the Act 13 fleet race was both sensational and frustrating. It was a day when afterguards required patience and nerves of steel.

After three races, SUI 91 is at the top of the leaderboard on 33 points, with Emirates Team New Zealand and BMW Oracle second equal on 27.

It was a day of moderate to strong winds and a moderate sea state that caused considerable gear damage in the fleet; two yachts pulled out of the second race: +39 with a broken mast and United Internet Germany with rig damage after the two yachts touched as they approached the first mark. BMW Oracle broke a spinnaker pole and Shosholoza finished the race but under main alone.

On board NZL 84, afterguard member Adam Beashel caught a finger in the main sheet block before the first race started and was taken to hospital for treatment. Mark Mendelblatt replaced him.

The sensation came towards the end of the second race today as the yachts charged under spinnaker to the finish line. The breeze softened and died. The leading yachts (USA 87, SUI 91 and ITA 99) fell into a hole and stopped.

The rest of the fleet closed up until they, too, ran out of breeze.

Then the breeze swung 180 deg and the spinnaker run became a beat. Crews raced to drop downwind sails and genoas and started a crawl to the finish line.

In the process Alinghi slipped through to win; Luna Rossa was second 14sec behind.

Desafio Espanol came from nowhere and nosed in front of NZL 84 to finish third 29 sec adrift and NZL 84 fourth just a second later.

The hapless BMW Oracle had to watch helplessly as yachts that only a few minutes before were comfortably astern slip by, eventually finishing 1min 25sec after SUI 91.

Today was supposed to be a repeat of yesterday with a morning westerly wind forecast to drop away before the scheduled start.

But the westerly breeze held and the first race got underway in 12-14 knots of breeze, with gusts during the race of more than 20 knots. The breeze may have been medium-strong but it was still shifty, testing the afterguards as they worked to ensure they were on the right side of the shifts. The sea state was moderate.

NZL 84 got a good start to windward. Alinghi and Desafio Espanol, towards the middle of the course, got a lift mid-way up the beat and opened a considerable gap, which proved impossible to close.

Alinghi rounded the mark first with ESP 97 13sec behind. RSA 83 was third round on 35sec with NZL 92 on 39sec.

On the first run NZL 84 passed Shosholoza to take third position and then it was a case of attacking Alinghi and Spain while defending from BMW Oracle and Luna Rossa chasing from astern.

The positions held to the finish, with SUI 91 first, ESP 97 second 30secs astern and NZL 84 third at 55sec. USA 87 crossed fourth (1min 17sec) and Luna Rossa (1min 33sec).

Today’s sailing crew on NZL 84

Helmsman: Ben Ainslie
Tactician: Terry Hutchinson
Navigator: Kevin Hall
Strategist/traveller: Ray Davies
Weather/runner: Mark Mendelblatt
Mainsheet trimmer: Don Cowie
Trimmer upwind: Rob Salthouse
Trimmer downwind: Andy Hemmings
Grinder: Chris McAsey
Grinder: Rob Waddell
Main grinder: Chris Ward
Pit: Nick Heron
Runner/pit: Tony Rae
Floater: Grant Dalton
Mast: Matt Mason
Mid-bow: Richard Meacham
Bow: Jeremy Lomas