Editorial- Kiwis cool as breeze brings problems

by nzeditor@sail-world.com on 1 May 2007 Welcome to Sail-World.Com’s America’s Cup newsletter for Day 15 of the Louis Vuitton Cup.

Today saw the strongest breeze yet on the race track off Valencia. Getting into double figures (12-15kts) for the first flight, and then softening for Flight 1 which was carried over from the previous day.

With the breeze came plenty of action and upsets.

None more so than the win by cellar dweller China Team over top of the table BMW Oracle. After establishing a useful lead, sailing with a completely rotated crew, USA-98 blew a headfoil. While repairs were made, the distance was lost, with the USA starting the game of catch-up from over 1000 metres behind.

Elsewhere there were upsets and very close matches. Unluckiest team of the day were +39 Team who cleaned the Spaniards out at the start but still lost their first race by just half a boatlength to Desafio Espanol. +39 was 150 metres in the lead on the second run before being closed to just a boatlength most of the way down the final leg, and then finally overrun by the home team.

The second race for the low-budget Italian team was no less thrilling, trailing Areva just by just over a boatlength into the finish. But a close encounter between the Italian spinnaker and the French backstay, put and end to the plucky +39’s chances. The four points from the day would have proved heartening for +39, getting them back in touch with the middle order of the points table, and lso serving to establish a clear gap between the top three and the mid-group.

The much awaited match between Emirates Team New Zealand Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia, held over from the previous day, saw the Kiwi team sail to a measured win over the Italians. The NZL-92 afterguard was ever conscious that the Valencian breeze, while softening from the double figures of the previous flight, was full of rabbit holes in the form of 15 degree shifts and a 50% variance in strength.

Communication aboard the New Zealand boat seemed to be an improvement on the previous round, being less blue and with good linkage within the afterguard and masthead on what was a very difficult day. However we are still a long way away from Peter Blake's hallmark of 'please' tacked onto the end of most on-board communication.

The fickle fortunes on the water were underlined by Mascalzone Latino who broke a spinnaker pole Shosholoza style on the final run. They lost their forward hand over the side in the process, when he was hit in the chest with the broken pole end. After being retrieved well aft at the backstays by the afterguard, the foredeck crew effected a splint on the pole end only to have that break too, and eventually ran with the spinnaker tacked onto the bow.

Did they lose through this chain of disasters? Oh no, they cut a cool 50 metres out of NZL-92’s lead!

However the Kiwis were out for points in the bag and looked to be the class act on the water on this day.

The Emirates Team New Zealand performance was very comforting for the nervous types around the Waitemata waterfront. Clearly NZL-92 looked much more comfortable in a breeze, and the conditions which are expected to prevail as this series builds into the match for the 32nd America’s Cup.

Good Sailing!

Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor

Tomorrow's race schedule: 'Louis Vuitton Cup' - Round Robin 2 - Flight 3

Desafío Espanol 2007 (ESP 97) - AREVA Challenge (FRA 93)
+39 Challenge (ITA 85) - Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 92)
United Internet Team Germany (GER 89) - Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 94)
China Team (CHN 95) - Victory Challenge (SWE 96)
Team Shosholoza (RSA 83) - BMW Oracle Racing (USA 98)
Bye Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team (ITA 99)