Emirates- NZL 92 still unbeaten after catch-up

by Warren Douglas, Emirates Team NZ Media on 9 May 2007
Emirates Team New Zealand pulled off a come-from-behind win today to remain unbeaten in round robin 2 of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series.

Overcoming a deficit brought about by a bad start, NZL 92 beat Victory Challenge by a comfortable 34 sec.

NZL 92 retains its second place on the leaderboard with 36 points, one behind BMW Oracle. Luna Rossa is third on 33 points with Desafio Espanol fourth on 29.

With Victory’s defeat today, Spain is a confirmed semi-finalist.

'It was not one of our better starts,' Grant Dalton said of today’s race. 'We have a very healthy respect for Sweden and a slow start was not part of the game plan.'

At the start NZL 92 took the right side of the course and began the business of reducing the deficit.

'We were confident that we could catch them if we applied the pressure …. from being almost three boat lengths down just after the start we were bow to bow at times.'

SWE 96 pushed NZL 92 out to the starboard layline which in effect made it impossible to get a passing lane until the run.

At the top mark NZL 92 was 10 sec adrift and as they rounded prepared for the downwind attack. The opportunity did not present itself until well down the leg, when NZL 92 nosed in front on a split gybe and rounded the first leeward leg 8 sec ahead.

NZL 92 extended on the second beat to round 21 sec in the lead and at the finish was 34 sec.

Rankings after flight 10:

1 USA 98 BMW ORACLE Racing 37
2 NZL 92 Emirates Team New Zealand 36
3 ITA 94 Luna Rossa Challenge 33
4 ESP 97 Desafio Espanol 2007 29
5 SWE 96 Victory Challenge 26
6 ITA 99 Mascalzone Latino- Capitalia Team 20
7 RSA 83 Team Shosholoza 18
8 FRA 93 Areva Challenge 17
9 ITA 85 +39 Challenge 10
10 GER 89 United Internet Team Germany 5
11 CHN 95 China Team 3


Tomorrow: NZL 92 races BMW Oracle

Tomorrow’s weather: South-east breeze 8-12 knots, 12 - 27 deg C, humidity 30%, sunny.

TODAY’S SAILING TEAM
Skipper - Dean Barker
Tactician - Terry Hutchinson
Navigator - Kevin Hall
Strategist - Ray Davies
Traveller - Mark Mendelblatt
Mainsail trimmer - Don Cowie
Trimmer upwind - Grant Loretz
Trimmer downwind - James Dagg
Main grinder - Chris Ward
Pit - Barry McKay
Runner/pit - Tony Rae
Grinder – Chris McAsey
Grinder - Jono Macbeth
Mast - Matt Mason

Floater - Grant Dalton
Mid-Bow – Andrew McLean
Bow - Jeremy Lomas

TODAY’S RESULTS

Flight 10
ITA 85 beat CHN 95 +1.57
FRA 93 beat GER 89 +35s
ITA 94 BEAT ITA 99 +7s
NZL 92 beat SWE 96 +34s
USA 98 beat ESP 97 +55s

CHALLENGER SAIL NUMBERS

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

Challenger elimination series semi-finals start Monday May 14

Finals start Friday June 1. www.emiratesteamnz.com