From the Blogs- SailJuice - Breakaway tactics see Luna Rossa topple BMW Oracle

by Andy Rice: www.sailjuice.com on 15 May 2007
Andy Rice is a sailing journalist, who has previously reported on Olympic events, America's Cup Acts and offshore classics like the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race and the Volvo Ocean Race. He is currently in Valencia and is posting on www.SailJuice.com

Breakaway tactics see Luna Rossa topple BMW Oracle

Two more contrasting styles in match racing you could not have hoped to see today. With the wind blowing off the city for the opening matches of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals, the fluky, shifty conditions made it a tough call as to whether afterguards should be chasing the best breeze or defending position on the race course.

Luna Rossa and BMW Oracle Racing seemed to favour the former – chasing the breeze at the expense of tactical positioning – while Emirates Team New Zealand never allowed Desafio Espanol room to breathe. The Kiwis were all over the Spanish like a rash, and while it never meant Dean Barker could put any sort of comfortable distance between him and Karol Jablonski, at least it meant he won the race.

The Italians and Americans, on the other hand, were playing a much faster and looser game, rolling the dice for a six and hoping for the best. Luna Rossa tactician Torben Grael is notorious for going for the big gamble, and quite often makes it pay.

When you’re the perceived underdog, as Luna Rossa are considered to be, it makes even more sense to break away from your opponent. The more separation you can create from your superior rival, the less significant any differences between boatspeed and boathandling become.

Read the rest of this story on www.SailJuice.com - for news and opinion from the 32nd America's Cup in Valencia

Andy Rice's other website is www.SailingTalk.com - which presents technique tips from the world's greatest sailors