Alinghi evens score at 2-2 in America's Cup match

by Daphne Morgan Barnicoat on 28 Jun 2007
Alinghi evened the thrilling 32nd America’s Cup Match against Emirates Team New Zealand at 2-all today with a 30-second victory.

After two difficult races that saw ETNZ open a 2-1 lead, Alinghi got back on the winning track with a solid start, tight covering tactics and good boat speed in a wire-to-wire victory. Strategist, Murray Jones, comments on the day: 'Obviously winning today lifts everyone. It was a tight race and we sailed well the whole way round so it gives us more confidence.'

The wind conditions today were the same as yesterday, blowing from the northeast around 10 knots, but with smaller shifts. In a change of pre-start tactics, Alinghi started to the right of ETNZ. Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird waited patiently to windward of ETNZ counterpart Dean Barker as both approached the start line with Barker in the controlling position to leeward. With about 30 seconds to go, Barker put his bow down and Baird followed. Baird timed his slingshot onto the racecourse slightly better and crossed the start line 1 second ahead of the challenger.

'We got a last minute call from Jon Bilger, our weather man, to take the right and Ed did a fantastic job in the pre-start so we got a beautiful start to the right of Emirates Team New Zealand. We eventually managed to get better boat speed and that was really the race won as we managed to hold all the way out to the layline and capitalise on that, it was great,' describes Murray Jones.

In a non-confrontational first beat, Alinghi and ETNZ rode starboard tack for more than 16 minutes all the way to the port layline, with Alinghi to windward and holding a slim advantage. When both boats tacked to port Alinghi had a stronger position and was able to extend its lead to 20 seconds at the first mark. It was the first time in the series both boats used just one tack on an upwind leg.

Alinghi increased its lead on the first run to 34 seconds at the leeward gate. The Defender continued to lead at the second windward mark by 25 seconds. On the final leg of the 12 nautical mile race the two crews exchanged 23 gybes, but Alinghi kept the game tight and never let ETNZ separate by more than 500 metres en route to the final 30-second delta.

As for what is planned for tomorrow’s layday, Murray is candid: 'I’m going to recover on the day off and hopefully my body will recover! I have been knocked around up the mast a bit lately!'

Tomorrow is a scheduled layday. Racing in the 32nd Match resumes on Friday, 29 June, with Race 5 scheduled at 15:00 hours.

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