Quarter final repechage Race Day One

by Louis Vuitton media centre on 23 Nov 2002 Shifty winds are forecast for today's Day One of the Quarter Final Repechage of the Louis Vuitton Cup, which should turn up the tension on the Hauraki Gulf Saturday afternoon.

In the first match, an all-American pairing sees the rejuvenated Team Dennis Conner taking on the Seattle Yacht Club’s OneWorld Challenge. OneWorld skipper Peter Gilmour said he would be sailing USA-67 again, the boat his team used in the two Round Robins.

Ken Read, skipper of Stars & Stripes smiled as he announced his team would be sailing USA-77, a boat that enjoys a near perfect record albeit in just five matches.

At the last minute, Prada announced it would sail ITA-74, fresh off another round of modifications in the boat shed. Victory Challenge helmsman Jesper Bank will be at the wheel of SWE-73.

Both of the pairings are best-of-seven matches with one race scheduled for each pair, each day. Racing will not start before 13:15. The winners advance to the Semi-Finals, whilst the losing teams are eliminated.

PAIRINGS FOR THE DAY:

Blue Centre Romeo Course:
BLUE YELLOW
13:15 Stars & Stripes (USA-77) vs. OneWorld (USA-67)
13:25 Orm (SWE-73) vs. Luna Rossa (ITA-74)



WEATHER FORECAST:


General Synopsis: High-pressure (1022 mb) 400 miles to the south of Auckland, slowly moving east. Small area of low-pressure over the Bay of Plenty will move NE with an upper air trough moving over the Hauraki Gulf early in the morning. Small area of low-pressure in the middle of the Tasman Sea will move east to affect Auckland on Sunday morning.

Winds: ESE 4 – 7 knots, veering to the north east around 1300 and increasing 11 – 16 knots.

Intermittent showers, with calm to moderate seas. Temperatures 17 – 19 C

Outlook for Sunday: Easterly 13 – 19 knots