Issue date
Emirates Team New Zealand had a good day on the water today, winning two races in the Louis Vuitton Cup final clash against Luna Rossa.
The regatta also had a good day. For the first time in the finals both teams completed the course without breakdown and both races scheduled went ahead.
More important - both for the teams and the spectators – there was some close racing
While the deltas to Emirates Tem New Zealand suggested otherwise - 2min 18sec in race four and 1min 28sec in race five – today was no easy cruise for Dean Barker and crew.
Luna Rossa did well in the pre-starts; the starts were even and ETNZ had only small margins at the first mark.
Boat speed and handling were paramount. And once again the AC72 and crew delivered and they extended the delta on every leg.
Today the breeze never got above 17 knots.
The team was happy with the close racing, especially on the third leg of the second race when the Italians cut back a lead of 300 metres to 70 metres and engaged New Zealand in a tacking duel close inshore.
Well-practiced crew work won out and Barker extended again and was never seriously threated.
The next race is on Friday – one race on a reserve day; two races are scheduled for Saturday and two for Sunday.
The final is a best of 13 races – a team needs seven wins to advance to the America’s Cup match.
Louis Vuitton Cup Final Standings (first to 7 points wins)
• Emirates Team New Zealand – 4
• Luna Rossa Challenge – 1
Race 4 Performance Data
• Course: 5 Legs/10.18 nautical miles
• Elapsed Time: ETNZ – 25:39, LR – 27:57
• Delta: ETNZ +2:18
• Total distance sailed: ETNZ – 11.5 NM , LR – 11.7 NM
• Average Speed: ETNZ – 26.94 knots (31 mph), LR – 25.29 knots (29 mph)
• Top Speed: ETNZ – 44.04 knots (50 mph), LR – 39.99 knots (46 mph)
• Wind Speed: Average – 14 knots, Peak – 17 knots
Race 5 Performance Data
• Course: 5 Legs/10.18 nautical miles
• Elapsed Time: ETNZ – 24:26, LR – 25:54
• Delta: ETNZ +1:28
• Total distance sailed: ETNZ – 11.5 NM , LR – 11.7 NM
• Average Speed: ETNZ – 28.44 knots (33 mph), LR – 27.29 knots (31 mph)
• Top Speed: ETNZ – 43.77 knots (50 mph), LR – 39.23 knots (45 mph)
Louis Vuitton Cup Final schedule (best-of-13 series)
• Friday, Aug. 23: Final Race 6 (1:10 pm PT)
• Saturday, Aug. 24: Final Race 7 (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 8 (2:10 pm PT)
• Sunday, Aug. 25: Final Race 9* (1:10 pm PT), Final Race 10* (2:10 pm PT) (* If necessary)
