Louis Vuitton Pacific Series: RR2 Day 2 Report


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Race Report: Surprises, Wind, and First Wins and First Losses
Round Robin 2 Day 2

Auckland, February 6, 2009


 

Team Origin and BMW Oracle going upwind.  The two collided in the pre-start, earning penalties for both.  Origin later withdrew with unrelated damage.
 Photo:©2009 Gilles Martin-Raget/BMW Oracle
 


Today began a three-day holiday weekend for Kiwis, Waitangi Day, celebrating the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document.

The blustering window curtains at first-light were an indication that today was a new day in the weather department, too –- a fresh breeze cascading across the Viaduct area.  Out on the race course, there was no holiday in the action.

Match of the Day - Race 3: BMW Oracle and Team Origin Dust-up
The marquee match-up for today was BMW Oracle racing against RR1 standout Team Origin.  The teams took each other’s measure for the first minute of the pre-start before going into a standard dial-up.  Origin blinked first, heading down the start box with BMW Oracle pushing them into another dial up deep in the box, beyond the left hand line.  Ben Ainslie again tried to wriggle away and got more of a wriggle than he’d planned -- Russell Coutts was slow to respond and BMW Oracle copped the penalty following "hard contact" between the two boats.

Matt Cornwell, Team Origin bowman, told TVNZ: “Oracle did a very good job of tying us up in knots and it was in desperation almost that we got away. Coutts got a little too close – his bow was just above our transom, our transom came up and we hit.”

BMW Oracle seem stunned for a moment, reacted slowly to Origin peeling away, and headed across the start line on starboard two boat lengths behind the British team.  Coutts was able to get some back on the beat, climbing in close behind Ainslie downwind and affecting his air as the teams traded gybes.  The battle looked to be going full steam as BMW Oracle rounded the left mark, but with no headsail up and the kite still flying Origin sailed past the bottom mark and out of the race.  Headfoil issues from last week appears to have returned on the NZL yacht Origin was sailing.

Initial reports are that BMW Oracle gets a point for the victory but loses a point due to the contact between the boats, netting zero.  Team Origin loses half a point for not sufficiently avoiding the contact.  Both penalties were upheld in a hearing later this evening.

 
Team Origin and BMW Oracle in the dial-up during Day 2 Race 3 pre-start.
Photo:©2009 Ian Roman/Team Origin

The hard contact penalty is for any contact between hulls or rigs of the boats involved.  In order to help preserve the boats (and the tight racing schedule that would be at risk in case of serious damage), a soft contact/hard contact system was implemented.  Soft contact consists of aluminum poles that extend off the sterns of the boats.  Contact involving just the poles of one boat and the hull of another is considered normal racing contact, subject to standard on the water penalties.  Hard contact is a mandatory 1 point penalty in the event scoring.  The protest committee can also dock the second boat one-half point if they believe that they contributed to the hard contact, at the committee's discretion.

Other races:

Race 1: Alinghi and Damiani Italia
In the first race between Alinghi and the Damiani, there were plenty of fireworks – just not the kind of fireworks these sailors are used to seeing at this level of racing! Both boats circled around each other for virtually the entire five minute prestart, reaching into the back of the starting box before heading back to the line for a time-on-distance start with the Italians slightly to leeward and ahead of Alinghi. Just before the gun, Alinghi tacked to port for what a split tack start and the race committee flagged Damiani over early.

But were they over? Moments later the race committee called the race, indicating the flag on Italia was not correct, but since Damiani had hesitated due to the flag, it was not fair to continue.

Restarting the race, Damiani followed behind Alinghi instead of joining the dial up and the circles began again. Both teams tacked with 20 seconds to go, Damiani onto starboard blocking Alinghi on port. Moments later, the Italians were able to tack ahead of Alinghi getting to the right side of the course and consolidating up the beat.

The straightforward starboard tack beat turned upside down as both teams came into a simultaneous dial down. Damiani forced Alinghi bear away but tacked too close and were hit with a red flag penalty, requiring an immediate penalty turn that gave a 100 meter lead to Alinghi at the top mark, which the Swiss increased with every rounding to the finish.

Race 2:  Pataugas K-Challenge and Shosholoza
The second race of the day saw the same sort of circling pre-start.  Shosholoza was slow coming back and  started behind the French team. By the second weather mark, the South Africans had managed to cut into the French lead, but could not manage to find a passing lane, remaining winless in Round Robin 2.

Race 4: Greek Challenge and China Team
Greek Challenge is a new team, but with Gavin Brady at the helm they have shown well, infusing the regatta with their enthusiasm. Greece has had their bright moments this week, but the start today against China Team was not one of them, entering the start box incorrectly and earning a penalty before even engaging. The initial dial-up earned the Greeks another penalty and while exonerating themselves with a turn shortly after the start, China Team sailed away to take the lead and eventual win.


Luna Rossa chasing ETNZ on Day 2.
Photo:©200
9 Stefano Gattini/Luna Rossa Challenge

Race 5: ETNZ and Luna Rossa
After a lengthy delay and a switch to BMW Oracle’s boats (while shore crews replaced the headstay on NZL 92,) Luna Rossa nailed entry into the box and engaged Emirates Team New Zealand in the move that’s all the rage, the “fake dial-up” –- both boats coming together but dogging each other for a few moments before actually getting into a standard dial-up. ETNZ tucked to leeward as Luna Rossa tacked away, with both boats seeing green flags despite piercingly expressed requests for penalties. ETNZ tacked away for a clear shot at the line, with Luna Rossa “floundering in their wake” –- aptly put by BSport’s Ross Blackman.  As has been the reward for those who find themselves in such a hole at the start, there was no way out for Luna Ross.

-- Reporting by Diane Swintal for CupInfo/©2009 CupInfo


Links of Interest:

Rounds Robin 1 and 2:  Head-to-Head Results and Standings

CupInfo's Main Louis Vuitton Pacific Series page

Visit the Official Louis Vuiton Pacific Series Web Site


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