Louis Vuitton Pacific Series - Race Report: RR2 Day 3

Race Report: New Races, Close Race, and No Race
Round Robin 2 Day 3

Auckland, February 7, 2009

Four-second margin of victory for Team Origin against Luna Rossa on Day 3.
Photo:©2009 Ian Roman/Team Origin

With fickle and shifty eight to nine knot breezes, the race course was set on the other side of Rangitoto Island, in the channel on the way to the Hauraki Gulf. With the earlier tide today teams had incoming current to deal with on the beats.

Race 1:
With a little bit of starboard bias on the line, Damiani Italia crossed in front of BMW Oracle Racing and began circling. Damiani tried to get under BMW Oracle but the American team was able to stay ahead as Russell Coutts performed a perfect time-on-distance start.

Damiani would not go away but also couldn’t pass. BMW Oracle held them in a tight cover around the course for the win.

Race 2:
Greek Challenge was late entering the start box and came into a quick dial up with Shosholoza. The South Africans blinked first, peeling away to the back of the box, he Greek team matching their every move. Shosholoza started to windward of the Greeks but also could not pass. As we’ve seen in this regatta, with more or less evenly matched boats passing is rare. The Greeks victory leaves the South Africans winless in RR2.

After a delay for shipping traffic which saw the breeze lighten to six knots, the race committee was forced to abandon the third and fourth races, as the time limits expired before the teams reached the top mark. The race course then headed more inside the harbor, where, rumor has it, the wind was better.

Luna Rossa and Team Origin starting close, and finishing that way, too.
Photo:©2009 Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Race 3:
On the restart in 11 knots of breeze, Origin declined the dial up and headed for the spectator fleet with Luna Rossa close behind. Using a spectator boat as a pick, Ainslie got some separation. Approaching the line Origin luffed Luna Rossa and went to take the left. But the breeze rotated left at the top of the leg and it was Luna Rossa who rounded ahead. Both did late gybe sets and soaked it down the run, then split bottom marks. Back at the top Luna Rossa barely kept her advantage while driving Origin past the mark. The boats rounded with Origin close enough to nearly plow into the stern of the Italians. The pair gybe set again and kept the fight in the middle of the course, Origin making small gains on puffs nosed into the lead and kept far enough away from Luna Rossa so that the late charging Italian did not affect their breeze. The four-second margin was the closest in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series so far.

Race 4:
China Team and Pataugas K-Challenge skipped the dial up and circled each other through the pre-start to the line. China Team led at the start and lengthened their lead around the top mark – but had a sobering moment when the spinnaker came off the pole on a gybe, likely causes shore crews to consider getting the spare mast ready. China sealed the win when the spinnaker on K-Challenge blew out at the top mark.

Race 5:
The last race was not a race at all. Alinghi decided that there is more to lose than gain in a race against Emirates Team New Zealand, calculating that they do not get a point if they beat ETNZ but can lose a point if the two teams have contact. Alinghi declined to start the race. ETNZ went out to the course alone and started the race, at which point the race committee deemed them to have started, and the race was considered a forfeit by Alinghi.

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