Massive Win for Shosholoza over America’s Cup Defender Alinghi
 

Auckland, February 3, 2009

South Africa beat the America's Cup Defender Alinghi on Day 5 by a margin of nearly 4 minutes.
Photo:©2009 Giuliano Luzzatto
 

(Shosholoza Press Release) -- South Africa’s Team Shosholoza has caused the biggest upset  of the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series so far by pulling off an unimaginable 3 minute 49 second win over  Americas Cup defenders the Swiss Team Alinghi  in Auckland, New Zealand, today.

A seasoned Americas Cup journalist in Auckland for the event even suggested at the post race press conference that it was the worst defeat in Alinghi’s history.

The match was won in the pre-start with Shosholoza using supreme skills to control the dial up  by taking the two boats head to wind into an almost four minute stall from which it was difficult for Alinghi to escape. The South African team then built momentum for a perfect time on distance dash to lead off the start by two boat lengths.

It was the classic start that you want to keep in your mind for a long while, said Shosholoza skipper Paolo Cian. The tide was pushing both boats towards the committee boat and our crew did a great job of executing the turn back to the line.

Despite an incoming current,  shifty  winds and puffs in the lee of the volcanic Rangitoto Island,  Shosholoza shot off  to play the advantageous left side of the course and steadily stretched their lead on the Swiss around every mark  to finish a whopping 1 km 178 meters ahead.

Meanwhile despite perfect racing conditions in warm north-easterly winds of 14-16 knots, and flat water Alinghi lost time on every leg, got holed in windless patches and had a problem dropping the gennaker on the bottom mark which cost them valuable time.

Said Cian: It was a big victory for us especially after yesterday’s races when we sailed so well but didn’t score a point.  Today the course was very tricky but we not only outwitted Alinghi in the pre- start but didn’t miss a shift. I give credit to our tactician Tommaso Chieffi and our Kiwi strategist Cameron Appleton who helped us with local knowledge.

A win like this gives us a lot of confidence going into the next round robin. It shows that  every team can win when using even boats on short courses.

In response to a question from event director Bruno Trouble at the post race press conference as to how Alinghi had managed to be so badly beaten by Shosholoza today, Alinghi navigator Juan Vilas answer was that:  Shosholoza sailed a perfect race.

They did well to hold us in the pre start and make it difficult for us. It was very tricky out there and Shosholoza did well to play the shifts and get the puffs right. We could do nothing but watch them sail away from us, said Alinghi’s Vilas.

Team founding managing director Captain Salvatore Sarno who phoned immediately from Cape Town South Africa to congratulate his team said:

I had a big big feeling that we could do it today and finally it has come right for us. It is 2am here. I had no internet to listen to the race but I was not sleeping. I was just thinking very intensely of the team and being with them in my mind. Now I know that in the end there is someone up there, said an emotional Captain Sarno.

In the other races today, BMW Oracle Racing defeated Damiani Italia by 52 seconds in a race that was close for the first three legs.  The French boat Pataugas K-Challenge put up a good fight and engaged Emirates Team New Zealand for the first weather leg of their race but the Kiwis won by 1m38s. Greek offshore sailor Theodoros Tsoulfas took the helm of the Greek Challenge today to race Britain’s Team Origin and kept the margin close for two legs before the British pulled away to win by 58s.

At the end of the first round robin, the scores are: Pool A Emirates Team New Zealand, 4; BMW Oracle Racing, 3; Damiani Italia Challenge, 2; Pataugas K Challenge, 1; China Team, 0. Pool B Team Origin, 4; Alinghi, 2; Luna Rossa, 2; Team Shosholoza, 1; Greek Challenge, 0.

After a lay day tomorrow, racing starts again on Thursday in the second round robin. In the Gold Fleet, Alinghi in NZL 84 will race Team Origin in NZL 92, Damiani Italia Challenge in NZL 84 will race Emirates Team New Zealand in NZL 92 and BMW Oracle Racing in NZL 92 will race Luna Rossa in NZL 84. In the Silver Fleet, Pataugas K-Challenge in USA 87 will race Greek Challenge in USA 98, while Team Shosholoza in USA 87 will race China Team in USA 98.