Match Racing Championship:
Last Day of Match Racing Qualifying

Outlook Friday, Aug 12:
First start expected 2:10 pm in Cascais.
Friday Race Program 3 fleet Races and 3 Match Races.

Results: Three Fleet Racing wins for Oracle4 and James Spithill sent them up against ETNZ in the match race, where the Kiwi's prevailed.  Coutts on Oracle5 put Artemis away in Match Race 2, but Artemis had a much better fleet racing performance today than in Day 1 and 2.  Korea has been tough lately, and beat GreenComm in Match Race 3.  France's Energy Team, despite missing the match racing Friday, will make it through to the quarterfinals Saturday.

Scroll down for race-by-race summary
 or View Results Page

See Day 7 Team Statements and more photos

Match Racing Pairs:
Match 1: ETNZ and Oracle4 (2 vs. 1)
Match 2: Oracle5 and Artemis (4 vs. 3)
Match 3: GreenComm and Korea (5 vs. 6)
 

Spain's GreenComm made it into the match racing round Friday, but lost to the surging Team Korea.  Photo:©2011 Gilles Martin-Raget/americascup.com

Match 3:
Korea beats Green Comm.

Match 2:
Oracle Coutts beats Artemis. Artemis (Hutchinson) and Oracle (Coutts) had some aggressive jousting in the box. Artemis led to the first reaching mark but was passed during gybes down the first leeward leg. It appeared the Swedes' larger gennaker was a disadvantage, with Artemis burying the leeward bow on occasion.  Coutts controlled from the first leeward gate through the finish.

Match 1:
Oracle led around the first mark and engaged in a gybing duel with the Kiwis downhill.  Oracle led through the leeward gate, delta 0:17.  The teams split tacks up the windward leg, with ETNZ making gains.  ETNZ seemed faster with their smaller gennaker, and took the lead screaming around a slower Oracle rounding the mark. The final leg was all ETNZ, beating Oracle (Spithill) in a thriller, delta 0:37.
 

Despite appearances, ETNZ sailed a circle round Oracle4 when it counted to win their match race, Friday.
Photo:©2011 Gilles Martin-Raget/americascup.com

Fleet Race 3:
Start at 40 minutes after the hour.  Clean start, racing underway. 

Another treat. James Spithill and mates on Oracle4 went wire-to-wire again, notching the third race in a row today.  ETNZ fought with gennaker problems again, having it unwind on the final windward, but managed to hold out Coutts and company on Oracle5.

Another win for Spithill.  ETNZ 2nd, Coutts 3rd, Artemis 4th, Korea 5th, Energy 6th, GreenComm 7th, Aleph 8th, China 9th.

Fleet Race 2:
Start expected 5 minutes after the top of the hour, longer wait this time to let breeze build.  The second fleet race of the day was maybe the best yet in this regatta.

 The two Oracle boats were best out of the box, sailing side-by-side with Green Comm to leeward and ETNZ to windward.  Oracle4 (Spithill) led the first time through the leeward gate with ETNZ and Oracle5 (Coutts) sailing in the same slot, close aboard.  By the top gate Oracle #4 kept putting on speed, with the ETNZ and Oracle #5 still tussling. As is often the case in fleet racing, when two boats engage it profits others -- Artemis and Korea gaining.

ETNZ had uncharacteristic trouble with sail handling, twice sporting a wineglass warp in their red gennaker. Spithill led the 2nd time through the leeward gate with ETNZ and Oracle #5 through in very close quarters. Closure on the final upwind, Artemis and Korea threatened the leaders.

Another win for Spithill on Oracle4, Artemis 2nd again, ETNZ in 3rd holds off Coutts in 4th, and Korea just 3 seconds behind. Energy 6th, Green Comm 7th, China 8th, and Aleph 9th.
 

Fleet Race 1:
Clean start for all boats, ontime.  Green Comm and Aleph led around the reach mark after the start. The peloton rounded in a pack. Aleph got tangled up with spectator boats and the RIB towing the advertising markers, all of which were on the course during the race.

Oracle #4 (Spithill) found air down the center and led Artemis and ETNZ around the leeward gate. The order remained the same through race end.  A nice win for Oracle4 (Spithill), followed by Artemis 2nd (delta :37), ETNZ 3rd, GreenComm 4th, Korea 5th, Aleph 6th, Energy 7th, Oracle5 (Coutts) 8th, China Team 9th.