News

23.06.2006

Evening News Louis Vuitton Act 12 Day 2

A year to go to the America’s Cup Match and Alinghi is holding a healthy lead

Alinghi beat home-team Desafío Español 2007
One year to the day today, Alinghi, the Defender of the 32nd America’s Cup, will be heading out to fight to win the Cup again off the coast of Valencia. Today though, the Swiss focus was very much on the match against home team Desafío Español 2007, in their new generation boat. Alinghi, with Peter Holmberg on the helm, entered the start box on port, maintained control through the dial up, fought for the left hand in the start and crossed the line 2 seconds ahead of Desafío Español 2007. The Swiss led out to the left hand side, and in tricky breeze eked out an early advantage in a left hand shift, tacking over onto port tack, they drag raced out to the right extending to lead around the 1st windward mark by 25 seconds. Heading downwind on their 1st run, they jibed down the right hand side in patchy breeze, working the puffs and led into the gate by 37 seconds on starboard jibe, took the left hand mark to claim the left. The Swiss covered the Spanish team closely leading out to the left hand side and playing the shifts, they extended the lead around the second windward mark to 1 minute 15 seconds. Alinghi crossed the finish line 55 seconds ahead.

A win against South Africa
Alinghi met Team Shosholoza, the South African challenge, for match 1 of flight 4. Alinghi, with perfect time to the line, took the right hand start in the centre of the line and headed out to the left to windward of Team Shosholoza. The Defender gradually lifted off, before rolling into a tack onto port and taking the right hand side of the track in more pressure. South Africa kept close and followed Alinghi out to the right, they tacked back to lead back to the left, Alinghi went left and snatched advantages as they bounced South Africa out to the left and led around the 1st windward mark by 37 seconds. The Swiss team marched off down the right hand side, jibed and raced for the gate taking the right hand mark 48 seconds ahead. Taking the right out of the gate, they tacked back across to cross ahead and take the left, after a dig back into the right the Defender raced the centre of the course in dying breeze. South Africa clawed some ground back from Alinghi at the 2nd topmark with a delta of 29 seconds, and continued to reel the Swiss team in coming into the finish line with a puff, but Alinghi held them off and crossed ahead by 20 seconds.

We asked Brad Butterworth, team skipper and tactician about a fluky day and his take on the challengers.

On Desafío Español 2007?
“The Spanish boat doesn’t look to be any faster than their old boat, so they would have seen that today, but only in 8 knots, so who knows. Luna Rossa for sure has made a jump, but I’m not too sure about the other two teams, we really don’t race them enough to find out but we might know a bit more by the end of this regatta.”

On Team Shosholoza?
“It was shifty and puffy up that 2nd beat and we were out of phase with the shifts, which was mostly my fault and then we got back into phase at the top mark and it was very tricky up there and hard to read the weather. Then downwind Shosholoza had a slightly bigger sail than us and it came in range down the run and they closed a little bit.

Conclusion?
“Over all it is good to beat Desafío Español 2007and Team Shosholoza because they are teams that can beat any of the big teams.”

Other news
Alinghi syndicate head, Ernesto Bertarelli, will be on board SUI75 for tomorrow’s racing.