2-1 for the Kiwis, the clash of the Titans

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Victory goes to the Kiwis today, Monday, in the 3rd race of the America's Cup. A race charged with suspense, a race that everyone believed the New Zealanders would win by the first beat. Having been largely dominated during half of the race, Alinghi made an incredible comeback and we thought they had stolen away a fantastic victory. But like Sunday, the Kiwis never let go. We witnessed a true duel of titans in the last upwind leg and up until the last minute, nobody would be able to predict what would happen. I twas a grand and exciting match and also a magnificent New Zealand victory. At the end of a completely crazy race, Emirates Team New Zealand has wrestled a away an hallucinating second point. It is also a terrible defeat for the Swiss team and one that will hurt moral badly.

The afternoon did not start well. A capricious wind delayed the resumption of the 32nd America’s Cup. After a hellishly hot day yesterday, and a warm wind coming from the Sahara, the thermometer sadly only showed 25 degrees and the thermal breeze could not install itself. After waiting two hours for wind, nevertheless reaching between 7 and 10 knots, Peter Reggio, Race course director, finally started the race.

Contrary to the two first races, it is Alinghi who largely gets a better start. Dean Barker is late and NZL 92 is slow to cross the line, 8 seconds behind the Swiss. But the Kiwis wanted the right and wanted to protect the right side of the course, one that Terry Hutchinson, tactician, thought was the best side. It is a judicious choice, because NZL 92 benefited from a huge wind shift to the right and rapidly escaped. We can even say, to get a picture, they took off. The separation was dramatic for Alinghi, 340 meters behind. At the windward mark, the Kiwis are 1 minute and 23 seconds ahead. With a 400 meter lead during the first few minutes of the first leg, it is hard to see what could stop Dean Barker from taking his second point. One would think that the Swiss were going to finish in the "binoculars".

It is nevertheless SUI 100 who is faster downwind and Ed Baird slowly but surely catches up with their adversary. At the approach to the leeward gate, Dean Barker sees his lead melt away to half of what it was. A 200 meter lead, seems like more than enough, for the New Zealanders, renown for their sense of control and the perfection of their boat handling. But at the moment of passing the buoy, the wind changed direction and the Kiwis fouled up their rounding. The spinnaker jammed into the genoa lead block. NZL 92 is slow, and incapable of tacking. SUI 100 passes the buoy a minute behind but takes off faster and much closer to the wind. The deficit decreases rapidly and in the middle of the 2nd upwind leg, the two boats are boat for boat. Alinghi is on the left, and Team New Zealand to the right. The wind shift favored the Defender this time, which rounded the windward mark 15 seconds ahead.

On the last downwind, Alinghi sailed 100 meters in front. Largely enough....Brad Butterworth, the Swiss tactician, decides to play the wind and not their adversary. He lets the Swiss split away. It is a risky move, in these highly volatile winds. Dean Barker, liking the shifts, brings the bow of his boat even with that of his adversary. The suspense is over when the two boats are on the final approach for the finish line. The New Zealand after guard jibe in front of the Swiss and ETNZ crosses the finish line 25 seconds in front of Alinghi.

The 32nd America's Cup has seen today one of the biggest races of its history.

RV/Fdb- Lh
Valencia June 27 2007