Americas Cup Jubilee - Day 4
by Louis Vuitton Media Centre 23 Aug 2001 07:51 BST
After two days of incredible racing at the America's Cup Jubilee, the pace slowed on Wednesday, as hot, hazy weather was the order of the day. Sullen skies and an almost total lack of breeze forced a delay in racing and when it did start, competitors had to contend with the biggest and fastest tidal currents of the year. The resulting light wind meant that only the America's Cup Class and the 12-Metre Grand Prix division completed races.
It was a Down Under day at the Prada 12-Meter World Championships as Kiwi Russell Coutts and his mixed Swiss/Kiwi crew aboard South Australia, beat John Bertrand and his Aussies on Australia II in the Grand Prix Class, with young New Zealander Cameron Appleton and the Team New Zealand contingent aboard Kiwi Magic finishing third.
Coutts and his Swiss Alinghi Challenge shipmates sailed their 12-Metre South Australia around the course in first place, pursued but never caught by Bertrand and the Aussie veterans on Australia II. The Grand Prix boats barely weathered the tidal trap waiting for them at the leeward mark but were able to get around the mark, harden up on port tack and then drift sideways in the tide for over a mile until they got out of the worst of the current on the Isle of Wight shore.
Coutts leads on points after three races, with a low-point score of 4. Appleton is second with 8 and Bertrand is third with 11.
For the America's Cup Class fleet, the first order of business was a posting from the International Jury announcing that Prada's Luna Rossa had been disqualified from the Race Around the Island. This won't affect standings on the points table, as that race isn't scored on the overall results.
On the water, the same light wind conditions meant that the one race achieved on a shortened course turned into an endurance contest. Luna Rossa led off the starting line, and went up the right side of the course with the majority of the fleet. The Italians started tacking to weather of their nearest competitor, the GBR Challenge's GBR-52, and were able to extend their lead around the track.
Team New Zealand and GBR-41 went way out to the left, and were over 30-minutes behind the leaders at the top mark. At the finishing line, Luna Rossa scored a 3:42 win over GBR-52, with America3 a further three minutes behind.
The America's Cup Class will complete the fleet racing section of their programme on Thursday morning, and the top four on the points table will carry on with a match racing series in the afternoon.
Full results for all classes are available online at www.americascupjubilee.com
Harrison's GBR Challenge Secures a Semi-Final Berth - from Mark Bullingham
After a frustrating day of light wind racing, Peter Harrison's GBR Challenge has secured one slot in the semi-final of the America's Cup Jubilee. GBR 52 finished second in the only race of the day, to Prada, who is also assured of a place in the match racing stage of the competition.
"We are pleased we got a second. We pushed Prada quite hard for most of the race in what is regarded as their strongest conditions," commented GBR52's helm, Ian Walker.
GBR 41 remains in contention for the fourth and final match racing spot. The 1995 generation yacht has to beat America3, and put at least two boats between them.
The start was delayed due to a lack of wind, but a south easterly gradient breeze of five to seven knots allowed the fleet to get underway off the north eastern corner of the Isle of Wight.
Prada led the fleet off the line, with GBR 52 in close contention. GBR 41 and Team New Zealand sailed to the left hand side of the course, whilst the two 2000 generation yachts and the remaining ACC competitors sailed over to the right hand side.
As the sea breeze started to build, the breeze went right, and the yachts on the right hand side of the course benefited. Luna Rossa tacked on top of GBR 52 three times to hold them out on the right hand side of the course. The third time, Prada managed to tack onto the lay line, forcing the British yacht to tack twice more to approach the mark.
Prada rounded first, with GBR 52 one and a half minutes behind, followed by America3 a further one minute and 20 seconds behind. The Italian yacht never looked back, and extended her lead at each mark.
Tomorrow, the ACC class is due to start a fleet race at 11.10, followed by the match racing semi-finals.
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