The Master at Work-Coutts takes Alinghi 2-0 up in a thriller
by Magnus Wheatley 16 Feb 2003 08:54 GMT
Photo © Photowave / Louis Vuitton
The spectator fleet heads out from Auckland
Photo © Bob Grieser / Louis Vuitton
The windseekers up the rigs downwind
Photo © Thierry Martinez/Alinghi Team
Alinghi rounds the windward mark
Photo © Thierry Martinez/Alinghi Team
Alinghi overtakes Team New Zealand on the final run
Photo © Ivor Wilkins
Team New Zealand supporters on the docks |
In the most tense and exciting race of the entire Cup summer, Russell Coutts came from behind to score a dramatic win and to extend his personal unbeaten America’s Cup run to eleven races. The win was simply breathtaking with Alinghi overtaking Team New Zealand on the last run with precision steering and unbelievable sail-trim from the modern day master of the America’s Cup.
After a two-hour delay, the wind finally filled in from the north producing 8-10 knots above flat seas and brilliant sunshine-quite a difference from yesterday! A further delay ensued as principal race officer Harold Bennett insisted that the spectator fleet camped out on the starboard layline move back but at quarter to four the five minute gun heralded the start of a race that will go down in history as a classic. Dean Barker brought a fired up and much repaired NZL-82 into the starting box on starboard gybe from the committee boat end whilst Coutts dialed in on port. As the two boats came together for the dial up, Barker got it a fraction wrong and ended up just ahead whilst Coutts stopped dead in the water. TNZ didn’t live there for long and quickly bailed out to the safety of the committee boat end to initiate some circling to try to get some leverage.
Alinghi clearly wanted the left side of the course and trailed TNZ’s transom before gybing in unison and setting themselves up toward the port (pin end) layline. It was all about time on distance now and with Alinghi in a beautiful lee-bow position, TNZ were forced to tack over on to port with 35 seconds to go and head toward the unfavoured right side of the course to get clear air. As the gun fired it was Coutts with the early advantage and the brains trust at the back of the boat in the form of Brad Butterworth, Murray Jones and Jochen Schuemann called for a long tack out on starboard. TNZ came back to cover but it was all Alinghi as they used their upwind firepower of a long keel strut and wings to great effect. TNZ were at the races but as the port layline neared, Coutts tacked for the first cross. Close but no cigar as Coutts couldn’t quite cross and very nearly scored a penalty by tacking in the Kiwi’s water. The umpires sensibly green-flagged the incident but the boats split-Alinghi back left, TNZ right.
With the pressure building to around 10 knots, Coutts came back again on port tack as Barker returned on starboard. This time it was no contest as Alinghi crossed with half a boat-length to spare and crucially seized the starboard tack advantage with the first mark approaching. As both boats bore away set to their asymmetric kites and got to target speed there looked nothing to choose between the two and Alinghi were quick to pull out their staysail as they clearly feared the downwind potential of NZL-82. The official delta at mark 1 was just 12 seconds. However the Kiwi’s were the first to gybe away and crucially Coutts didn’t match them as we have come to expect. TNZ trundled out to the right side of the course and started to find the first of some new pressure that gave them 0.4 knots extra boatspeed. By the time Alinghi realised, it was too late and they watched helplessly as TNZ stormed into the lead. As the leeward mark approached a couple of gybes later, TNZ were in control. Alinghi went for a gybe-peel to their biggest ‘A’ sail but it had little effect on closing down the Kiwi’s lead. The local commentators could barely contain themselves blabbering on that the boat’s a ‘rocket-ship’ and that the ‘Hula’ was taking full effect. Rubbish, it was a shift and increased pressure that put the home team into the lead and by mark 2 they had overturned the initial delta and enjoyed a lead of 34 seconds!
Up the second beat, and with a big left shift filtering and staying down the course the tactics were relatively easy. Coutts seemed to be sailing in a higher mode whilst Barker kept it low and fast whilst tenaciously protecting the left side of the course. There were few attacking options and Barker held the left magnificently, constantly tacking on Alinghi’s air but with Coutts able to pick the shifts he closed to round mark 3, 26 seconds astern. Both boats gybe-set away with Coutts really dialing up hard out of the gybe as he clearly perceived a weakness in TNZ on a very close reach. The ensuing drag race in just 9 knots of breeze saw SUI-64 gradually closing down the distance and as the final leeward mark approached they initiated a fierce gybing duel. Alinghi had the bit between their teeth as they were within striking distance and as they rounded the mark had closed to within 14 seconds. It was game on.
Clearly thinking that TNZ were slow in downspeed situations, Coutts started a tacking duel of epic proportions that had the grinders and trimmers working at maximum capacity. Thirty-three tacks and a lot of sweat later, surprisingly TNZ had not only kept the lead but actually extended. By tenaciously holding the left side of the course and performing beautiful tacks bang on target speed, the boys in black were looking good for their first win as they rounded the final windward mark with a 26 second lead. Barker followed the match racing book to the letter and bore away set whilst Coutts with typical never-say-die attitude called for a gybe-set that the crew performed to perfection. Barker was rattled, nervously looking back at his former mentor as he gybed to cover and he had every right to be. In one of the finest displays of precision sailing, Coutts got in sync with his trimmers Richard Bouzaid and Simon Daubney to gently eke the boat down to close the gauge whilst pulling forward with every gust. With the right kite up this time, Coutts seized a slender lead on starboard gybe but as they reached the starboard layline, TNZ retook it on the gybe. Now Alinghi made a crucial decision. The afterguard opted to sail high above the transom and line of TNZ who had no option but to go with them.
Within two minutes, Alinghi was beginning to make inroads to weather and began drawing up on the quarter of TNZ. Five minutes later and with the world holding it’s breath, Coutts started to get his bow ahead and pumped dirty air onto the ‘A’ sail of TNZ. In six minutes he was clear ahead with the transom just clear of the Kiwi’s bow. On board Alinghi it was controlled perfection that few have seen before and are unlikely to see from anyone but the ‘master’ and his cohorts. As TNZ gybed away it was game, set and match to Alinghi who still managed to keep their wind forward and clear. On the final gybe back to the finish line a nation stood silent as they suddenly realised what they were really up against. The world’s best sailor, on top of his game with a team that anyone would cherry-pick given the chance. Alinghi crossed the finish line with a 7 second winning margin after the most outstanding display of match-racing the sailing community will ever witness.
For Dean Barker he looks a beaten man. The body language says it all and unless the team find some big answers this Cup is going to Europe in three races time. With their other race boat undergoing major surgery owing to structural failures in yesterday’s windy conditions, their campaign is looking seriously shaky. Boats breaking, design breakthroughs not working and up against a team that are performing at the highest level, they’ve got their work cut out to halt their slide into history and oblivion. The hopes of 3.9 million people could well be dashed if Russell Coutts keeps up this masterclass.
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