Emirates Team New Zealand
has opened its Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland campaign with a win over the
Swedish Artemis.
In an early evening race, Emirates Team New Zealand sailing NZL92 played the shifts and the
tidal current to cross the line 1min 40secsec ahead of the Swedes.
Skipper Dean Barker
and his afterguard played a patient game, prepared to take some temporary pain
for later gain, as he and the trimmers combined to keep the yacht moving at
maximum speed in the patchy south-west breeze.
A lack of breeze delayed racing until 2.45 pm. The
first two matches were sailed in a light north-east breeze. By the time the
ETNZ-Artemis match came around the breeze had swung to the south-west. A
new course was laid in the inner harbour with the top mark near the Orakei
wharf.
ETNZ led off the start, gaining a small advantage, and
then Artemis took the lead in the left. Tactician Ray Davies held his nerve,
got the shift he was expecting, and NZL92 opened up a 55sec lead at the first
mark.
Artemis came back at New Zealand on the first run.
Bringing up the breeze, they ate into the ETNZ lead, and by the bottom mark the
advantage had been whittled away to only 12sec.
It was all on again. Davies, strategist Adam
Beashel and navigator Jules Salter got NZL92 around the mark in good shape.
Artemis went left and ETNZ went right. That turned out to be the crucial
tactical decision of the day.
ETNZ got the breeze and extended, rounding the second
top mark 1 min 21 sec ahead. By the finish the margin was 1min 40sec.
Results:
ALL4ONE beat Mascalzone
Latino by 44sec
Azzurra beat TEAMORIGIN by 53sec
Emirates Team New Zealand
beat Artemis by 1min 40sec.
Aleph beat Synergy by 3min 26sec
Tomorrow’s
racing
TEAMORIGIN v ALL4ONE
Mascalzone v Emirates Team New Zealand
Azzurra v Synergy
Aleph v Artemis