Final day of school

An UPDATED report from the last day of America's Cup Act 9 racing in Trapani

This is the final race of Act 9 and the last America's Cup racing for 2005. For today's one race there is 16 knots of breeze on the race course with a lumpy sea. K-Challenge are not racing today due to boom problems. To win BMW Oracle Racing have to put a boat between themselves and Alinghi.

China Team and Emirates Team New Zealand are over at the start. Victory Challenge, Mascalzone and Alinghi tack after the start heading out to the right. Leading the charge left is BMW Oracle Racing and Desafio Espanol, with +39 and the Germans extreme left. Strange that BMW Oracle have allowed Alinghi to separate from them. The early lead has been taken by Alinghi followed by the Spanish now in the middle. Well behind China Team and Emirates Team NZ have gone right and tacked - all the boats are now heading left on starboard tack. BMW Oracle, three in from the left take over the lead, but it it is close with the Spanish.

Luna Rossa are the first to tack back from the left hand side. BMW Oracle and the Gerrmans continue out to the left. Luna Rossa are followed by BMW Oracle - will they cross ahead of Alinghi, still on starboard in the middle of the course. Masclazone Latino and +39 are furthest right on the course. BMW Oracle take Alinghi's transom. They cross. The Spanish who have tacked on to port from the left side pass just ahead of the two Italian teams coming in from the right. Karol Jablonski's team are benefitting from their passage across to the right and have regained the lead from Alinghi. Alinghi are very close behind and are coming into the mark just inside of the port layline. The right to left current on this course will make life interesting at the top mark. The Spanish tack short of the layline and BMW Oracle are unable to get ahead of them. Spain has BMW Oracle and Alinghi below her... all approaching the mark on starboard but at present all inside the layline. This'll be interesting... BMW Oracle have driven well over the port layline. +39 round in third behind BMW Oracle with the Spanish leading... Alinghi make it round in fourth despite being luffed by Luna Rossa.

Times at first mark:
1. Desafio Espanol
2. BMW Oracle Racing 0:23
3. +39 0:31
4. Luna Rossa 0:44
5. Alinghi 0:46
6. Victory Challenge 1:00
7. Team Shosholoza 1:05
8: Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team 1:08
9. United Internet Team Germany 1:19
10. China Team
11. Emirates Team NZ.


Most of the boats gybe set around the spreader mark. Due to the punch-up between BMW Oracle and Alinghi, the Spanish now have a 200m lead... Alinghi continue down the right side of the run. BMW Oracle are chasing the Spanish directly astern of them. The Americans have now closed the Spanish down to a 100m lead. The front duo sailing down the middle of the run, have pulled way ahead of the chasing pack. South Africa have once again taken the left side of the run.

Spain round the left hand leeward gate mark. BMW Oracle follow around the same mark. +39 in third follow too while Luna Rossa head for the starboard mark. Alinghi in fifth follow +39.

Times at second mark
1. Desafio Espanol
2. BMW Oracle Racing 0:14
3. +39 0:44
4. Luna Rossa 0:52
5. Alinghi 1:06
6. Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team 1:20
7. Victory Challenge 1:29
8. Emirates Team NZ 1:37
9. Team Shosholoza 1:40
10. United Internet Team Germany 1:57

At the mark Mascalzone have a problem with their headsail halyard and have to send their brave bowman aloft. They limp round the course. Desafio continues off to the right, while BMW Oracle bails, tacking off to the left to engage with Alinghi again. +39 are heading off to the left side of the course again. There's a bit of a match race going on between Alinghi and BMW Oracle on the right side of the course. The Spanish are still ahead of them... Germany are having problems with their jib headfoil/tack. Mascalzone are now way out to the left, +39 having tacked back into the middle. Alinghi is now the furthest out to the right with BMW Oracle inside of them. Most of the boats are heading towards the starboard layline just over half way up the beat. The Spanish are still leading, 110m ahead of BMW Oracle. Luna Rossa is the only one of the leaders heading for the port layline. BMW Oracle on starboard pass behind the Spanish to tack to cover them. Emirates Team NZ have done a good job pulling up to fifth place. Luna Rossa on the left has taken over third place from +39. Alinghi are out on the starboard layline now with BMW and the Spanish ahead of her. +39 and Luna Rossa are now hauling across the left and will have to slot into the procession coming in from the right.

The Spanish have to luff to claw their way around the weather mark. BMW Oracle steaming up from astern.

Times at third mark
1. Desafio Espanol
2. BMW Oracle Racing 0:22
3. Luna Rossa 0:29
4. +39 0:40
5. Alinghi 0:52
6. Emirates Team NZ 1:05
7. Victory Challenge 1:49
8. Team Shosholoza 2:10
9: United Internet Team Germany 2:40
10: China Team 2:53
11. Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team...

There is a problem with the hoist on Team Shosholoza. Emirates Team NZ were the first to gybe. Desafio continue down the right side of the run and are the last of the leaders to gybe. Alinghi are taking the same line as the Spanish. Having gybed earlier BMW is out to the left with Luna Rossa and +39 chasing them and Emirates Team NZ furthest left. The mid-fleet and tailenders are following the BMW lane. Alinghi are doing well out to the right of the run. They are neck and neck with BMW Oracle and are closing with the Spanish. This is going to be close... Emirates gybe in taking +39's transom. BMW are down to 30m astern of Spanish... This is fully a drag race. BMW Oracle Racing, Luna Rossa and +39 gybe in unison. BMW Oracle pass beneath the Spanish transom. We now have a gybing contest between the top four boats. There's a four way charge to the line... The Spanish gybe on to starboard. Wow - there is a photo finish between the Spanish on the right and BMW Oracle to the left. Alinghi are third followed closely by Luna Rossa. Desafio Espanol win by 1 SECOND.

Finish results:

1. Desafio Espanol
2. BMW Oracle Racing 0:01
3. Alinghi 0:12
4. Luna Rossa 0:19
5. +39 0:34
6. Emirates Team New Zealand 0:51
7. Victory Challenge 1:57
8. Team Shosholoza 2:36
9: United Internet Team Germany 2:51
10: China Team 3:31

Overall results Act 9

Pos	Team	Helm	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	Tot
1	Alinghi	Ed Baird	3	1	1	1	3	56
2	BMW Oracle Racing	Chris Dickson	1	2	2	2	2	56
3	Emirates Team New Zealand	Dean Barker	2	3	5	3	6	46
4	Desafío Español	Karol Jablonski	6	6	4	8	1	40
5	Team Shosholoza	Ian Ainslie	5	5	3	7	8	37
6	Luna Rossa Challenge	James Spithill	11	4	6	6	4	34
7	+39 Challenge	Iain Percy	8	8	7	11	5	26
8	Victory Challenge	Magnus Holmberg	10	11	8	5	7	24
9	United Internet Team Germany	Jesper Bank	4	7	11	12	9	22
10	Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team	Flavio Flavini	12	10	9	4	11	19
11	China Team	Pierre Mas	9	9	12	9	10	16
12	K-Challenge	Thierry Peponnet	7	DNF	10	10	12	13