Action replay

Tension mounts for Cup's biggest culling as Louis Vuitton Cup challengers continue form from yesterday

Stars & Stripes USA77 beat Wight Lightning GBR70
Delta: 2:10, Score: 2-1 to USA77

Team Dennis Conner and GBR Challenge have put on entertaining matches in Louis Vuitton Cup 2003. They split their first four encounters, two in the round robins and two in the quarterfinals, and each was entertaining.

Today, however, Team Dennis Conner got down to business and convincingly beat GBR Challenge to gain the upper hand in the quarterfinal series. An innocuous pre-start saw Ken Read place Stars & Stripes to leeward and ahead of Wight Lightning, started by Andy Beadsworth who later handed off to skipper Ian Walker.

Soon after the start Wight Lightning tacked away to port. Stars & Stripes continued on starboard for a short bit, tacked to port and into a lift. From there, Stars & Stripes showed boatspeed previously not seen and patient, covering tactics. The Americans padded their lead on every leg and stormed to a runaway win.