GBR win a point

After nearly failing to turn up on start line

Alinghi v Prada

A southerly breeze of 16-18 knots finally established itself, after a light easterly zephyr kept the race on hold for nearly four hours. The breeze filled in, sending white caps skidding across the Hauraki Gulf for a 16:05 local time start on Course Romeo.

Prada's one-second lead off the start line was short-lived. Alinghi quickly emerged the stronger boat with Russell Coutts taking the controlling windward position on starboard tack as both boats headed towards the left side of the course. The Swiss boat built a comfortable lead of 21 seconds at the first windward mark.

Prada lost ground on all the legs, but skipper Francesco de Angelis, winner of the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup, fought hard to catch the disappearing transom of the Swiss yacht. On board Alinghi, the crew work was seamless.

The communication amongst the sailors was exemplary, helped by the onboard microphones provided by their official supplier Phonak, which operated flawlessly.
On the third and final downwind run, Prada made up 14 seconds, but not enough to close the gap on Alinghi's 1 minute, 32 second lead at the finish.

After the race pitman Josh Belsky, commented "the afterguard did a smart job getting to the right of them when we needed it at the start. It's a game of feet; we gained a couple extra feet at a crucial time. From about a third of the way up the first beat until the end of the race we had control. After that it was one of those days when the rich get richer."