Louis Vuitton Pacific Series – Auckland – Al via l’undicesima giornata di regate valide per le Louis Vuitton Pacific Series. Ad Auckland il Comitato di Regata ha dato inizio alle procedure di partenza puntualmente: buona notizia, visto che sono in programma 5 regate. I primi a darsi battaglia nelle acque della Waitemata Bay saranno Luna Rossa e China Team.
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Sail Off: Luna Rossa vs China Team
Penalità in partenza per Luna Rossa che però riesce a partire veloce e sopravento all’avversario. L’equipaggio griffato Prada pare allungarsi e alla boa di bolina ha 40 metri di vantaggio su China Team. Luna Rossa ha un margine di vantaggio consistente e potrebbe riuscire ad assolvere la penalità. Durante l’ultima poppa il margine si dilata: 180 metri. In prossimità della linea l’equipaggio ammaina lo spi. Inizia a depenalizzarsi: China Team arriva come un treno. La volata è tiratissima. Fotofinish… vince Luna Rossa per meno di 1 metro. L’equipaggio di Peter Holmberg se la vedrà com BMW Oracle Racing nei quarti di finale.
Sail Off: Team Origin vs Pataugas K-Challenge
Parte bene Pataugas K-Challenge ma nel corso del bordeggio Team Origin mette la prua avanti. Al giro di boa, Team Origin tarda l’issata e viene attaccato dai francesi. Ben Ainslie li manda all’orza. Improvvisamente si apre la drizza del gennaker di Pataugas K-Challenge: i francesi reagiscono rapidamente e contengono le perdite ma vengono penalizzati. La regata resta comunque aperta. Durante la seconda bolina, la leadership di Team Origin si fa di sostanza. Il match perde di interesse e gli inglesi vanno a vincere, conquistando il diritto di giocarsi il quarto di finale contro Damiani Italia Challenge.
No more race for today: dopo una lunga attesa, il Comitato di Regata ha spedito gli equipaggi in porto a causa dell’assenza di vento. Le Louis Vuitton Pacific Series torneranno domani con lo svolgimento dei quarti di finale: Damiani Italia Challenge vs Team Origin e BMW Oracle Racing vs Luna Rossa.
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Gli highlights della giornata. Video courtesy Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.
LVPS, risultati dell’undicesima giornata
Luna Rossa batte China Team
Team Origin batte Pataugas K-Challenge
Gold Fleet, classifica
4 pt. Alinghi
3** pt. BMW Oracle Racing
2* pt. Damiani Italia Challenge
2 pt. Emirates Team New Zealand
0,5***-* pt. Team Origin
0 pt. Luna Rossa
* vittoria contro Emirates Team New Zealand
** 1 pt. di penalizzazione
*** 0,5 pt. di penalizzazione
Silver Fleet
3 pt. China Team
2 pt. Pataugas K-Challenge
1 pt. Greek Challenge
0 pt. Team Shosholoza
BRITISH, ITALIAN TEAMS EARS QUARTER FINAL BERTHS
[Louis Vuittona Pacific Series Press Release] Pre-race favourite teams battled ferociously in the Rangitoto Channel today to secure their places in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series quarter finals to be sailed tomorrow.
Italy’s Luna Rossa skippered by Peter Holmberg pulled out a heart-stopping one-second win over the China Team while Britain’s Team Origin was under the gun until skipper Ben Ainslie scored a penalty against France’s Pataugas K-Challenge in a spinnaker luffing confrontation that took them far above their proper course.
With just four days of competition remaining, Team Origin will race tomorrow against Damiani Italy Challenge in one quarter final match. The other quarter final will be America’s BMW Oracle Racing against Luna Rossa. Weather permitting, the semi finalists will race tomorrow to determine who will race the top seed Swiss boat Alinghi in the Challenger Final. The winning challenger will meet Emirates Team New Zealand in a seven-race match on Friday and Saturday.
Peter Holmberg’s victory came as Luna Rossa completed a penalty turn on the finish line. British match race champion Ian Williams steering China Team had laid the penalty on the Italians 30 seconds before the start as they fought for the right hand position on the line.
With the penalty hanging over him Holmberg enjoyed a small lead at the start and ever so gradually eked it out to a 150 metre lead at the finish. He jammed his boat around in a tight turn bringing it almost to a halt as it spun around. Williams carried fresh breeze down to the line and crossed at speed but not before Holmberg crawled across to take the gun,
“I’ve done a lot of penalty turns in my career,” Holmberg said afterwards, “but it’s tough making 24 tons go 360 degrees and keep it moving!”
A penalty featured in the other match too as Team Origin fought a drama-filled skirmish with the charged-up French K-Challenge to stay in the regatta. Ainslie did an outstanding job to start on port tack right next to the committee, forcing K-Challenge helmsman Sebastian Col to tack away. The British boat protected the right up the beat, but the French instigated a tacking duel that evened up the game.
With the top mark in sight, Team Origin dialed down and tacked just in front of K-Challenge, holding them out by nine seconds at the top mark. However the British spinnaker set was slow and K-Challenge rolled them. In the ensuing drama, Ainslie luffed the French boat up twice. The French were penalized for failing to keep clear and lost time recovering their spinnaker, which sagged off to leeward after the halyard let go. Ainslie led the rest of the way, secure in the knowledge that the French still had to complete their penalty turn.
The breeze died after the completion of two races this morning. A long and fruitless wait for wind in warm, damp and humid conditions ended at 1600 hours.
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