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Auckland, February 6, 2009
Today began a three-day holiday weekend for Kiwis, Waitangi Day, celebrating the 1840 signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, New Zealand's founding document. The blustering window curtains at first-light were an indication that today was a new day in the weather department, too –- a fresh breeze cascading across the Viaduct area. Out on the race course, there was no holiday in the action. Match of the Day - Race 3: BMW Oracle and Team Origin Dust-up Matt Cornwell, Team Origin bowman, told TVNZ: “Oracle did a very good job of tying us up in knots and it was in desperation almost that we got away. Coutts got a little too close – his bow was just above our transom, our transom came up and we hit.” BMW Oracle seem stunned for a moment, reacted slowly to Origin peeling away, and headed across the start line on starboard two boat lengths behind the British team. Coutts was able to get some back on the beat, climbing in close behind Ainslie downwind and affecting his air as the teams traded gybes. The battle looked to be going full steam as BMW Oracle rounded the left mark, but with no headsail up and the kite still flying Origin sailed past the bottom mark and out of the race. Headfoil issues from last week appears to have returned on the NZL yacht Origin was sailing. Initial reports are that BMW Oracle gets a point for the victory but loses a point due to the contact between the boats, netting zero. Team Origin loses half a point for not sufficiently avoiding the contact. Both penalties were upheld in a hearing later this evening. The hard contact penalty is for any contact between hulls or rigs of the boats involved. In order to help preserve the boats (and the tight racing schedule that would be at risk in case of serious damage), a soft contact/hard contact system was implemented. Soft contact consists of aluminum poles that extend off the sterns of the boats. Contact involving just the poles of one boat and the hull of another is considered normal racing contact, subject to standard on the water penalties. Hard contact is a mandatory 1 point penalty in the event scoring. The protest committee can also dock the second boat one-half point if they believe that they contributed to the hard contact, at the committee's discretion. Other races: Race 1: Alinghi and
Damiani Italia But were they over? Moments later the race committee called the race, indicating the flag on Italia was not correct, but since Damiani had hesitated due to the flag, it was not fair to continue. Restarting the race, Damiani followed behind Alinghi instead of joining the dial up and the circles began again. Both teams tacked with 20 seconds to go, Damiani onto starboard blocking Alinghi on port. Moments later, the Italians were able to tack ahead of Alinghi getting to the right side of the course and consolidating up the beat. The straightforward starboard tack beat turned upside down as both teams came into a simultaneous dial down. Damiani forced Alinghi bear away but tacked too close and were hit with a red flag penalty, requiring an immediate penalty turn that gave a 100 meter lead to Alinghi at the top mark, which the Swiss increased with every rounding to the finish. Race 2: Pataugas
K-Challenge and Shosholoza Race 4: Greek
Challenge and China Team
Race 5: ETNZ and
Luna Rossa -- Reporting by Diane Swintal for CupInfo/©2009 CupInfo Links of Interest: Rounds Robin 1 and 2: Head-to-Head Results and Standings CupInfo's Main Louis Vuitton Pacific Series page Visit the Official Louis Vuiton Pacific Series Web Site |
