Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai: Press Releases
Finals - Regatta Day 14
November 27, 2010 |
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On this page, LVT Dubai Finals/Day 14
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Racing in its second home, Emirates Team New Zealand won the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai today, defeating the USA's BMW Oracle Racing in two straight races. Today’s victory concluded an incredible performance by the team from Auckland, New Zealand, which over two years won four of five Louis Vuitton Trophy events and finished second in the other. Adding extra luster to their performance, Dean Barker and his Kiwi team came from behind to win their last four races in Dubai, including the two today against BMW Oracle Racing, the outstanding performer during two weeks of match racing off the Dubai International Marine Club. Today also saw the announcement that Louis Vuitton Malletier will continue its sponsorship of the America’s Cup and challengers for the Cup. “We are thrilled to announce today the continuation of our 30-year partnership with the America’s Cup. Having met with the organizing team several times, we believe that the 34th edition will be the best America’s Cup yet,” said Yves Carcelle, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton Malletier. The finish gun today signaled the end of 20 years of competition in the America’s Cup, Louis Vuitton Cup and Louis Vuitton Trophy for the International America’s Cup Class. Introduced 20 years ago, the boats competed in five America’s Cup events. Serenaded by boat horns and sirens the Kiwi crew were hugging, cheering and hi-fiving for a minute and a half before the American boat finished. As Yves Carcelle boarded their boat with the obligatory celebratory magnums and jeroboams of Moët & Chandon champagne, the New Zealanders hoisted a giant national ensign in their foretriangle. “It’s been a tough couple of weeks,” said Grant Dalton, the managing director of Emirates Team New Zealand who also races on the boat, his normally serious face split by a huge smile. “We kinda saved our best ‘til last. Oracle have been the form boat for the whole regatta. We came out today with determination knowing that on our day we are good enough but we would really need to produce. The guys in the back of the boat did a real nice job today. The Oracle guys are a class act and they sailed really well. “It was shifty today. Both times we got the side we wanted and bless me, it went the other way. It happens a bit that way. We launched in that first race straight into a great big right shift. It wasn’t our intention. But we never let go. It’s a hallmark of this side. ” Asked about the secret to his team’s success, Dalton said: “It’s a team that lives on the smell of an oily rag. Everyone buys into the culture and the way we operate. We’re not frivolous at all. You can’t spend a hundred dollars without a requisition order for me. And in a funny sort of way that helps to build our culture. “We’re proud that we represent New Zealand and we’re good mates. We’ve built that over the years. It takes a long time to get those combinations. It’s jelling for us now. In the new era if we can hold onto that culture and we will and we can, we can take it into our new projects. ” James Spithill said: “We’re obviously disappointed. Ripping a spinnaker and having a problem when it didn’t hoist, helped put us on the back foot. But full credit to Team New Zealand. They did a good job and all we can do is take our hats off to them. ” Race One, Emirates
Team New Zealand def BMW Oracle Racing, 00:17 – Race Two, Emirates Team New Zealand def BMW Oracle Racing, 01:37 – The Kiwis claimed the pin end of the start and had a small lead up most of the course but Oracle enjoyed the benefit of the right side and overtook to lead by 11 seconds at the top mark. However, they lost ground when their spinnaker was stuck in the hatch for vital seconds during the hoist. Barker was able to get right on the run and stalked the Americans, helped further when they had to shed a ripped spinnaker in a gybe peel. With better pressure on the right, Barker kept closing on the run and crossed clear ahead on port tack just before the leeward mark. New Zealand covered their opponent and worked the shifts for the next two legs to finish 350 meters in front. Their victory confirmed Emirates Team New Zealand as the winners of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai. The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event. -- From Louis Vuitton Trophy
Emirates Team New Zealand has taken the final of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai with a 2-nil won over America’s Cup holders BMW Oracle. The win – the fourth of the five LV events held since February 2009 –caps a successful 2010 for the team, having previously won at Auckland and La Maddalena and also taking the MedCup season championship. The Dubai regatta brings to an end the era of the IACC class yachts that have raced America’s C up regattas for 20 years. The 34th America’s Cup which will be raced in 2013 in a new class of 72ft catamarans. Conditions at Dubai today were tricky and afterguards were tested as they the coped with shifts of 30-40 deg and marked changes in wind velocity. The day started with BMW Oracle as favorites – being the form team at Dubai. Emirates Team New Zealand stormed from behind in a windshift and better pressure to snatch a win the first final match. Suddenly the odds and opinion, shifted in New Zealand’s favor. Honors in this race were remarkably even. Barker forced a penalty on Oracle in the pre-start; Oracle got a lift in the right on the second beat and extended to six boat lengths and did the penalty turn right on the top mark. Dean Barker charged on the run, gained overlap and rounded the mark first. Oracle wriggled out of trouble and extended down the run home. Separation was large and while Oracle’s lead increased in the left, New Zealand strategist Adam Beashel and tactician Ray Davies had faith in the right and waited for the shift they had seen coming. Just as the smart money was writing off Emirates Team New Zealand and calling a BMW Oracle win. Barker’s charge began, reeling in the opposition at an astonishing rate. There was no stopping New Zealand, overtaking Oracle and finishing 17s ahead. That’s a healthy delta at this Dubai regatta and rather belies the closeness of the racing. Oracle led by 9s around the first mark, the second mark by 10. Emirates Team New Zealand led by 4s at the third. The fickle breeze certainly called the shots for the entire race and New Zealand clearly benefitted from the shift that counted – the last one. In race 2 the breeze was master of the first beat. Again racing was even, with Oracle rounding the first mark 11s in front. Oracle’s spinnaker was torn in the hoist; they peeled and maintained a slim lead as the yachts separated and Emirates Team New Zealand started to build a small advantage. Dean Barker set up for the left side of the leeward gate, forcing Oracle to take the right. The margin was 28s to New Zealand. After rounding New Zealand extended and was never threatened. The margin at mark 3 was 56s and at the finish 1m37s. --From Emirates Team New Zealand
BMW Oracle Racing fell short of its goal of winning the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai, the final regatta for the America’s Cup Class, when Emirates Team New Zealand scored a 2-0 victory in the final. BMW Oracle Racing led at the first windward mark in both races, but succumbed to uncharacteristic mishaps in crew work that their strong rival capitalized on. “It’s pretty disappointing,” said James Spithill, the 31-year-old skipper from Australia. “We had our opportunities in both races, but they beat us fair and square. The results stand and we’ve got to congratulate them. They’re a strong team and sailed a good regatta.” BMW Oracle Racing lost the first race by 17 seconds in the final 100 meters approaching the finish line. BMW Oracle Racing had taken a penalty turn for a pre-start infraction on the second upwind leg and led by about two boatlengths when the two crews jibed towards the finish from opposite sides of the racecourse. The Kiwi crew jibed into a patch of wind that allowed them to sail a more direct course to the finish and score the come-from-behind victory. In the second race BMW Oracle Racing led by 11 seconds at the windward mark, but the spinnaker ripped during the set when it caught on the ladder going belowdecks. The crew had to change sails and Emirates Team New Zealand sailed into the lead. “That put us on the back foot,” Spithill said of the torn spinnaker. “It was a frustrating day. The conditions were tough, very light. I think both teams were expecting more breeze, but it’s the same for everyone and they were able to get it done today.” Tactician John Kostecki of the U.S. described the conditions as between 6 and 9 knots with shifts up to 40 degrees. “It was a light-air day and real tricky,” said Kostecki. “Pressure was the key; a little pressure goes a long way. It was the first time in this series that we were passed from behind and it happened two races in a row. It was their day today, but it was a tough day for us.”
--From BMW Oracle Links of Interest: Louis Vuitton Trophy:
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