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Alinghi win thriller by 7 seconds

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/16/2003 : 01:36:11

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/site_images/ac/actitle.gif" border=0>

Alinghi win thriller by 7 seconds

<img src="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/pics/16race2.JPG" border=0>

Former Team New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts steered Swiss challenger Alinghi to a 7-second victory in today's second race of the America's Cup, to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-nine series.

Today's loss was a heart-breaker for Team New Zealand, who had come from 12s behind at mark 1 to lead the race at marks 2, 3, 4, and 5.

The boats appeared evenly matched in speed, both upwind and downwind, despite major differences in their design.

Although there was speculation that NZL82's narrow fin and very long keel bulb could hamper its manouvreability, a fierce tacking duel during the fifth leg showed the black boat was no slouch in that department.

In the end, however, even the black boat's much hyped "hula", or hull appendage, couldn't give it quite enough speed to fend off the Swiss challenger. Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth took SUI64 to the favoured left hand side of the course and employed a staysail for a slight speed advantage on the final leg.

The win for Alinghi also means Coutts sets a new record of 11 consecutive America's Cup wins, having yesterday surpassed Charlie Barr's 9-0 record set from 1899 to 1901.

PRE-START

Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts brought his SUI-64 into the start box on port tack from the pin end while Dean Barker brought NZL-82 in on starboard from the boat end.

Coutts spun dialled-up head-to-wind when they met well low of the line and stopped dead in the water. Barker went head-to-wind also, but drifted clear ahead of Coutts. Both boats bore off onto port tack and sailed into the lower right corner of the start box.

With 2:25 to go, Team New Zealand jibed to starboard. Alinghi, trailing, also jibed to starboard and led back towards the line.

With 1:40 to go, Barker headed up to Alinghi’s windward quarter and was locked inside. The boats sailed toward the line as the wind shifted right slightly, making the line even.

Alinghi squeezed up under Team New Zealand and eventually the Kiwis had to tack away to port with about 25 seconds to go.

Team New Zealand started mid-line on port while Alinghi was on starboard at the pin. The start was even, although both boats were 6 seconds late.

The windward mark was laid at 030 degrees, and the wind was between 10 and 12 knots.

FIRST WINDWARD MARK: Alinghi leads by 0:12

An economy of manoeuvres on the first beat as the wind held steady around 10 knots with minimal oscillations. Alinghi tacked six times to Team New Zealand’s five. The boats seemed very even in terms of speed.

Alinghi protected the left side of the beat, feeling there was better wind pressure on that side of the course. The boats met twice, at 8:00 and 11:30. Each time Alinghi planted a tight lee-bow on Team New Zealand, forcing them back to port tack.

The third time they met, 23 minutes into the race, Alinghi was able to cross on port tack, which gave them the slight, 12-second advantage at the windward mark.

FIRST LEEWARD MARK: Team New Zealand leads by 0:34

Team New Zealand showed its purported downwind superiority on the first run of the race. Halfway down the 3-mile leg the Kiwis simply streaked past Alinghi.

Both boats bore away to asymmetric spinnakers. Alinghi dummy-jibed twice trying to shake free from Team New Zealand. The Kiwis eventually jibed away to starboard, and Alinghi followed about one minute later.

Team New Zealand was trailing by about 20 metres when they suddenly started sailing past Alinghi. There was a left-hand shift (looking upwind) that may have helped a bit and Alinghi may have been in a bit of a lull. But Team New Zealand’s speed advantage was quite dramatic.

SECOND WINDWARD MARK: Team New Zealand leads by 0:26

A back-and-forth game on the second beat as the winds softened to 8 knots.

Early on the leg Team New Zealand extended to a lead of nearly 200 metres. On starboard tack out of the leeward mark, they were leading toward a left-hand shift.

Alinghi, however, displayed its patented patience and slowly clawed back. They stayed near Team New Zealand and by the end of the beat had taken 8 seconds out of Team New Zealand’s lead around the bottom mark.

Both boats jibe set around the windward mark and set asymmetric spinnakers for the run.

SECOND LEEWARD MARK: Team New Zealand leads by 0:14

Alinghi continued to take bites out of Team New Zealand’s lead on the second run of Race 2. The Swiss boat clawed back another 12 seconds. They didn’t do anything substantial. They just stayed on the same side of the course as Team New Zealand and in similar pressure.

THIRD WINDWARD MARK: Team New Zealand leads by 0:26

Forget minimal manoeuvres in light-air conditions. Hoping to force a bad tack or breakdown, Alinghi skipper Coutts initiated a tacking duel on the final beat. The teams combined for 66 tacks (33 each), far surpassing the previous high of 58 tacks combined (29 each) by Oracle BMW Racing and OneWorld in Race 1 of the Semi Final Repechage Round.

Team New Zealand, however, had the measure of Alinghi. Whether they were faster turning or accelerating, Team New Zealand extended its lead to more than 100 metres after Alinghi had whittled it to 30 metres.

Team New Zealand padded its lead by 12 seconds on the 3-mile leg.

Team New Zealand, however, did a bear away jibe to its A-sail, while Alinghi did a jibe-set. That gave Alinghi inside position to the right of Team New Zealand (looking downwind). That side of the course has been paying dividends all day with better pressure and favourable shifts.

FINISH: Alinghi wins by 0:07, leads series by 2-0

A thrilling run to the finish saw Alinghi overtake Team New Zealand twice en route to winning Race 2 of the 31st America’s Cup Match.

Alinghi’s jibe set around the windward mark, versus Team New Zealand’s bear away and jibe, may have been the difference. That allowed Alinghi to get inside to the right on the run and the favourable side of the course.

Alinghi rolled Team New Zealand as both boats got to the right-hand corner of the run. But when the two jibed to port Team New Zealand rolled Alinghi and regained a lead of 50 metres.

Coutts headed up above Team New Zealand and got on their windward quarter. Coutts effectively dragged Barker back into the middle of the course. In the process, he also rolled Barker again. This time, however, he was able to get clear ahead and soak down across Barker’s bow.

In the lead, Coutts matched Barker’s jibe to starboard and had is bow out to leeward. Barker couldn’t roll Coutts as both passed the port-jibe layline to the committee boat, which they sailed past.

Coutts dictated when they would jibe to port. When he did, Barker tried to get on his opponent’s windward quarter to roll him. But Coutts got up to speed in time to fend off Barker and soak down to the finish line just seconds ahead of Barker and Team New Zealand.

Don Lucier, 'North Star'
C25 SR/FK
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2cc32b3127cce92e981259d130000001010" border=0>
Cradled on the hard, 200ft from Lake Erie

Edited by - on

gnorgan
Admiral

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USA
563 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2003 : 02:25:31

Barker should not have followed the Swiss boat up on that last leg when Alinghi was trying to go over...just head down, away from the bad air and let Alinghi go high. Russell set a trap for the younger sailor.

<img src="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/pics/16race2.JPG" border=0>

<img src="http://uk.americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3270_BG2030216193544.jpg" border=0>

Gary & Susan Norgan
C25 tall/wing
Classical Cat #5944
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3dc35b3127cce94ddf43b35f60000001010" border=0>

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2003 : 08:36:48

What a great race!! I was amazed Alinghi was able to nurse that ripped chute all the way down the last leg.

Why didn't NZL82 go high on the final dash and try to spoil Alinghi's air? They stayed nose-to-butt after the last jibe all the way to the line...

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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Bryan Beamer
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1038 Posts

Response Posted - 02/16/2003 : 10:24:27

The Master baited the pupil and the pupil fell for it. Kind of like if I had to race my Dad. Maybe someday I will be able to beat him.<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>

Bryan Beamer
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b3dc23b3127cce9462f2858f2b0000001010" border=0>
Daylight Again
C250wk #495

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