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Alinghi Wins 3rd Race over Team NZ

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dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Initially Posted - 02/17/2003 : 21:38:14

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

<img src="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/pics/ACFBAA6jayNf.jpg" border=0>

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3256_BG3030218122847.jpg" border=0>

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3306_IW3030218171324.jpg" border=0>

Alinghi Claims Race 3 

In a must-win situation for Team New Zealand, Alinghi comes away with a 23-second win.

Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth made the right call when he pointed skipper Russell Coutts to the right hand side of the start line in today's third race of the America's Cup.

<img src="http://www.nzherald.co.nz/pics/FPR75106BUTTERWORTH_SHAKE.JPG" border=0>

The Swiss challenger profited from a 20-degree right hand shift to lead by 28 seconds at the first mark, then held off Team New Zealand to win by 23 seconds, or approximately 4 1/2 boat lengths.

Alinghi is in charge of the 31stAmerica’s Cup Match after winning the third race in the best of nine series on Tuesday. The Swiss Challenger now holds a 3 – 0 lead over the Defender, Team New Zealand.

Race Three started in a 10-12 knot Northwesterly. The wind shifted back and forth across 45-degrees throughout the race, and at times hit 17-knots late in the piece.

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3296_IW7030218164224.jpg" border=0>

Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts changed his mind midway through the pre-start, opting to take the right hand side of the course on the start line and nearly immediately realised a huge gain as the wind shifted dramatically in his favour. The lead Coutts built in the first five minutes of the race would carry him the rest of the way around the course.

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3294_IW5030218161743.jpg" border=0>

Team New Zealand worked hard to minimise the damage on that first leg and slowly chipped away at the Alinghi lead over the next four legs.

But Kiwi skipper Dean Barker ran out of time as Alinghi protected its lead ferociously, especially on the final run to the finish, when Barker was given few options to attack.

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3298_BG3030218164224.jpg" border=0>

Russell Coutts equalled Harold ‘Mike’ Vanderbilt with his 12th win in the America’s Cup. Only Cup legend Dennis Conner, with 13, has more.

Team New Zealand must now win five races before Alinghi wins just two more if it is to successfully defend the America’s Cup.

Race Four is scheduled to start at 13:15 on Thursday.

Race 3

Start time: 13:15 hours

Bearing and range to first windward mark: 330 degrees, 3.25 miles

PRE-START

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

A right-hand shift in the win just prior to the 5-minute preparatory signal biased the line and allowed Barker, on port, to cross Coutts.

There was more circling in today’s pre-start than there has been in the first two races combined. But by 1:20, both boats were lined up on starboard, with Alinghi to windward, and heading for the line.

Coutts rolled Barker as they aimed towards the leeward end of the line and got clear ahead. Barker then got a leeward hook and forced Coutts to luff head-to-wind, where both boats sat for a few moments.

With 20 seconds to the start Barker fell off onto starboard and Coutts onto port. Coutts did a better speed build and crossed the line at the committee boat end a few seconds ahead of Barker, who was at the pin end.

After getting the right side of the course, Coutts opened a significant lead early in the beat of more than 150 metres as the wind continued to shift to the right, as far as 345 degrees.

FIRST WINDWARD MARK: Alinghi leads by 0:28

Taking full advantage of the right-hand wind shift before the start, Alinghi led by the substantial margin of 220 metres at one point on the first beat. They were well lifted to the right of Team New Zealand as both boats were on a long starboard-tack drag race after the start.

Towards the top of the beat the wind faded left and Team New Zealand closed to 60 metres. But Alinghi kept protecting the right side and another right shift allowed the Swiss team a bit more breathing room around the windward mark.

The race committee shifted the course axis 10 degrees to the right, to 340 degrees, to reflect the wind shift.

FIRST LEEWARD MARK: Alinghi leads by 0:20

Team New Zealand made nice inroads on Alinghi’s lead on the first run, gaining 8 seconds on the 3-mile leg. The gains were made simply by sailing slightly faster more than splitting to a side of the course. The two boats jibed only three times each.

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3297_BG2030218164224.jpg" border=0>

First run observation: Team New Zealand carries its spinnaker pole higher than Alinghi, which is likely due to a bigger gennaker on the Kiwi boat. But it seems that Alinghi is able to stretch the luff of its gennaker more effectively.

<img src="http://americascup.yahoo.com/story_images/3300_BG4030218164224.jpg" border=0>

Also, Team New Zealand seemed to jibe a slight bit quicker than Alinghi. They were doing dip-pole jibes, where the inboard end is raised on the mast and the bow man puts the new afterguy in the outboard end before it is lowered.

Alinghi was taking the pole off the mast and walking it aft as the asymmetric sail was jibed and then reattaching it to the mast.

The second windward mark bears 340 degrees.

SECOND WINDWARD MARK: Alinghi leads by 0:17

Team New Zealand gained back another 3 seconds on the second beat.

About three-quarters of the way up the leg Team New Zealand got the right of Alinghi and made substantial gains due to a right shift.

Observation: Skipper Barker initiated a tacking duel, which seems to favour NZL-82. They appear to get up to speed quicker than SUI-64. With that advantage, they can tack while the other boat is still building speed.

SECOND LEEWARD MARK: Alinghi leads by 0:15

For the third consecutive leg, Team New Zealand gained back more time on Alinghi, this time gaining 2 seconds on the 3-mile run.

Although separated laterally by more than 300 metres, the boats sailed the run in proximity to each other. Team New Zealand’s gain could be put down to bringing some breeze down to Alinghi more than a substantial speed advantage. In fact, the boats look very even speed wise.

The wind continues to shift to the right, going as far as 010 degrees in one reading from race committee officials. The last windward mark has been shifted to 355 degrees to accommodate the oscillations.

THIRD WINDWARD MARK: Alinghi leads by 0:21

After losing time on the previous three legs, Alinghi gained back seven seconds on the final beat.

At one point TeamNew Zealand closed to within 35 metres of Alinghi. Both boats were on a long starboard drag, with Alinghi to leeward and ahead. But the Swiss boat slowly worked up to Team New Zealand’s line and forced the Kiwi boat to tack away.

Alinghi tacked with them and opened its advantage to 50 metres. Then, in the top quarter of the beat, Alinghi used a small shift to extend to nearly 100 metres around the mark.

Team New Zealand had troubles in their jibe set around the mark. They called for the manoeuvre late and had trouble getting the spinnaker pole hooked up once on the run.

Due to the still shifting wind, the race committee changed the course to the finish. The course axis was changed to 005 degrees, making the finish bear 185 degrees from the windward mark.

FINISH: Alinghi wins by 0:23, takes 3-0 series lead

Team New Zealand tried and tried on the run to the finish, but just couldn’t make any gains on Alinghi.

Kiwi skipper Barker initiated a jibing duel, but that didn’t work. In fact, Alinghi showed some legs in the freshening conditions which saw the winds build to 17 knots. Alinghi added 2 seconds to its lead.

Team New Zealand sailed a solid race, but Alinghi never seemed threatened. The Swiss challenger now leads the series 3-0 and needs just two more wins to win the America’s Cup.

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 - dlucier on 02/17/2003 23:50:04

Edited by - on

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