2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai

[MLovett]

17 Nov, 2010
Kiwis Dent American Armor with One-Second Victory at Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai

Emirates Team New Zealand exposed the first cracks in the armor of the dominant BMW Oracle Racing team at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai today.

© Bob Grieser/ousideimages.com/Louis Vuitton Trophy
The New Zealanders split race wins with the regatta leader, winning their second match by a nail-biting one-second margin over the fast advancing Americans.

Oracle skipper James Spithill had won the pair’s first match, preserving his team’s no-loss record after four days of racing off the host Dubai International Marine Club and putting the Kiwis on the back foot.

In an about-face, New Zealand’s Dean Barker grabbed control at the start of the second race and led the Americans around the course.

It was a must-win for the Kiwi team flying the flag of the United Arab Emirates. Down two races before today, and docked half a point for a collision on the opening day, they ideally needed two wins to put a dent in the winning performance of the team that holds the America’s Cup.

The scoreboard now has BMW Oracle Racing on seven points and Emirates Team New Zealand in second place with 3.5 points. Sweden’s Artemis Racing, Synergy Russian Sailing Team and the French/German team All4One are third-equal on three points. Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi team is sixth with two points.

Expectations were heightened at the end of the day when old Louis Vuitton Cup foes America and New Zealand lined up for their first start. Oracle’s Spithill won the start and claimed the favored right hand side of the course. The Kiwi boat led early but better conditions on the right favored the Americans.

Barker kept it close and there were two confrontations at the top of the first leg with flogging sails, shouts and protest flags. The combatants narrowly avoided collisions and all the protests were green-flagged by the on-water umpires.

In the second race Barker was pinned by his rival in the pre-start but got out of jail with a minute remaining before the start gun. The right was favored and the Kiwi skipper grabbed it like a drowning man.

Barker exploited his edge all around the course, remaining a couple of boat lengths clear of the attacking Americans. However the Oracle team’s favorable gybe on the last leg almost robbed ETNZ of their sorely-needed point.

“It was another good close race,” said Emirates tactician Ray Davies. “Obviously we’re going to see a few more races like this so better get used to it. In the last race there was some favorable line bias and pretty much the reversal of what we saw in our first race. It was a bit tricky on that run to the finish but, very happy with the final result.”

At least a day’s racing remains in the First Round Robin. All the teams each have two races still to sail. ETNZ and Artemis have a third match, with the promise of a one-point advance on the score table for the winner.

Flight One, Race One, Synergy Russian Sailing def All4One, 00:08

 - Synergy Russian Sailing team earned a come from behind win with a pass on the first run. But they were given a scare on the short downwind sprint to the finish on the second lap of the course as All4One made a gain with a smoother rounding at the top mark, and some good crew work on their downwind gybes. Although the French-German team was able to pull into an overlapped position halfway down the run, Francesco Bruni and his Synergy crew held their nerve to earn a narrow victory.

Flight One, Race Two, Artemis def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:39

 - This match was all but over before it began as Gavin Brady, at the helm of the Italian boat, picked up a penalty one minute before the start. Attempting to dive down to leeward of Artemis, which was leading back towards the starting line, the bow of the Italian boat clipped the safety wands extending from the transom of the Swedes. Carrying the burden of his penalty all the way around the track, there was nothing Brady and his team could do to recover. An easy victory for Artemis.

Flight Two, Race One, All4One def Synergy Russia Sailing, 00:11

 - A good start by Seb Col on All4One saw him win the right hand side of the course with his nose forward of Synergy. Bruni, at the helm of the Russian boat, was forced to luff hard to clear the pin end of the starting line, handing the early lead to Col. A tacking duel ensued, with All4One always holding the advantage on the right, which translated into a seven-second lead at the top mark. On the run, Synergy was able to position itself well for the gybe towards the leeward gate and rumbled past All4One to an 11-second lead. But on the second beat, the duo of Seb Col and tactician John Cutler engineered a pass for All4One, successfully fending off a lee-bow tack by Synergy, allowing them to sail the Russian team out past the layline before leading back to the mark and holding on to the finish for an important win.



Flight Two, Race Two, Mascalzone Latino Audi def Artemis, 00:38

 - A nice timed run start by Mascalzone Latino saw them tight to leeward of Artemis and hitting the line with speed, forcing the Swedish boat to tack away. The Italian team rounded the top mark with a lead of just one length but gained on the run to have a comfortable margin the rest of the way around.

Flight Three, Race One, BMW Oracle Racing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:19 – James Spithill and BMWOR won the start, and the right side of the course. Dean Barker and the Kiwis split away to the left for an early advantage but more pressure on the right drove the American boat ahead. Racing was close, close enough for a dial down confrontation at the top of the first beat and a series of protest flags at the top mark, all green flagged. Barker stayed within two boat lengths on the run and attacked with a series of muscle-punishing tacks upwind but Spithill dominated and won comfortably.

Flight Three, Race Two, Emirates Team New Zealand def BMW Oracle Racing, 00:01 – James Spithill controlled the start until the last minute when Dean Barker got under his guard and pushed BMWOR away from the favored right hand side. The Kiwi boat controlled comfortably with a two boat lead until the final leg when a crucial gybe saw the Americans advancing to trail by just five metres at the finish.

Provisional Results:

1. BMW ORACLE Racing, 7-1, 7 pts
2. Emirates Team New Zealand, 4-3, 3.5 pts *
= 3. Artemis Racing, 3-4, 3 pts
= 3. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 3-5, 3 pts
= 3. All4One, 3-5, 3 pts
6. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 3-5, 2 pts *

* Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires

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.

[MLovett]

18 Nov, 2010

Split Races Bunch Leaderboard at Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai


With just one match remaining in the first round robin, BMW Oracle Racing is unassailable at the top of the leaderboard with nine points. After that, the fleet is tightly grouped with just half a point separating the next four boats. Emirates Team New Zealand is in second place with 4.5 points. Sweden’s Artemis Racing, Synergy Russian Sailing Team and the French/German team All4One remain third-equal on four points. Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi team is sixth with two points.

Only Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand have a chance to improve their standing. They will race tomorrow in the final match of the first round robin. A victory for Artemis would see them overhaul the Kiwis to take over second place.

Racing in round robin two will begin following the ETNZ vs Artemis match. In the second phase of the regatta, each team will sail the other just one time, but a victory is worth two points. The top four teams at the conclusion of round robin two will advance to the semi final.

Kevin Hall, navigator for Artemis, is looking forward to the last race of the round tomorrow against Emirates Team New Zealand.

“What we’re seeing out here is very good racing so we were happy to go one and one. All the teams are going to have to be happy with one and one by the looks of it. It’s tough racing and the teams are close."

Jochen Schumann, three-time Olympic gold medalist and skipper of All4One had praise for his team’s win against Artemis after fighting off multiple attacks in their second race.

“I thought our strategy and our teamwork was good,” he said. “Obviously all the teams are getting better day by day. We’re all getting ready for what’s to come. Next round robin it will be two points for a win, so that will make a difference.”

Ray Davies, tactician for Emirates Team New Zealand, said that their one win and one loss came down to what happened in the starts. “We were over in the first and gave Synergy a big jump. In the second race we pushed them over at the start. It was great work by Deano (skipper Dean Barker) and we got a big lead out of that and we only had to cover them for the rest of the race.”

For every one of the Louis Vuitton Cup matches, a VIP guest sails aboard as the 18th man, riding in the back of the boat, right behind the skipper and experiencing the tactics and action up close.

Today’s guests included English cricket ace Freddie Flintoff and Kiwi cricketer Chris Cairns. Flintoff rode with Emirates Team New Zealand today and was filled with praise for their smooth teamwork.

Although not a sailor, it’s not the first time he’s sailed on a Cup boat. “I sailed on the Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand in 1992 and it was cold and wet and windy,” he recalled. Dubai conditions were not the only difference. “I got stuffed in Auckland. I got put on grinding duty. I didn’t make that same mistake today. I very quietly declined.”

Flight One, Race One, Synergy Russian Sailing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:14

 - Synergy’s light nudge into the safety wands extending from the stern of the Kiwi boat was all it took to give an initial advantage to Emirates Team New Zealand in the pre-start. Kiwi skipper Dean Barker went for a start at speed at the committee boat end, only to be called back for breaking the line a split second too soon. Francesco Bruni sailed away carrying a penalty but led around the course, eventually increasing his lead enough to expunge his black mark with a penalty turn on the finish line.

Flight One, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:41

 - James Spithill exploited a starboard entry to lead off to the left at the start with a half boat length lead over the Italian boat. Gavin Brady split away and took Mascalzone Latino off to the right but there was no magic there and Spithill was never really threatened.

Flight Two, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Synergy Russian Sailing, 00:33

 -
After a long dialup, Barker chased the Russian team off to the pin end of the start line, hooking his bow below their port quarter to control and push Francesco Bruni over the line early. The Kiwi skipper tacked and started at speed as Bruni returned to start properly before trailing 100 metres in the wake of the New Zealanders. After that, Synergy never got close.

Flight Two, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:

45 -
Gavin Brady wanted the left and sailed off to an early lead as Spithill and the American team split away on the right, where they found more wind pressure, to eventually round the top mark half a boat length in front. BMWOR led at every mark, extending on the final run to win by 200 metres.

Flight Three, Race One, Artemis Racing def All4One, 00:05

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Cameron Appleton split away at the start of the closest race of the day. He took Artemis out to the right side of the course but the French/German boat made early gains before it fell into his wake. Sebastien Col, steering All4One, kept the pressure on and this was anything but a procession. At the leeward mark the boats were overlapped but Col couldn’t break through.

Flight Four, Race One, All4One def Artemis Racing, 00:37

 -
The first half of this race was very tight. The boats split at the start, with Artemis again going right. When they closed for the first cross, All4One on port tack feinted and drew level to claim a safe weather berth as Artemis tacked below them. The French/German team proceeded to sail the Swedish team out beyond the starboard layline and led by eight seconds around the top mark. Cameron Appleton pulled back alongside approaching the midline gate but again Col held him out, sailing past the mark before leading back. Col’s margin was still only ten seconds at the leeward gate but after that, the French/German team pulled away on the beat.

Provisional Results:

1. BMW ORACLE Racing, 9-1, 9 pts
2. Emirates Team New Zealand, 5-4, 4.5 pts *
=3. Artemis Racing, 4-5, 4 pts
=3. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 4-6, 4 pts
=3. All4One, 4-6, 4 pts
6. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 3-7, 2 pts *

* Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires

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.

[MLovett]

19 Nov, 2010
Kiwis Defeat Sweden to Retain Second Place at Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai



Earlier in the day, the Kiwi boat skippered by Dean Barker, had dropped to third place after losing at the hands of fellow Kiwi Cameron Appleton steering Artemis Racing. Their match, the opener of the day, was the last single-points race in Round Robin One.

In Round Robin Two competition the USA’s BMW Oracle Racing, Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi and ETNZ all won their matches and posted double points.

Conditions for racing off the Dubai International Marine Club were ideal with a shifty northerly breeze that built to 14 knots and flat seas.

Serene and seemingly untroubled, the American boat skippered by America’s Cup winner James Spithill, now has an 11-point record, four and a half points clear of the New Zealanders. The rest of the field remains tightly bunched with only two and a half points between second and sixth boat.

“Spithill’s doing a fantastic job,” said Rod Dawson, tactician for the Synergy Russian Sailing Team that lost to Oracle. “He certainly got the better of us in the pre-start today. “Being behind with a deficit is one thing but carrying a penalty as well is just about impossible.”

Ian Moore, navigator for the American team, provided a glimpse from the inside. “We’re a lot more prepared than the last two regattas we did, with more practice time. Practice makes perfect. There’s no doubt about that.

“One of the things you’re seeing is that we’re starting very well. Everyone’s firing on all cylinders. It makes my life easy because you know what’s going to happen next. Everything is running smoothly. It’s a joy to behold, really. However you’ve got to keep that intensity and momentum up. You can’t let it go.”

Speaking of their second match against Emirates Team New Zealand, Artemis tactician Iain Percy said: “We had a pretty even start and backed ourselves in a big shift. In the end it became almost too good because we overstood and gave away that gain. At the top mark it came down to a few metres and unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough.”

Ray Davies, tactician on the Emirates boat said: “The start is very important on this course. We wanted to be to the right and we were to the right. It was close at the top mark but we had a piece of them by a couple of metres.”

There will be no Louis Vuitton Trophy racing tomorrow. Instead, the skippers and ten crew members from each of the International America’s Cup Class boats will join Arab sailors to compete in a 60-foot traditional dhow race.

Organized by the Dubai International Marine Club, it will be the first time that outsiders have ever competed in the sleek, lateen-rigged craft that celebrate centuries of Arab commerce, fishing, and pearl diving.

The six dhow skippers attended a special press conference and joined their counterparts, taking part in the draw to decide choice of boats for the race that will start tomorrow afternoon.

Flight One, Race One, Artemis Racing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:27 -
The Swedish boat steered by Kiwi Cameron Appleton won handsomely, claiming second place overall for Round Robin One, half a point ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand, his opponents in this race. The New Zealand afterguard performed dismally in the pre-start, gifting the race to the Swedish team. The Kiwis were trailing Artemis on starboard 20 seconds before the gun when Dean Barker tacked onto port. He was late. Unable to lay the committee on port, he tacked onto starboard on the line three boat lengths behind Appleton, losing the right-hand advantage and any chance of redemption. From there, it was a procession.

Flight Two, Race One, BMW Oracle Racing def Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 00:48 -
Oracle’s James Spithill held Francesco Bruni away from the start line as the seconds ticked down. At the start gun the boats were still luffing head to wind well below the committee. The Russians made an attempt to hook Spithill and the umpires flagged a penalty. Spithill took another 43 seconds to gather momentum and cross the start line, with the Russians tucked away three boat lengths astern. Bruni never got close and finished still carrying the penalty.

Flight Three, Race One, Mascalzone Latino Audi def All4One, 00:24 -
Gavin Brady skippering the Italian boat held Sebastien Col above the start line before circling the committee, making a perfect start and claiming the right side of the course. Col and the French/German boat were delayed getting back and conceded a boat length as racing started. Col drew level in fresher conditions at the top mark but Brady was again able to push him away from the mark to round first. Col kept it close on the run and was only one a half boat lengths behind as they gybed for the bottom mark. Then the French/German spinnaker pole went overboard in an untidy spinnaker drop that left sail plastered all over the foredeck.

Flight Four, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Artemis Racing, 00:32 –
After losing their first race today to Artemis Sailing, Emirates Team New Zealand lined up for their second start side by side with the Swedish team. Both boats were head to wind nine seconds before the start and they started together on starboard with Artemis to leeward. Dean Barker had claimed the right side of the course and he quickly split away. When they met again at the weather mark the Swedish boat had slightly overstood and Barker used his starboard tack advantage to herd Cameron Appleton away from the mark. The delta was ten seconds.

Provisional Results after Day One of RR2:

1. BMW ORACLE Racing, 10-1, 11 pts
2. Emirates Team New Zealand, 6-5, 6.5 pts *
3. Artemis Racing, 5-6, 5 pts
=4. All4One, 4-7, 4 pts
=4. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 4-7, 4 pts *
=4. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 4-7, 4 pts

* A scoring penalty has been assessed by the umpires

In Round Robin One, each team sailed every other team twice, with each win worth one point.

In Round Robin Two, each team will sail every other team once, with each win worth two points.

At the conclusion of Round Robin Two, the top four teams will advance to the semi finals. The bottom two teams are eliminated.

[MLovett]

21 Nov, 2010

BMW Oracle Racing Dominates Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai


Except for BMWOR which holds a four and a half point lead on 13 points, the leaderboard at the Louis Vuitton Trophy remained tightly-packed after the second day of competition in the second round

“We got two points for that race today. It’s a big win,” said All4One’s skipper Jochen Schümann. "BMW Oracle Racing has been very strong so far, so I would say it’s almost ‘bonus points’. We now have a realistic chance to make it to the semis, which is our goal here.”

Sébastien Col, helmsman of the French/German boat said: “We achieved a really solid race. The key point was the first downwind leg, where we defended very well. We were leading at the first mark, and then we defended well with a few close jibes, which was kind of our weakness at the beginning of the event. After a day like this, we will really feel better controlling our competitor downwind."

Speaking of BMOR’s James Spithill, winner of the 33rd America’s Cup, Col said: “He and I are from the same generation. We raced together very often in youth world championships or on the match racing circuit. He has had an exceptional career these past four years. We’ve known each other for a long time, and it’s always nice to get a win against him.”

Ian Moore, the navigator of the American boat agreed that All4One had done an outstanding job. “It was a little disappointing to lose the first race, but give credit to All4One,” said Moore. “They started well and sailed impeccably well. We see a lot in these races that if you win the start it helps to go on and win the race, and that’s what they did.

“But you can’t let it get you down. You’re going to lose races in a tournament as long as this and we rallied in the second race. Jimmy got a fantastic start and our tactician John Kostecki did a nice job calling the race and picking the shifts.”

Moore said that after losing to the French/German team, “it was good to get a victory against a strong team like Artemis.”

The hard luck story of the day was the Swedish team Artemis Racing which lost two races, each worth two points, to drop from third place overall to fourth. They had started the day in third place, just one and half points behind second-placed Emirates Team New Zealand.

Artemis lost first to the Synergy Russian Sailing team even though the Russians were penalized for a collision in the pre-start. In one of the closest races seen in Dubai this week, Synergy skipper Francesco Bruni attacked and gained the lead before surrendering it while unwinding his penalty. He then fought his way back to finish first, only to lose his two finish points with a two-point deduction for hard contact.

In their second race Artemis was solidly defeated by BMW Oracle Racing.

Racing resumes tomorrow afternoon with race boats now scheduled to leave the dock at 1300 and the earliest warning signal at 1345.

Race organizers aim to complete the Round Robin competition on Tuesday. There will be a lay day on Wednesday followed by fleet racing on Thursday. The semi-finals and finals will be raced on Friday and Saturday.

Flight One, Race One, All4One def BMW Oracle Racing Team, 00:45 -
This was only the second race the Americans have lost. Sebastien Col had the starboard advantage at the entry, went nose-to-nose in a protracted dialup above the line against James Spithill, and led back to start at the pin on starboard. Coming into the top mark Spithill was pressing hard but the French/German alliance held the Americans out above the mark and led by eight seconds. Oracle stayed close and on the attack but Col held his nerve and pulled away on the last two legs.

Flight One, Race Two, Synergy Russian Sailing Team def Artemis Racing, 00:26 –
A collision before the start saw the Russian team facing a four point loss – two penalty points for hard contact in the collison and the prospect that Cameron Appleton and Artemis Racing would win the match and go up two points. Synergy’s Francesco Bruni sailed the race of his life to lead on the first beat, unwind the penalty at the top mark and hold off Appleton on the second beat to win the race and two points that were wiped out by a two point loss for hard contact.

Flight Two, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:10 – The Kiwis claimed the right at the start and despite early gains by Gavin Brady, steering Mascalzone Latino Audi, it was Dean Barker who led around the top mark. Brady remained in close contact as the breeze softened with the approaching sunset and it was only on the final run that the New Zealand team could feel comfortable about an imminent win.

Flight Two, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Artemis Racing, 01:03 – The presence of team owner Torbjorn Tornqvist onboard was not sufficient to save Cameron Appleton and the Swedish from a sound defeat at the hands of James Spithill. After a protracted dialup, Spithill returned to start on the left on starboard with Artemis trailing by a few metres at the committee and also on starboard. Spithill was able to cross his opponent on the port tack half way up the beat and extended from there on every leg.

Provisional Results after Day Two of RR2:

1. BMW ORACLE Racing, 11-2, 13 pts
2. Emirates Team New Zealand, 7-5, 8.5 pts
3. All4One, 5-7, 6 pts
4. Artemis Racing, 5-8, 5 pts
=5. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 5-7, 4 pts *
=5. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 4-8, 4 pts *

* A scoring penalty has been assessed by the umpires

In Round Robin One, each team sailed every other team twice, with each win worth one point.

In Round Robin Two, each team will sail every other team once, with each win worth two points.

At the conclusion of Round Robin Two, the top four teams will advance to the semi finals. The bottom two teams are eliminated.

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.

[MLovett]

23 Nov, 2010

Semi-Finalists Decided at Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai


The USA’s BMW Oracle Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand, seeded first and second after ten days of round robin racing, each consolidated their positions with victories in their respective races.

The New Zealanders denied Synergy a place in the semi-finals in a sharp contrast with the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena when the Russian team finished second, losing to the Kiwi team only after a closely-fought 3-2 series.

“We’re pretty happy with our performance today,” said Ray Davies, tactician for Emirates Team New Zealand. “Against Synergy and against All4One it was pretty light and shifty and it’s so important to get that first shift off the start line.

“We have had a patchy regatta to date but we’ve still qualified second. BMOR have been the stand-out so far but with these events, you gotta win the last race and not the first one. It’s important of course to keep improving and we think we’ve done that.”

The second race today saw BMW Oracle Racing, holders of the America’s Cup, win against Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi team, the challenger of record for the next America’s Cup in 2013.

James Spithill, skipper of the American boat, adroitly finished this race before it started, landing a penalty on Mascalzone’s Gavin Brady in a tense pre-start maneuvering stand-off.

The loss could have been fatal for the Italians who were trailing on the leaderboard earlier in the regatta. However two inspired performances on Monday had boosted their points and their chances.

The French/German boat All4One eliminated Artemis Racing in their race today to clinch their place in the final four, a result that might have taken the sting out of a loss to Emirates Team New Zealand in the final race of the day.

“We could start the last race today quite relaxed,” said Jochen Schumann, All4One’s skipper. “It’s important to get to the next round and we made it! We sailed quite well as a team and we generally lost by quite small margins. The competition is very even. Now we have a new chance in the semi-finals.”

Tomorrow is a lay day for the sailing crews and a maintenance day for the shore crews. On Thursday, the teams will compete in a one-day fleet-race series. The semi-finals and finals will be raced on Friday and Saturday.

Flight One, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 00:47 –
The Kiwis came from behind to win. Both boats were early, head to wind, before the start as ETNZ split away to the committee while the Russians went for the pin. Francesco Bruni and his Russian team got off the line going to the left and found more pressure to lead by nine seconds at the top mark. Dean Barker and the Kiwis made up ground on the run and trailed by just three seconds at the bottom gate. They split on the beat with Barker claiming the left and making dramatic gains. Benefitting from a shift and more pressure, ETNZ led by 1:12 at the top mark and coasted home to consolidate their second overall place. The Kiwi victory eliminated from the semi-finals the team that finished second at the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena.

Flight One, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:15 –
In the pre-start, America’s Cup champion skipper James Spithill delivered a master class in starting to his rival Gavin Brady. Two minutes before the gun and with both boats almost stationary after a dialup BMWOR claimed and got a penalty as Mascalzone turned to get clear. “It was a good time to come away,” said Ian Moore, navigator for the American boat. “They tried to tack with us but they were slow so we were able to point right at them and claim the penalty." The Italian boat extricated itself and went right. It led for most of the first leg until Oracle spurted ahead in new breeze at the top of the first beat and never looked back. “We could have been more aggressive in the pre-start but a penalty for hard contact would have costs us points and we’re already into the semi-finals,” said Mascalzone Latino tactician Morgan Larson.

Flight Two, Race One, All4One def Artemis Racing, 00:22 – The stakes were high with both boats facing the prospect of elimination. All4One used the advantage of the starboard entry to claim the right side of the course in a soft, shifty westerly breeze. They started in tandem on starboard with Sweden’s Artemis Racing to leeward. Sebastien Col immediately tacked the French/German boat to port, ceding the early going to Artemis’ Cameron Appleton. Three minutes later, Col crossed clear ahead by a boat length and a half to lead for the rest of the race and scupper Artemis' hopes for the semi-finals.

Flight Two, Race Two, Emirates Team New Zealand def All4One, 00:45 –
This final match of the Round Robin would have no impact on the final standings, which was just as well for All4One. The race was decided at the start when Emirates Team New Zealand elected to take the left side. Shortly after the start gun fired, a big left shift rumbled down the course giving the Kiwis a massive lead at the top mark. Game over

Provisional Results after Day Four of RR2:

1. BMW ORACLE Racing, 13-2, 17 pts
2. Emirates Team New Zealand, 9-6, 12.5 pts
3. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 6-9, 8 pts *
4. All4One, 6-9, 8 pts
5. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 6-9, 6 pts *
6. Artemis Racing, 5-10, 5 pts

* A scoring penalty has been assessed by the umpires

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.