PRADA'S LUNA ROSSA HELD BACK BY A PENALITY

AmericaOne has beaten Americas Cup leading challenger Luna Rossa ITA48 after a controversial penalty was dished out to Luna Rossa after it hit AmericaOne's transom with its bow.

Prada's loss was only the second in the Louis Vuitton challenger series, being sailed on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. It was bbeaten earlier int he regatta by Team Dennis Conner's Stars & Stripes.

Monday's AmericaOne v Prada race was a hard-fought contest between the two top racing teams. The race was initially delayed for more than a hour due to the lack of wind.

One minute before the start signal, and during the exciting pre-start phases Luna Rossa's skipper, Francesco de Angelis, hit AmericaOne's transom with his yacht's bow. Both the competitors raised the protest flags but the umpires penalized Luna Rossa.

Francesco de Angelis crossed the line with a slight delay but choose the right hand of the race course and after the first cross was leading on AmericaOne.
At the first top mark Luna Rossa had a lead of 18 seconds which was extended during the next two runs.

During the second downwind leg the American team was closing the gap, getting nearer to Luna Rossa. But the Italians then managed to sail away in the third upwind leg, rounding the mark with a lead of 37 seconds.

Francesco de angelis said: "In the mid of the last windward leg we had a lead which was enough to unwind the penalty, but then a windshift on the left side made us loose the advantage we had to run the penalty round and cut the line ahead of AmericaOne."

AmericaOne's win places it just one point behind Prada's Luna Rossa. These two teams are sure to be competitive in the semi-final match races scheduled for after this round robin.

RACING RESULTS OF MONDAY - RACE 5 of Round Robin 3
1st Match Nippon Challenge wins against Spanish Challenge (1 minute 19 seconds)
2nd Match AmericaOne wins against Prada Challenge (23 seconds)
3rd Match America True wins against Abracadabra 2000 (1 minute 35 seconds)
4th Match Young Australia 2000 wins against FAST2000 (FAST2000 not racing)
5th Match Young America vs Team Dennis Conner (race postponed to 8 December)
NOT RACING Le Defi

RESULTS AFTER DAY FIVE OF ROUND ROBIN 3 (9 points per win)
73 pts - ITA 48 (Luna Rossa)
63 pts - USA 49 (AmericaOne)
65,5 pts - JPN 52 (Idaten)
65 pts - USA 51 (America True)
45,5 pts - USA 55 (Stars & Stripes)**
44 pts - ESP 47 (Bravo Espana)
42 pts - USA 58 (Young America)**
32 pts - FRA 46 (6eme Sens)*
25 pts - USA 50 (Abracadabra 2000)
18 pts - AUS 31 (Young Australia 2000)
8 pts - SUI 59 (be hAPpy)
*6eme Sens was not racing today as per calendar.
** race not sailed due to postponement

THE RACE COURSE
Windward-leeward format, 18.5 nautical miles; six legs, three upwind and three downwind; the first and the last legs are 3.25 miles long, the others 3.00 miles.

THE WEATHER MONDAY
SW, 10-15 knots; random puffs will tend to be from the right. The wind will remain below 15kts. Cloudy with a chance of a few light showers late in the morning; sunny in the afternoon. SW less than 0.5 metres building to near 1.0 metre in the afternoon.

THE RACING TUESDAY - RACE 6 of Round Robin 3
1st Match Abracadabra 2000 vs FAST2000
2nd Match Spanish Challenge vs AmericaOne
3rd Match Nippon Challenge vs Prada Challenge
4th Match Le Defi vs Young America
5th Match Young Australia 2000 vs America True
NOT RACING Team Dennis Conner

THE WEATHER TUESDAY
S winds, 15-20 knots. Mostly sunny.

© Scoop Media