Valencia turns on her best behaviour

Editorial: Valencia turns on her best behaviour

China Team rounds the windward mark on Day 19 of the Louis Vuitton Cup ACM2007/Steffano Gattini

Welcome to Sail-World.Com’s Amerioca’s Cup newsletter for day 19 of the Louis Vuitton Cup

The 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup reminds us of that old line about the little girl – 'when she is good, she is very good and when she is bad, she is horrible'.

Well today, our little girl, Valencia, was on her best behaviour and we saw some great racing. The weather tantrums of yesterday were soon forgotten as racing got away in winds of around 10 knots.

The day opened with a Media Conference by Mascalzone Latino- Capitalia, where team boss, Vicenzo Onorato, was apparently in fine form ('scuse the pun). Bob Fisher and Andy Rice give their perspectives on the, at times amusing, proceedings.

Two flights were scheduled today, for a total or ten matches, so there was plenty of on the water action, racing got away on time, the wind stayed in for the whole day. This was the Valencia we had been told about but had seldom seen.

The first flight had the most interest with the top of the table clash between Luna Rossa and BMW Oracle Racing. True to form, BMW Oracle Racing trailed for the opening stanzas before lighting the afterburner on the second beat after they grabbed the lead rounding Mark 2. The US challenger also grabbed the favoured side of the course, before moving through the usually impressive Italian team to take a comfortable 69 second win.

The other match of interest was Emirates Team New Zealand, in third place on the points table, against Desafio Espanol. After a split tack start, Emirates Team New Zealand sailed a very controlled race to lead from start to finish to take a 70 second win.

Emirates Team New Zealand NZL92 prepare to douse the spinnaker and round the bottom mark with Shoshaloza RSA83 hot on their heels in their Round Robin two match of the Louis Vuitton Cup.
Emirates Team NZ/ ©Photo Chris Cameron ETNZ

Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia were in superb form in their start against +39, forcing a series of errors aboard their fellow-Italian challenger who incurred a double penalty on the start line.

Flight 6 was a fairly set piece affair, with no real surprises, with BMW Oracle having a bye – which is why she is tied with Luna Rossa on the top of the points table.

See the reports from most of the challengers, Bob Fisher and others, for their perspectives on the day's racing.

Overall the positions have become more set with the Top Three only having to win one more race, of the four or five they have available, to cement a place in the semi-final.

Below them the situation is rather tense, with the rising star of Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia in a joust with Desafio Espanol. The Spainish have a five point advantage, while both teams have six matches to sail – including their rematch decreed by Thursday’s Jury decision.

BMW Oracle Racing charges from behind in her match aginst Luna Rossa on Day 19 Louis Vuitton Cup http://www.bmworacleracing.com!BMW Oracle Racing © Photo -_Gilles Martin-Raget

In spite of Valencia’s outstanding behaviour today, scheduling the Round Robin still remains a top of mind task for the Challenger Commission as BMW Oracle’s Tom Ehman reported on http://blog.bmworacleracing.com/main:

'Have just returned from a meeting of all the Challengers with Regatta Director Dyer Jones and Race Officers Peter Reggio and Harold Bennett. It was agreed that the ITA/ML vs. ESP re-match would take place as a second flight tomorrow (Saturday).

'Otherwise we will keep sailing one flight per day with the hope that we can complete all eleven flights by the 9th of May as scheduled. The weather gurus from the various teams say that this is now likely. However, we will meet again as a group Sunday morning to review the latest forecasts in case it appears necessary to double up on either Monday or Tuesday to help assure completing RR2 by the 9th. Regardless, there is still the possibility of tie-break races after the 9th, if necessary to break a tie between one or more teams vying for the 4th and final semi-final spot'.

Tomorrow/tonight we are back on schedule with one race per day.

Again the schedule should be a rather set-piece affair, but nothing is predictable in this Louis Vuitton Cup - as Bob Fisher observed with a comment of which Oscar Wilde would have been proud, 'I never bet on yacht races, the outcome is too uncertain':

Good Sailing!

Richard Gladwell
NZ Editor

Ends

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