A great job was not enough

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A great job was not enough

(8 May 2007, Valencia) A long and warm applause awaited Järv (SWE 96) and the crew when they returned to the base in Valencia.
“Of course it feels tough on a day like this. But I think we have done a pretty awesome job. We have fought like hell to make it to the semi-finals but in the end it didn’t work out,” Magnus Holmberg, skipper and helmsman, said.
Even in the match today against Emirates Team New Zealand the hope lived for a long time since Victory Challenge was leading during the entire first beat and down half the first run.

Because it eventually ended with a defeat for Victory Challenge by 34 seconds against Emirates Team New Zealand, it did not help that BMW Oracle Racing defeated Desafío Español seven minutes later.

There were therefore celebrations onboard the Spanish boat after it had lost to the American with 55 seconds, since Desafío Español will be able to continue to the semi-finals together with Emirates Team New Zealand, BMW Oracle Racing and Luna Rossa Challenge, regardless of what happens tomorrow in final flight eleven of Round Robin Two.

Victory Challenge will take fifth place in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

But what a performance the team has given, especially during this last week; a performance which has caused increased excitement in the battle for a place in the semi-finals.

The performance started with the match against BMW Oracle Racing last Wednesday when Victory Challenge led by 13 and 17 seconds at the first two roundings and was not passed by the American team until at the last top mark. (Oracle rounded one second ahead). Although Victory Challenge lost by 14 seconds, it was also a sign of what Magnus Holmberg today says:

“We have been able to improve every day in the Round Robin series, which we knew from the beginning was important in a series like this.”

After the close match against BMW Oracle Racing, the crew took Järv to four consecutive winnings against United Internet Team, +39 Challenge, Areva Challenge and then yesterday Desafío Español.

It was clear that the possibilities to make it to the semi-finals was hard, after Desafío Español, due to the jury’s ruling, was allowed a re-match in Round Robin Two against Mascalzone Latino, and subsequently won it.

To make it to the semi-finals, Victory Challenge would have needed to defeat the New Zealanders today, and Mascalzone Latino tomorrow, as well as for the Spanish to be defeated by BMW Oracle Racing today and Luna Rossa Challenge tomorrow.

”We have become stronger and stronger, but it was not enough,” Magnus Holmberg said.

All that now remains for Järv is tomorrow’s match against Mascalzone Latino. The result will not influence Victory Challenge’s ranking in the Louis Vuitton Cup.

In today’s match against Emirates Team New Zealand, Järv began by winning the start by 18 seconds. At the top mark the New Zealanders had gained eight seconds, and half way down the first run they had passed.

”They were able to put pressure on us by being just behind us on downwind. We had to do a move. We did not want to gybe simultaneously because they would then have disturbed our wind. We were therefore happy that they didn’t gybe when we did. We had a little bit of a left hand shift, but unfortunately the wind continued going left, which disadvantaged us and they took the lead,” Magnus Holmberg said, “We were still hoping to get past them and fought really hard, upwind and downwind but in the end we never managed to close up enough.”

It was not, however, Emirates Team New Zealand, but Desafío Español who was the winner since they’ll move on to the semi-finals which start on Monday.

“Desafío is a strong team with a lot of talented sailors. They have been well funded and trained with two boats for a long time. At this stage we can just congratulate them,” Magnus Holmberg said.

Victory Challenge’s main partners for the 32nd America’s Cup are Tele2, Red Bull and MTG. Metro and Viasat Broadcasting are media partners. Corum is the official timekeeper. Sail Racing, LIROS Yacht Ropes, Rutgerson Marin, Pergo and OM Pimespo Ibercarretillas are official suppliers. Team suppliers are Sebago, Oakley, Ascom Wireless Solutions, Optimus, Flaggfabriken National, Fitness First in Valencia and Nordic Sea Hotel in Stockholm.

ends

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