SUI-64 Continues America's Cup Winning Streak

After a very close finish in the last match, Team New Zealand Skipper Dean Barker knows that his boat and crew performs well against Alinghi (if you missed it, see race highlights in America's Cup XXXI Race Two Recap). Race Three would give him the chance to crush his press image as Russell Coutts' protege. TNZ needed more than home team advantage, a nation of supporters, red socks and an innovative boat design. It would all boil down to the basic principles of match racing: win the start, get the first wind shift and be in front at the first cross.

Out on the Hauraki Gulf another day offering light cloud layer, comfortable temperatures and bright sunlight. Wind speeds were around 14 knots. At the appointed hour, the Race Committee got racing underway on time.

Alinghi entered the starting box on the committee boat end with the starboard advantage. The pre-start featured no dial ups as Team New Zealand got across right away. Tight circle and hunt maneuvers ensued. Metric indications available to spectators showed that the right side was favored further up the course.

Each syndicate initially played the pre-start as though they wanted to go left, but the Swiss team changed it's strategy. Alinghi got a two second jump on TNZ at the start on a split. Alinghi's start at the committee boat, proved best, going out on port. The home team lived with the hand dealt them by crossing on the pin end and going out on starboard.

In short, the wind shifted some 20 degrees to the right and Alinghi was soon 150 meters ahead. The Swiss threw in a tack for a loose cover at that point. Without a favorable shift, TNZ waited for the layline and tried to tack a couple of times before filing in behind the Swiss team.

Alinghi And TNZ Mix It Up In The Pre-Start

Team New Zealand trailed Alinghi by 28 second at the first mark. Both teams went with a bear away set and were locked in a straight line course for half of the leg. Alinghi sensed a shift coming from the left side and jibed. Team New Zealand immediately did the same.

The Kiwis worked the entire leg to close in and position on SUI-64?s air, but couldn't quite manage it by the jibe for the layline for the next mark. They did close the gap by eight seconds.

Both boats went back up wind on starboard initially, but NZL-82 tacked away to get out from under their opponent. The Swiss stretched it out and then tacked to cover. TNZ tried to engage in a tacking duel, but SUI-64 crossed and remained in phase with the shifts. The black boat continued to tack, trying to break cover, TNZ closed to within three boat lengths.

With a couple of more tacks, TNZ got a small shift from the right for another gain. Alinghi, realizing they'd been caught on the left, worked over to force TNZ to the layline. The Kiwis put up a fight and worked any option to force the game back the middle of the course - tightening the match to a one boat length margin. Alinghi made Mark three with a 17 second lead.

The Swiss opted for the bear away set and TNZ followed suit. The Kiwis stayed close, working the puffs, hoping for any opportunity to attack. TNZ surprised Alinghi with a jibe - Russell Coutts balked midway through the maneuver - not prepared for the move. That helped TNZ break SUI-64's tight cover. When they consolidated next, the margin closed in to 45 meters. The wind angles not quite enough to sit on Alinghi?s air. With one more lap around the course to go, the two teams rounded the mark 15 seconds apart.

Team New Zealand

Team New Zealand started right in with a tacking duel. Alinghi was more respectful this time around, keeping a close cover. They doggedly protected the left side and forced the Kiwis to the right wall. Halfway up the leg both boats settled into a long tack. Russell Coutts took a rare look over his shoulder - somewhat revealing psychologically. His competition was only 50 meters behind and putting the pressure on the Swiss team.

After all this strategic work, the separation expanded to 20 seconds by the last mark. Alinghi worked the transition perfectly. TNZ struggled with a stubborn jib - a costly situation. Eventually, the Kiwis got their spinnaker pole up and trimmed in. The Swiss lost two more boat lengths - only a miracle could reverse their fate now.

With much more breathing room, the Swiss executed textbook tactics to seal the victory with a 23 second lead.

Alinghi moves ahead in the series with a 3-0 lead. The Swiss syndicate only needs two more points to capture the Auld Mug. Team New Zealand must now win five races of the next six races to successfully defend the America's Cup. Most likely, TNZ will make changes to their program to block the Swiss winning streak.

Tomorrow will be a "Day Off" for the teams. Racing will resume February 20 (NZT) - Wednesday night for those of us in Seattle.

Race 3 Deltas: Start 0:02 (Alinghi), 0:28 (Alinghi), 0:20 (Alinghi), 0:17 (Alinghi), 0:15 (Alinghi), 0:21 (Alinghi), Finish 0:23 (Alinghi)

America?s Cup Standings

Score To Date:

Alinghi ? 3 points vs. Team New Zealand ? 0 points.

Next Up:

The 31st America?s Cup ? Race Four February 20 (NZT)

This ?best-of-nine? series matches the Louis Vuitton Cup champion challenger Alinghi, representing Switzerland's Societe Nautique de Geneve, against the America's Cup defender, Team New Zealand, sailing under the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club burgee.

The winner of this America's Cup will then defend the trophy at a time and place of its choosing. Some general details of the next America's Cup, the 32nd, will be issued within days of the final race.

Stay Tuned. . .

Short Facts & Tidbits

***Pundit Ponderings - "Once again, the speed margin between Alinghi's SUI 64 and Team New Zealand's NZL 82 is infinitesimal, but the gulf between the teams gigantic." - Tim Jeffery, Source: http://sport.telegraph.co.uk

"The dramatic dejection I see after each loss shows a team that is overly concerned about the outcome of the regatta. Everyone likes a big turnaround in sports. In the current configuration, TNZ lacks the tactical skill to defeat Alinghi. A change could reverse this trend." - Gary Jobson, Source: www.sailingworld.com

"Myths of the America's Cup: The faster boat always wins. The top crews are equal. The "hula" hull appendage is the biggest breakthrough in sailing since Dacron.

Welcome to reality. No, it's not over yet. Team New Zealand could win five of six . . . the day a kiwi bird learns to fly." - Rich Roberts, Source: www.yachtracing.com

***For The Record- Russell Coutts equalled Harold Mike Vanderbilt with his 12th win in the America's Cup. Only Cup legend Dennis Conner, with 13, has more.- Source: americascup.yahoo.com

***Competitive Quotes- Alinghi's Jochen Schuemann on how the boats match up after two races. "I think the boats are very close upwind and downwind. Although it was only for a short time, when we saw them on the first day in strong breeze, the boats were quite even, so I think we can look forward to more tight and close racing." - Source: americascup.yahoo.com

***Straight From The Press Conference - Excerpts following Race Three. Responding below are Dean Barker - Skipper, Team New Zealand and Murray Jones - Alinghi.

Q: Dean, what now? Is it time for a crew change?
A: Dean - "No, definitely not. We don't think we're doing anything particularly badly, we're very happy with the way we're sailing, things just haven't gone our way. In sailing when you get two teams that are very similar in performance, it doesn't take much for the momentum to change. We think we're fast enough, we're sailing well enough around the course, we just have to make sure we get on the right side of them and give ourselves at least an even chance on the first beat.

Q: Dean, small amount of rumour control. There's a buzz around this morning that the water problem from Race One might have been engendered by a leaky rudder or maybe the trim tab bearing - something bringing water into the vessel before it started coming over the rail.
A: Dean - We haven't heard those rumours.

Q:Which is to suggest that's not what happened.
A: Dean - No, there certainly wasn't a problem there.

Q: Murray, given the start seemed to play such an important part in the rest of the race, if the positions had been swapped and you?d been on the left and they'd been on the right, how would you rate your chances of getting past them?
A: Murray - I think it would have been really difficult for us and probably Team New Zealand would have won the race. I think that first beat was a big part of the race. It appeared to me that the left didn't pay and at one stage going out there on the left they were quite a long way behind. I think they did the best they possibly could to minimise the loss and for the rest of the race they sailed really well. I'm not sure that we would have done a better job than them.