Kiwis Clean Up At AC World Series in Cascais

Cascais, 7 August 2011

The opening weekend of the America's Cup World Series attracted plenty of spectators, both on the water and from the beach. Sunday delivered favourable racing conditions and the Bay of Cascais was bathed in dazzling sunshine.

ETNZ Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

Emirates Team New Zealand were double winners today, claiming top spot in the AC Cascais Preliminaries after four fleet races and recording the fastest run in the AC 500 Speed Trial.

“We are happy how it went,” said skipper Dean Barker. “But we know we have a lot to keep up with. It’s nice. A good feeling to start the week, but there is a lot we need to improve on.”

ETNZ leading Oracle Racing Coutts Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

ORACLE Racing Coutts won today’s long fleet race, stealing victory from Emirates Team New Zealand after a crew member went in the drink. The Kiwis did their best to hang on, but Coutts managed to wear down the shorthanded Kiwis just a few hundred metres from the finish, to claim victory and second place overall, with Sweden’s Artemis Racing in third.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

In the AC500 Speed Trial, the top three teams needed their third and final runs to record their fastest speeds. After a disappointing first two tries, the Kiwis had a perfect set-up for their final attempt, howling down the track at an average speed of 42.35 kph.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

They were followed closely by Team Korea (39.28) and China Team (37.43), two of the newer, less-practiced teams in the AC45 catamaran. “There are only two speeds to these boats,” said China Team’s Australian skipper Mitch Booth. “Flat out, and stopped.”

China Team Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA 

There was plenty of action onboard Emirates Team New Zealand when Winston Macfarlane, one of the beefy grinders on board, was washed overboard during a fast maneuver at a turning mark halfway through the race. Macfarlane was grinding a winch when the winch handle snapped and lost his balance as the boat accelerated out of the turn. While Macfarlane swam to safety and hauled himself on to the nearby mark-boat, Barker’s crew was obliged to sail the rest of the course short-handed.

Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget/ACEA

Sailing the second half of the race with just four men meant their crew work was slower and they had less weight on the side of the boat to balance the power of the wing rig. ORACLE Racing Coutts attacked the vulnerable Kiwis on the final beat to the finish line and grabbed the lead in the final moments of the race.

Lulu Roseman

C Cascais Preliminaries – Leaderboard

Place	Team	RACE #1		RACE #2		RACE #3		RACE #4		TOTAL POINTS
		Place	Points	Place	Points	Place	Points	Place	Points
1	Emirates Team New Zealand	3	8	2	9	2	9	2	9	35
2	ORACLE Racing Coutts	4	7	3	8	5	6	1	10	31
3	Artemis Racing	1	10	4	7	3	8	7	4	29
4	ORACLE Racing Spithill	DSQ	0	1	10	1	10	3	8	28
5	China Team	6	5	6	5	6	5	4	7	22
6	Team Korea	5	6	7	4	4	7	6	5	22
7	Energy Team	2	9	8	3	8	3	5	6	21
8	Aleph	7	4	5	6	9	3	8	3	16
9	Green Comm Racing	8	3	9	3	7	4	9	3	13

AC 500 Speed Trials

Place	Team	(km/h)
1	Emirates Team New Zealand	42.35
2	Team Korea	39.28
3	China Team	37.43
4	ORACLE Racing Spithill	37.16
5	Artemis Racing	35.10
6	Aleph	35.02
7	ORACLE Racing Coutts	34.05
8	Energy Team	30.99
9	Green Comm Racing	24.77