Alinghi total wins: 61 (82%)

Alinghi total losses: 13 (18%)

 

Racing with SUI64

wins 10 (71%)

Losses 4 (29%)

 

Racing with SUI75

wins 51 (85%)

Losses 9 (15%)

 

In the 72 match races raced during the 32nd America’s Cup Alinghi crossed the start line first 33 times (46%).

16 starts were even.

 

Alinghi led at the first mark 56 times (78%) and its chance of victory when:

...leading at start line were 91%

...leading at the 1st windward mark were 96%

Did you know? … The weakest line on board the boat can take loads of up to 200kgs and the strongest over 14tonnes?

On this day in1974, in the preliminary trials of the New York Yacht Club’s defender selection series Courageous beat Intrepid and then defeated Mariner in the second race, while Mariner managed to record a rare victory in the series by defeating Valiant during the first race. Valiant was built in 1970 and was one of the heaviest 12-Metre yachts built. She was a rare Olin Stephens design failure.

 

On this day in2005, Louis Vuitton Act 5, a fleet race, held in Valencia began. Race 1 saw Emirates Team New Zealand, BMW ORACLE Racing and Alinghi take 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd. In Race 2 Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team, Victory Challenge and +39 Challenge taking the respective places.

 

 

In an 8-11 knot east/southeasterly, Alinghi led for the first half of the race. The Swiss team started to the left of ETNZ, won the first cross on the first leg and led by 19 seconds at the first mark. ETNZ made a small gain on the downwind leg, but Alinghi held the lead to round 13 seconds ahead at the leeward mark.

 

The turning point in the race came on the second upwind leg. Alinghi rounded the leeward gate to starboard while ETNZ rounded it to port. That put Alinghi to the left of their competition beginning the third leg. Initially it was a strong position as Alinghi led by between 50 and 60 metres. ETNZ gained the lead about one third of the way up the leg when the Challenger got to the left of Alinghi and lifted off in a puff. With both boats on port Alinghi was able to squeeze up from leeward, but when both boats tacked to starboard and the wind shifted to the right, the Swiss Defender was up above the layline to the mark.

“Heading up that second beat, there was a lot of spectator chop and we seemed to lose a bit of speed, we checked the rudder and keel and couldn’t see anything, but we didn’t feel that good up the second beat and they [ETNZ] closed in on us and took the lead,” said Rodney Ardern, runner/grinder onboard SUI100.  

 

The pre-start saw both boats in the deep right hand corner of the box. Alinghi led back to the line with ETNZ pushing. With one minute to the start Alinghi tacked to port to get closer to the committee boat end of the line. Alinghi tacked back to starboard with about 45 seconds to the start and ETNZ tacked to starboard on their windward quarter. ETNZ crossed the start line 3 seconds ahead of Alinghi and to windward.

“The course was basically even and we just had to play the shifts. Jon Bilger, our weather guy said both sides were even, so we just wanted to get a clean start and be on the right tack off the line,” recounted Ardern.   

 

Tomorrow is a scheduled lay day for Alinghi and ETNZ. Race 3 of the 32nd America’s Cup Match is scheduled for 1500 on Tuesday, 26 June.

 

FURTHER QUOTES FROM RODNEY ARDERN.

Did you feel Emirates Team New Zealand was slightly faster in today’s lighter winds? “The first two legs showed we can sail ok in those lighter winds, of course we were disappointed to get passed,” Rodney Ardern.

 

“I don’t think we have to do too much differently. We’ll keep doing what we are doing, that seems to be going pretty well. We’ve got a day off tomorrow to think about it, check the boat and make sure everything is ok. We’ll go out there and race again on Tuesday,” Rodney Ardern.

 

Did you also prepare for defeat during the four year preparation for the Match? “Of course. You have to respect your opposition and we knew they were going to be a strong challenger, we didn’t expect to win 5-0. We would be silly if we did. There is still a long way to go,” Rodney Ardern.