Dubai: Hosts Emirates Team New Zealand clinched the second round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland at the Viaduct Basin yesterday.
The Kiwi boat raced a flawless second match yesterday morning to beat the Italian challengers Mascalzone Latino Audi Team to take an unassailable 2-0 win in the best of three series.
Pitted against the Italian team — representing Club Nautico di Roma, which is the Challenger of Record for the 34th America's Cup — Emirates Team New Zealand had won the first match on Saturday for an early lead. And yesterday, sailing under light and uncertain winds the hosts managed to keep Mascalzone Latino at bay for their second win in as many days to lift the Louis Vuitton Trophy.
It was an amazing run from the Kiwis in this competition as they were beaten just once in the 13 days of match sailing on the waters — by Azzurra, the round one winner in Nice, during the preliminary first round contest.
Heart-stopping win
And in the semifinals, Emirates Team New Zealand nearly faltered against the same team till a heart-stopping win by one second in the second match before winning the third by 18 seconds and earning the right to face Mascalzone Latino in the final.
Before presenting the Louis Vuitton Trophy, Yves Carcelle, Chairman and CEO of Louis Vuitton, congratulated Dean Barker, his team, and all the competing teams on the quality of their racing.
"Now I hope the Cup will revive. In the meantime, we have seen in the last few days an amazing sport competition. The fact that the boats are equalised means that it was all up to the teams and one more time, Team New Zealand has proved its domination," Carcelle said in a statement published on the official website.
After a two-hour wait for wind, the race started at around noon at the mouth of the Rangitoto Channel in a warm and shifty 10 to 12-knot westerly breeze.
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Barker took the right side of the course, while Gavin Brady, the Kiwi skipper of Mascalzone preferred the left for an uneventful pre-start as the two boats split. Brady had his opportunity to level the score and the boats were bow to stern as Emirates led around the weather mark.
But the Kiwi spinnaker blossomed and just as swiftly, Emirates gybed over into the favouring left shift, catching the Italians flat-footed to win easily by 53 seconds.
The overall results of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland that concluded in Auckland yesterday:
1. Emirates Team New Zealand, New Zealand; 2. Mascalzone Latino Audi, Italy; 3. Azzurra, Italy; 4. Artemis, Sweden; 5. All4One, Germany/France; 6. Teamorigin, Great Britain; 7. Aleph Sailing Team, France; 8. Synergy Russian Sailing Team, Russia.
