More than 150 years after the New York Yacht Club's schooner America beat the fastest English yachts to establish sailing's premiere prize, another New York Yacht Club boat has squelched English hopes of reclaiming "the auld mug".
Team Dennis Conner helmsman Ken Read, showing new life in the pre-start aboard Stars & Stripes USA-77, took the action to his GBR Challenge counterpart Ian Walker.
GBR's Wight Lightning GBR-70 seemed to have problems manoeuvring in the pre-start, as evidenced by the frightened look on Walker's face. The boat often stalled in the pre-start the last two races, and this gave Read added incentive to attack.
Although Read failed to gain a penalty on Walker and the Brits, he did get a better start at the committee boat end on port tack and a length ahead of Wight Lightning.
Stars & Stripes wanted the right-hand side of the beat and it paid off early. The American crew kept tacking on the British. After the first three meetings about 10 minutes into the match and halfway up the beat, they led by five boat lengths.
The Americans led by 42 seconds at the windward mark but the British, flying a full-size symmetric spinnaker on the run to the Americans' asymmetric, attacked and closed to 22 seconds beginning the second beat.
But the Americans kept protecting the right and sailed away to a comfortable series win.
Winds: 15-20k
Winning margin: 01.42
Stars & Stripes wins series 4-1 to advance to quarterfinal repechage. GBR Challenge eliminated.
British dreams end with victory for Stars & Stripes
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