5.00pm
Facing a shoreside protest from Team Dennis Conner, the Seattle Yacht Club's OneWorld Challenge soundly defeated Stars & Stripes on the water this afternoon to move within two victories of the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals.
OneWorld took control of match in the pre-start. The boats approached the line early with OneWorld USA-67 to leeward of Stars & Stripes USA-77.
OneWorld helmsman James Spithill forced his counterpart, Ken Read, to tack away to port. Too close to the line, Read was forced into a big dip to gain separation from the line.
As the start gun sounded, OneWorld crossed the line with good speed on starboard tack near the pin end while Stars & Stripes was still recovering momentum after tacking on to starboard at the committee boat end.
OneWorld held the advantage at the first crossing, riding port tack across Stars & Stripes' bow.
From there OneWorld applied a tight cover and always seemed to be inside on the lifted tack.
Stars & Stripes trailed by 42 seconds at the windward mark, but used a shift on the run to close to within 12 seconds around the leeward mark.
Stars & Stripes initiated a tacking duel at the start of the second beat, but OneWorld accelerated faster out of the turns and extended its lead. Spithill guided OneWorld around the windward mark with a 31-second lead.
The delta became skewed on the last beat due to a large left-hand windshift.
Winds: light SE-SW
Winning margin: 01.50
OneWorld leads the best-of-seven series 2-0.
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule, results and standings
OneWorld records another victory over Stars & Stripes
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