4.00pm
Mascalzone Latino nearly caused the upset of the Louis Vuitton Challenger series in their flight four race against fellow Italians Prada this afternoon, but lost the race on the final leg.
After a two-hour delay due to light winds, racing finally got underway close to 1pm in a shifty 10 knot breeze.
As the boats entered the box, Mascalzone Latino ITA-72 took a dash for the right-hand side, choosing a dial down to get across the bow of Luna Rossa ITA-74.
Little happened in the push-and-shove that followed, other than to split the boats at the start with Mascalzone Latino taking the right and Luna Rossa the left.
As the pair tracked up the first beat it was the right-hand side that paid as the breeze swung hard to the right.
Mascalzone Latino rounded the windward mark ahead by 32 seconds before stretching her lead to 58 seconds by the bottom mark.
But on the second windward leg the breeze swung hard left and their 200m lead evaporated. Mascalzone Latino hung on, to round the weather mark 6 seconds ahead.
In the last third of the final run, and having pulled out a reasonable lead, Mascalzone Latino wrapped her kite in a gybe and Prada rolled straight through to win.
Winds: light and variable
Winning margin 01.42
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule, results and standings
Prada profits from Mascalzone error
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