Team New Zealand working well, says Dalton

1.00pm

Team New Zealand overcame top contenders Team Alinghi and BMW Oracle today to share the lead in the pre-America's Cup yachting regatta in Valencia, Spain, today.

Helmsman Dean Barker led NZL81 to a one minute 40 seconds win over defending America's Cup champions Alinghi and beat the Chris Dickson skippered Oracle by 31sec.

Team New Zealand, Alinghi and Luna Rossa now share the lead in the regatta with four points each.

Grant Dalton, managing director of Team NZ, said today's performance was a major step forward in building a new team.

"There's still a long way to go," he said. "Yesterday's debrief determined that we had to be more aggressive in the starts and today we were. We fought for the right at both starts and then we worked hard to keep it.

"I can't say enough about the crew and their performance today.

"It was great to watch the afterguard of Dean Barker, Terry Hutchinson, Ben Ainslie and Kevin Hall and with Adam Beashel up the mast calling the shifts, working as a unit.

"They were confident, the calls were clear and concise. They worked well and the rest of the crew rose to the occasion. It was a great overall effort."

Alinghi's Franceso Rapetti said it was difficult to come back against a good team in light conditions.

"We lost control to the starboard side where the shift was going on. Team New Zealand sailed well and it was a good day for them," he said.

"Jon Bilger, our weather guy, told us the right was okay and it shows how difficult it is to come back against a strong team."

King Juan Carlos of Spain was aboard Alinghi today.

Racing started in 10-knot winds but conditions became light towards the end of the day.

SUI64 and NZL81 played lead and follow with Alinghi trailing prior to the two boats diverging for an even split tack start.

Alinghi headed out to the left while Team New Zealand took the right, with Alinghi quickly tacking back to join them.

With the right again the more favoured side, it didn't take much for Barker to slip into a slight lead from where they moved into a dominating position for the remainder of the race.

In the second race Barker made a strong recovery at the start, circling back around the race committee boat from the course side of the start line, crossing the line just moments after the gun fired.

BMW Oracle helmsman Gavin Brady elected to dip below the line and also started strongly, the teams taking opposite sides of the race course for the first leg.

Barker and his team used the power of the right to continually bounce BMW Oracle to the left side of the course.

The strategy didn't pay off until the end of the leg, when Team New Zealand were able to sail past the layline and lead around the mark.

The new afterguard on NZL81 made a brave decision to gybe just around the mark and separate from BMW Oracle. That tactic appeared to put their lead in jeopardy.

But they found the shift they needed to round the second mark 36sec ahead.

On the final leg Team New Zealand held on to win.

In another close match Luna Rossa were forced to battle through the first leg with the stubborn K-Challenge before superior speed downwind allowed the Italians to put some distance between themselves and the French.

Luna Rossa helmsman James Spithill was never seriously threatened the rest of the way and his team earned their third win from four starts.

Oracle beat Le Defi in another race.

Results

ITA74 bt FRA57 by 1min 04sec

NZL81 bt SUI64 by 1min 40sec.

ITA59 bt RSA48 by 38sec

USA71 bt FRA69 by 1min 11sec

SUI64 bt FRA69 by 2min 27sec.

NZL81 bt USA71 by 31sec

ITA74 bt RSA48 by 1min 33sec.

FRA57 bt ITA59 by 1min 39sec.




Standings: Team New Zealand 4, Team Alinghi 4, Luna Rossa 4 BMW Oracle Racing 3, Le Defi 2, K-Challenge 2, Team Shosholoza 0.

- NZPA