KEY POINTS:
Team New Zealand strategist Ray Davies considers Luna Rossa more than capable of mounting a comeback in the Louis Vuitton Cup yachting final.
Team NZ head into tomorrow's rest day in Valencia holding a commanding 3-0 lead over the Italians and needing just more two wins to gain the right to challenge holders Alinghi for the America's Cup.
Most predictions were that their showdown with Luna Rossa would go down to the wire, and it did in race one, with just eight seconds separating the boats.
Since then, Team NZ have dominated, and today scored the biggest win of the final so far, by the crushing margin of one minute 38 seconds.
But Davies said there was still a long way to go and it was not time for NZL92's crew to relax.
"We didn't think we were going to be 3-0 up," he said.
"We're expecting to lose a couple of races and these guys are very tough. We just have to go out there firing."
When he described Luna Rossa as "a fantastic team", he wasn't just saying it, he meant it, he said.
"If any team can turn it around, the guys on Luna Rossa can," he said.
"We can't afford to let up or read any more into it than the fact that we've won three races and we still have a couple more."
Davies said coming back from 0-3 down was not impossible.
"It can be done," he said.
"It happens all the time on the match racing circuit. Guys come back from these sort of deficits. It's a long road yet."
However, the trend does not look good for the Italians.
After their impressive 5-1 semifinal victory over American syndicate Oracle Racing, when they led at every mark, they have found themselves trailing around every mark against Team NZ.
Unlike the first two races, Luna Rossa helmsman James Spithill won the start today in light eight to 10-knot breezes, hitting the line at speed and 4sec ahead of opposition skipper Dean Barker.
But Team NZ got a windshift and some extra pressure early up the first beat and quickly turned a 25m deficit into a 30m lead.
By the top mark, the gap had opened out to 40sec, and Barker and tactician Terry Hutchinson kept a cover on ITA94 even while continuing to move away over the rest of the journey.
Syndicate head Grant Dalton said there was plenty of satisfaction over how things had gone on the water.
"We showed some good boat speed in the light conditions, the tactics were sound and the boys responded to every attack that was thrown at them," he said.
Luna Rossa crewman Ben Durham said the key to getting back into the final was simple.
"We just have to sail better," Durham, a member of the afterguard, said.
"I think over the last three days, Team NZ have done a little bit better job in getting off the line, getting their boat up to speed well and getting the first windshift."
Midbowman Max Sirena said Luna Rossa needed to get in front at the first cross, as conditions were such that there were few passing lanes for the boat behind.
"We know it's hard," he said.
"But we have five races to win and we still believe we can do it."
Sirena did not think boat speed was an issue.
"I don't think our boat is slower," he said.
"We're pleased with our boat speed upwind and downwind. I think if we sail well around this course we will be able to beat these guys."
- NZPA
