Yachting: Dalton rues blown start

Light and shifty breezes caused problems for Team New Zealand, who finished in fifth overall, and many of the leading contenders in the first day of fleet racing in the America's Cup pre-regatta in Valencia overnight (NZ time).

Team New Zealand head Grant Dalton was pleased to finish in front of the three other leading contenders in the first race but a blown start in the second race put paid to the team's chances.

"We achieved almost all of what we set out to do in race one which was to finish in front of BMW Oracle, Luna Rossa and Alinghi. Our plan was to sail conservatively and keep in touch with the teams that we measure ourselves against."

"I think we did really well to get up through the fleet to third, putting a boat between us and Alinghi, four boats back to Oracle and five back to Luna Rossa."

Dalton conceded the second race was not good performance by the team.

"It was really all over when we were early at the start. We had some good moments as the race progressed ... we will take it on the chin. Tomorrow's another day."

Conditions made a nonsense of the form guide and showed once again that in America's Cup sailing the form shown in match racing has no relevance when all the yachts are on the same course.

Some of the less-rated syndicates showed that they, too, can never be discounted.

In the first fleet race Swedish Victory took control soon after the start and streaked away to a win by 1min 39sec, Mascalzone Latino was second with Team New Zealand fourth.

In the earlier match race series Sweden could only manage sixth overall while Mascalzone Latino, was seventh.

In the first race Team New Zealand was the first home of the "big four" with heavily fancied BMW Oracle in 9th, Luna Rossa 10th and Alinghi 6th.

The margins in race two tell the story: Alinghi took control much as Sweden did in the first race, and won with Luna Rossa 1min 52sec behind, and team New Zealand 6min 33sec back in seventh.

After two races Alinghi leads from Sweden and South Africa with New Zealand in fifth.

- NZPA