Yachting: Team NZ set the standard for Cup

Team New Zealand prepare to round the windward mark during their match-race against Alinghi. Picture / Reuters

Team New Zealand have set the benchmark in the America's Cup 10 months out from the start of the challenger series.

The Emirates-sponsored syndicate yesterday obliterated rivals Alinghi and BMW Oracle Racing in their final two races to finish the round-robin competition unbeaten.

Having beaten Alinghi by 1m 12s and Oracle by 1m 14s, Team New Zealand will head into tonight's semifinals as favourites to win the 12th pre-regatta, the last match-racing series before next year's challenger races.

Finishing first in the round-robin competition allowed Team New Zealand to choose who they would race in the semifinals - a first-to-two-wins series. It was not an easy decision considering their options were Oracle, Alinghi and Luna Rossa.

The New Zealanders chose Chris Dickson's Oracle. Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker said they did so because they saw it as an opportunity to further test themselves against Oracle's innovative yacht USA87.

"We are at a phase in our campaign where we are trying to finalise the design for our second boat," Barker said.

"To do at least two more races against Oracle - we feel we can get more out of that than racing the other two teams."

While Team New Zealand's NZL84 is quick, their victories over Alinghi and Oracle yesterday were more the result of flawless crew work and spot-on calls from their weather team.

The syndicate were seeking better results in this regatta after ordinary performances in last month's regattas, where their crew work was scratchy and they had trouble with gear failure.

So far in this regatta they have been a class act, which has to be attributed to the leadership of Grant Dalton.

Yachting commentator Peter Lester said the wins over Alinghi and Oracle would give the team enormous confidence.

"There was always a solid platform, now it could be the benchmark platform. For the first time we have seen the Alinghi boat look outdated.

"The new benchmark could be Team New Zealand, which means your building blocks are rock solid. If you can keep developing, which I am sure they will, it looks really encouraging."

Barker had Alinghi floundering around above the start line in the pre-start before dipping back and winding the black boat up.

"Jero [Lomas] on the bow made a really nice call that we could swing when Alinghi tried to break out of the dial-up and that gave us a good little jump on them, which allowed us to control the pre-start," Barker said.

"From there the weather call was very strong on the left. We probably could have played around a bit more with them but in the end it was getting a good start and going off on the favoured side."

With Team New Zealand out to the left and Alinghi out to the right it was a case of waiting to see which weather team had got it right. This time it was Team New Zealand, as the breeze picked up to the left and allowed them to cross ahead of the defenders.

The New Zealanders rounded the first mark a staggering 1m and 5s ahead of the Swiss, possibly the biggest margin anyone has had over them at the first windward mark.

Alinghi gained on the downwind leg in the dicey light conditions but on the approach to the mark the Kiwis found better breeze, which saw them retain a comfortable 45s lead at the bottom mark.

The black boat, which has now proven it has got some serious upwind speed, stretched further ahead on the second beat to round the final mark 1m 17s ahead before winning by 1m 12s.

Against Oracle, Barker appeared to almost stall in the pre-start, giving Dickson the edge.

However, he turned it around, blasting across the start line and leaving Oracle, who were woefully late, in his boat's wake.

Again Team New Zealand's weather team were on the money, predicting a strong left-hand breeze which came through and saw them power out to what turned out to be an unassailable lead on the first beat.

SEMIFINALS

* Division 1: Emirates Team NZ v BMW Oracle Racing, Luna Rossa v Alinghi.

* Division 2: Shosholoza v Desafio Espanol, Victory Challenge v Mascalzone Latino.

* Division 3: China Team v Areva Challenge, +39 v United Internet Team Germany.