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VALENCIA - Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker believes the first four races in yachting's America's Cup have shown the two protagonists to be as evenly matched as the scoreline.
Alinghi won by 30 seconds in light, choppy conditions off Valencia today to level the best-of-nine series at 2-2 ahead of tomorrow's rest day.
After yesterday's incident-packed contest, the latest encounter was more one-sided as the Swiss led from start to finish, giving the opposition little chance to pass.
However, Team NZ said it had lodged a protest with the America's Cup jury over Alinghi's mainsail locking system, which it said breached the class rule.
The rule stated that the mainsail had to be able to be lowered to the deck without a crew member having to go aloft.
The hearing begins at 9pm (NZ time).
"We knew coming into this that Alinghi were going to be strong, so we were going to wait a little and see how things played out in terms of performance," Barker said.
"What we've learnt so far is that there is very little difference. I think we're still sizing each other up and it is purely coming down to which team sails better on the day and I think we all agree that today that team was Alinghi."
Hollywood stars Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones were among those back watching the action on another light afternoon, although the seven to nine-knot winds were more steady than for race three.
Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird got SUI100 off to a good start, hitting the line at better speed than NZL92.
Both yachts were on starboard tack, with NZL92 to leeward and hoping to be in a position to disturb SUI100's air.
In a long drag race out the left-hand side of the course, Alinghi got a right-hand windshift and were able to maintain their course, inch ahead and round the top mark 20 seconds ahead.
The defenders doubled their advantage midway down the run when Team NZ were hit by a costly mistake as their spinnaker twisted in a gybe.
Barker said the conditions made it difficult to pull off good moves every time.
"A little difference in pressure or the wave that hits the boat can change the manoeuvre," he said.
"We had one on the first run that didn't go too well, but we didn't rip the spinnaker, so we're happy about that."
SUI100 then fell into a hole near the bottom mark, but still completed the leg 34sec ahead as Team NZ sailed a longer distance to round the opposite end of the gate to get some separation.
NZL92 headed out to the left-hand side of the course and Alinghi allowed a lateral split of about 800m before tacking back.
The lead narrowed and widened as the wind fluctuated, but Alinghi skipper and tactician Brad Butterworth kept things tight during a tacking duel up the second half of the beat.
Team NZ made a small gain to trail by 25sec before the run home, when Alinghi covered and ensured there were no passing lanes.
Alinghi sydnicate head Ernesto Bertarelli said the Swiss were hoping for more stable conditions over the weekend.
"The important thing is we never lost our morale," he said.
"We came back in this race and both the team and the boat are going well. We are now into a best-of-five match."
- NZPA
