Whatever the outcome of the death-or-glory race in the Louis Vuitton Trophy series in Nice overnight between Emirates Team New Zealand and the Russian team Synergy, the Russians have added greatly to their international yachting credibility.
Set up in 2004 by a group of Russian businessmen who wanted to createa professional sailing team capable of taking on the best in the world, Synergy are closing on that goal.
In the round robin, they beat most teams - including the crack Origin and BMW Oracle syndicates - and, even though they were penalised back to 0-0 with Team NZ (setting up last night's thriller), they will have felt they got one over on the Kiwis on the water after the collision which damaged both 24-tonne yachts.
Led by politician and businessman Valentin Zavadnikov, the Russian crew are helmed by Poland's Karol Jablonski with New Zealand's Rod Dawson as tactician. The first hint they were on the improve came last week when they scored a historic victory over the French/German team ALL4ONE.
Last weekend, they had Team NZ in all sorts of bother before finding flat air and having to watch as the Kiwis found enough breeze to slip past on the finish line.
In yesterday's second of three semifinal races, Team NZ incurred a penalty in the pre-start, requiring a six or seven boat-length lead to do the turn to win. However, it was not enough, and approaching the finish, Team NZ were trying to complete the 270-degree penalty turn or offset it with a penalty on Synergy when the pair wound up outside the committee boat end of the finish line.
Both crews had their genoas hoisted trying to get upwind and over the top of the committee boat, but Team NZ got close to the committee boat. Both boats were downspeed in the sloppy seaway and collided.
The first race was the match of the regatta with the lead changing three times. After being overtaken on the second downwind leg, Team NZ regained ground and attacked Synergy on starboard, luffing the Russians, and snatching the lead to cross the line 20s ahead.
The upshot of protests and jury rulings was that both teams were reduced to nil points, so the race overnight was sudden death.
