Play nzherald.co.nz's rugby Pick the Score competition - go to: pickthescore.nzherald.co.nz
KEY POINTS:
Team New Zealand are under huge pressure to find some winning momentum in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series, with Alinghi just two victories away from taking out the weather-reduced finals.
The Swiss, skippered by Brad Butterworth, cleaned out Team New Zealand in yesterday's opening race and with strong winds forcing the cancellation of the rest of the day's racing, the Kiwis did not get an opportunity to level the score.
With organisers only managing to get the one race off yesterday, the finals have been pared back to a best-of-five series, rather than the original format of best-of-seven. Should the weather refuse to co-operate again today, the finals could be further cut to a best-of-three matches, which means race two is virtually a must-win for Emirates Team New Zealand.
The forecast for today looks promising, with easterlies of 12-18 knots predicted, but it is still a big ask for regatta organisers to get in four races today.
Despite his team's precarious position, Team NZ tactician Ray Davies appeared unconcerned about the prospect of a shortened series. "It would have been nice to go to seven, because it's more racing and we've got everyone here and it's a pretty incredible spectacle," said Davies.
"Hopefully it's one of those memorable days of yachting and we come out on top."
But with Team New Zealand seemingly stuck in a rut, having lost four of their last five races, and Alinghi sailing superbly, the home team have a mammoth task in front of them.
Yesterday's 22-second loss to Alinghi was all the more disappointing for Team New Zealand given they were in a strong position in the pre-start.
Skipper Dean Barker did a superb job to lock the Swiss out above the start-line with 1m 30s remaining before the gun. But Barker failed to land the knockout blow, after mistiming his move back below the start line.
Davies said Team NZ were still happy with the way they executed their start plan as they got the side they wanted and it was unfortunate the wind shifts from the left, which they had observed before the start, did not eventuate in the first beat. "It can be a bit hairy if you go for the kill and if you lose the kill you can end up reversing the situation quite quickly, so we took the conservative option and got our starting plan," he said. "We went off the line
to leeward waiting for a little left shift, which didn't actually come for us. Any sort of left and we would have been able to get rid of them and control the race from there. But the breeze stayed to the right all the way out to the exclusion zone."
Alinghi helmsman Ed Baird said his team were lucky to get off to a fairly even start with Team New Zealand, and after picking up the first wind shift, they were able to control the race from there.
"Once we did sneak out a little bit of an advantage on the first leg, Brad Butterworth and his team at the back of the boat just really paid attention well to what was happening and tried to close the door."
LOUIS VUITTON
Pacific Series final
Team New Zealand v Alinghi
Race 1: Alinghi won by 22 seconds
What happens today?
Strong winds yesterday have reduced the finals to a best-of-five series, which means there will possibly be up to four races today. Alinghi are 1-nil up in the series and the first team to three wins.
