Yachting: Team NZ pip Russians to go fourth

Team New Zealand beat Russian team Synergy by four seconds. Photo / Chris Cameron / ETNZ

Team New Zealand climbed to fourth in the Louis Vuitton Trophy yacthing regatta in Italy after pipping Russian team Synergy this morning (NZT).

The New Zealand boat won by four seconds after sticking with a game plan that looked like coming unstuck in the water off La Maddalena, near Sardinia.

On both runs, the breeze got softer, handing the trailing boat an advantage, but Dean Barker and crew maintained their lead.

On the final run, Synergy tried a dummy gybe but the manoeuvre was not well executed and they lost vital metres. That gave Team NZ a buffer which they used when they sailed into a soft patch at the committee boat end of the line while Synergy had stronger breeze at the pin end.

Team NZ were first round every mark but there was little in the race throughout, with their largest lead being 11 seconds at the first mark in a breeze of 12-17 knots.

The team's match against Italians Azzurra, scheduled for the end of the day, was abandoned, leaving them with a two win-one loss record.

It leaves two matches scheduled for tomrrow, against Azzurra and French crew Aleph.

Emirates Team New Zealand has now raced three matches, with two wins and one loss.

Swedish crew Artemis leads the regatta with four wins from four races. French/German entrant All4One is second and Mascalzone Lationo of Italy third.

- NZPA