Yachting: Team NZ well placed to make Louis Vuitton Trophy semifinals

Team New Zealand booked the top qualifying spot after dealing Synergy their seventh straight loss in yesterday's final round-robin match-up on the Waitemata Harbour. Photo / Getty Images

Team New Zealand are on track for a semifinal appearance at the Louis Vuitton Trophy after booking themselves a repeat showdown with the Russian Synergy team in today's opening elimination round.

The Kiwis booked the top qualifying spot after dealing Synergy their seventh straight loss in yesterday's final round-robin match-up on the Waitemata Harbour.

The unfancied Russian Synergy team got the better of the locals in the start and looked strong up the first beat until Team NZ skipper Dean Barker applied some pressure from behind and Synergy split off, rather than engaging.

That proved a costly error as the move gave Barker the leverage he needed and when the yachts came together again he was comfortably ahead.

From there, the hosts were in control and sailed well to comfortably maintain their lead.

Another win today will see Team New Zealand advance straight to the semifinals of the regatta.

They will be well rested heading into today's programme after sailing just one match yesterday. With the exception of Aleph, who beat Team NZ in Monday's opening race before the weather forced the cancellation of the rest of the day's racing, all other teams had two matches yesterday.

One of the pre-regatta favourites, Team Origin, were the biggest casualties of the day, suffering two losses. The Brits, skippered by Ben Ainslie, finished the round-robin in sixth after losing to Artemis and Mascalzone Latino and are now staring at elimination.

Team Origin will today face French-German team All4One in the first elimination round with a loss most likely spelling the end of their regatta.

Second-placed Mascalzone Latino are favoured to advance straight through to the semifinals when they take on Aleph today. The showdown between Azzurra and Artemis, ranked fourth and fifth respectively, is tipped to be one of the day's highlights.

Elimination matches

Round One:

* Team New Zealand v Russian Synergy team.
* Mascalzone Latino v Aleph.
* All4One v Team Origin.
* Azzurra v Artemis.