Saturday, November 08, 2008

Desafío Trophy - Day 2: Two bullets for Alinghi

Solid boatspeed, nearly flawless tactics and crisp crew work resulted in two bullets for Alinghi in the 2nd day of the Desafío Trophy. It is true that the other 3 teams might not be the formidable Emirates Team New Zealand the Swiss faced last year in the America's Cup, on the same waters, but today's Alinghi was definitely a notch closer to its former self.

The second day of the Desafío Trophy took place under considerably better conditions than yesterday. First of all the first race was postponed by less than an hour and the second race got underway under an easterly breeze of almost 12 knots. Still, it was tricky and shifty. Alinghi won both races and is now leading overall with 6 points. Right behind them with 10 points is Luna Rossa that scored two seconds. Team Origin is third with 11 points and Desafío is at the bottom of the leaderboard with 13.

Two races are scheduled for Sunday but with a time limit at 3:30pm and a possible repeat of today's wind conditions it is more than likely that only one will take place. In any case, Alinghi has to sail awfully in order not to win the Trophy. The question of course is to what point these results are meaningful. Still, it is a good training and marketing opportunity, after a long hiatus. Desafío for example always has two guests aboard ESP-97 in each race.

Race 1The first race of the day, third of the event, got underway after an one-hour postponement as the race committee waited for the breeze to pick up to 6 knots. Under these light and shifty conditions, Alinghi and Luna Rossa got ahead from the start, playing the left shift and rounded the top mark ahead of Desafío and Team Origin that had opted for the right. From that point, the order remained unchanged and there was little Luna Rossa could do to pass Alinghi.

BMW Oracle had a "discreet" spectator boat. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Patrizio Bertelli, owner of Luna Rossa, was also on one the team's tenders watching today's races. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Start of the first race. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Ben Ainslie helms the Team Origin boat. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi and Luna Rossa cross in the first beat, in front of the 2 other yachts. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi and Luna Rossa clearly ahead of Desafío and Team Origin on the firs run. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Desafío and Team Origin at the leeward gate. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Luna Rossa round the top mark behind Alinghi. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Origin ready to hoist the spinnaker at the 2nd top mark. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi sails to victory in the first race. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Race 2What happens when you get nice opportunities and you miss them? Ask Paul Cayard and the Desafío crew. The Spanish had an excellent start, showed good speed and were ahead in the first crossings. Halfway through the first beat they went to find the left shift they anticipated while the other 3 boats stayed on the right. Unfortunately for the Spanish, the left didn't pay and as a result slipped to 3rd in the top mark. Alinghi and Luna Rossa were ahead. The Defender extended its lead over the Italians in the 1st run and stayed ahead. Desafío got it wrong again in the 2nd beat, giving Team Origin the opportunity to pass them. Despite an intense gybing duel in the final run, the Spanish couldn't climb up, finishing last.

Start of the 2nd race. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi and Desafío cross in the first beat. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The fleet in the first beat. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi rounds the first weather mark ahead of the fleet. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Luna Rossa rounds the first weather mark in second position. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The missed opportunities Paul Cayard was talking about. Desafío had an excellent first half in the first beat but then rounded the top mark third. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Team Origin rounds the top mark last. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Alinghi leads the race in the first run. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

They might be a little bit rusty but it took Alinghi's crew just one day to get back in form. The spinnaker drop in the leeward gate was probably the best example of crisp crew work so far. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

Adding insult to injury, Desafío completely miss the shift in the 2nd beat and round the top mark dead last. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

The last leg saw an intense gybing duel between Team Origin and Desafío. A couple of sloppy gybes by the Spanish team gave the British the opportunity to finish 3rd. Valencia, 8 November 2008. Photo copyright Pierre Orphanidis / Valencia Sailing

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3 Comments:

At 10:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Deasafio Iberdrola - why it looks so bad?

 
At 11:25 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Where are the other 100 boats that are also meant to be doing this annual regatta??????

 
At 9:03 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

i was there and saw all the other boats on another course. for safety i am told.

 

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