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Emirates Team New Zealand took another win in the Louis Vuitton Cup final against Luna Rossa today. The team now leads 5-1 in the best of 13 final in which the first team to win seven races collects the Cup and earns the right to challenge Oracle for the America’s Cup.
It was a tricky day on San Francisco Bay, skipper Dean Barker said. “The course was difficult to read with shifts, puffs and a flood tide. It was really hard to get it right.
“Ray (tactician Ray Davies) did a great job of getting us through it. He’s been working on gathering the local knowledge since the ACWS regattas here last year.”
And they did get it right today, with another good win in which Luna Rossa had few opportunities and spent much of the race following the leader. The delta at the finish was 1min 57sec.
The start was even. Barker was to windward with better speed which the crew developed into a 10 sec lead by the first mark. By mark 2, the lead was 50sec and after the beat Luna Rossa was 1min 16sec adrift. By mark 4 the delta was 1min 57sec and extended by a further 10sec on the short reaching dash to the finish.
Today’s race crew: skipper/helm: Dean Barker, tactician: Ray Davies, wing trimmer: Glenn Ashby, trimmer: James Dagg, pit: Jeremy Lomas, bow: Adam Beashel, grinders: Chris Ward, Rob Waddell, Grant Dalton, Chris McAsey, Derek Saward.
