Issue date
Emirates Team New Zealand took another point today to lead Luna Rossa 6-1 in the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup. The team is now a win away from the seven needed to win the series and challenge Oracle for the America’s Cup.
Today Dean Barker and crew led from start to finish and were never seriously challenged. The delta was 1min 58sec.
The breeze today was close to the upper limit; the water was flat with a flood tide of 1.9 knots.
Race 7 statistics make interesting reading. Emirates Team New Zealand's top speed was 47.18 knots, achieved as the yacht rounded mark 3. The maximum wind speed recorded was 21.4 knots
The team did a great job. Showing superior speed with authoritative boat handling and control. They got off the start line cleanly, took the first mark 4s ahead and extended to 27s at mark.
On the beat, the boat foiling at times, the lead grew quickly and the delta at the third mark was 1m 53s, at the fourth mark 1m 51s.
Skipper Dean Barker was disappointed not to get the second race away. The breeze has crept up and exceeded today’s wind limit.
Grant Dalton: “It’s frustrating not to be racing again today – but that’s yachting and that’s how it is. We will be back again tomorrow.
“Should we get through to the Cup match, we will be sailing in these conditions. It’s the top end .... but the boat feels fine, it’s responding well and we were able to work a bit on upwind foiling.
“As always the key is to get away at the start and lead comfortably at the first mark which closes down the following boat’s options.
“Today the Luna Rossa crew did all they could do to get us but in the end we were going a little bit faster.”
Race 7 performance data
Course: 5 Legs/10.25 nautical miles
Elapsed Time: ETNZ – 23:38, LR – 25:36
Delta: ETNZ +1:58
Total distance sailed: ETNZ – 11.4 NM , LR – 11.5 NM
Average Speed: ETNZ – 29.24 knots, LR – 27.27 knots
Top Speed: ETNZ – 47.18 knots, LR – 43.46 knots
Wind speed: Average – 18 knots, Peak – 21.4 knots
