Americas Cup Update...Three To Go – AmericaOne Has The Momentum
<<2 Feb-2000 19:53 (NZ)
AmericaOne and Luna Rossa are tied after six races of the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals in what has become the toughest Final ever. After watching Francesco de Angelis' Prada Challenge leap out to a 3-1 lead, Paul Cayard's AmericaOne has fought back and now enjoys the momentum that comes with two consecutive wins. Today's battle took place in a 16-19 knot, Southwesterly winds.
Finals - Race 6 - AmericaOne
© Allsport / Nick Wilson
“What we knew when it was 3-1 in their favour was that if it ever got back to 3-3 we'd have the momentum,” Paul Cayard smiled. “Now, tomorrow (Thursday), someone's going to go up and if it's us it's going to be very impactful. By going down (like we did), the bad news obviously is that you're down. The good news is that if you come back like this, it gets really scary for the other guy.”
But Francesco de Angelis says he isn't intimidated. For him the job hasn't changed.
“We still have to win two races,” he said. “We have to think like we have three wins, but we had all three in a row.”
Not only has AmericaOne come back in the series, but today, Cayard came back after trailing through the first of three laps of the course.
“We did a little better job today than they did,” Cayard opined. “They had a nice jump on us on the first beat. We kind of got off to the wrong side - we wanted the left and it didn't pay, but we hung tough and John (Kostecki, tactician) did a nice job of orchestrating a comeback. The guys did an awesome job of doing their job under pressure, and so far I think the Italians have probably felt that they operate the boat smoother than we do but I think we turned the cards on that today.”
The race turned at the bottom of the first run, when AmericaOne made up a three boatlength deficit, earning a windward overlap. Luna Rossa luffed AmericaOne past the layline, as de Angelis tried to protect his position. But when Cayard edged forward, de Angelis had to gybe away for the leeward mark. Both boats dropped their spinnakers as they gybed, but on Luna Rossa, the sail hit the water in front of the boat, and tore when the boat sailed over it.
Finals - Race 6 - Prada
© Allsport / Nick Wilson
“Unfortunately part of the spinnaker went in the water,” de Angelis explained. “Some of it wrapped around the keel and from that point it was there for a long time after we rounded the mark. The boat wasn't giving its best performance – especially upwind it was painful. The boat was going sideways to leeward…big time.”
Luna Rossa still led rounding the leeward mark, but the crew spent a great deal of time on the next beat trying to free the torn sail. As they did, AmericaOne charged up to windward, and rolled over Luna Rossa to take a slim lead for the rest of the race. AmericaOne eventually won by just nine seconds. Not only is the series now tied, but each of the races has been amazingly close – all but one have featured lead changes. And that will be taking a toll on the crews.
Peter Gilmour, skipper for the now eliminated Nippon Challenge says that as the series extends (there will be at least eight races now) exhaustion becomes a factor.
“These guys are completely knackered,” Gilmour said. “It takes so much out of you day after day after day. There's nothing like it…the racing goes on and on. It is so intense. As a spectator I'm being intellectually challenged because I know what they are going through.”
Finals - Race 6 - AmericaOne vs Prada
© Allsport / Nick Wilson
“All the teams are prone to making a few small mistakes, but fatigue might add to that. It's all about how they manage the pressure from here on in. Even though the score is evened up, I think the pendulum has swung in AmericaOne's favour. I think Prada has to pull the shutters down on the history and shut everything out that has happened to this point. Just put it behind them and go out and be as loose as ever. They have to respect Paul for his match racing skill and try not to tangle with him, and just go out and sail their race. I think they could pull it off.”
At this point he starts laughing and adds, “But equally I think the psychological balance is on AmericaOne's side. It's just too close to know really.”
Gilmour says one thing in Luna Rossa's favour is the weather. The forecast is for lighter breezes over the next few days, and Gilmour thinks that will help the Italians.
“I think that's in Prada's favour,” he said. “The races tend to be less feisty when its light. You don't get boxed in on the course and can find your own way.”
Race Seven is scheduled for tomorrow in lighter, 10 knot Southerlies.
- Peter Rusch>>
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