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To: abuelita who wrote (20762)	1/9/2003 11:26:02 AM
From: stockman_scott	Respond to of 104155

r1: Alinghi looks like they could really dominate...Races against Oracle start on January 11th (and its a best of 9 race series)... alinghi.com STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE RACES BETWEEN ALINGHI AND ORACLE In three months of racing, the two finalists for the Louis Vuitton Cup have already sailed against each other 6 times... 6 intense duels which resulted in 5 victories for Alinghi but only one for Oracle. Essential in dissecting the performances of number 1 and 2 seeded teams in the competition, the Team Alinghi statistics, capture in detail all the fundamental elements of the match. They shed light on the results in regards to the wind, a teams' position on the first upwind leg, or gains made over the adversary both upwind and downwind. The statistics are the key to unlocking this story, and probing the respective futures of these two giants of the Cup. The results favor Alinghi The two leaders of the Cup were equally placed after their first encounters during the course of the Round Robin series. There was a Swiss victory in the first go-around and an American victory in the second. Between Alinghi and Oracle, it was one-all. Alinghi finished the Rounds at the top of the podium, just ahead of their rival Oracle. The other four matches between these favorites were those of the semi-finals. The Swiss left the racecourse at the end of the round with the score of 4 - nil. Medium wind strength prevails The wind, which had weakened since the start of the competition, didn't seem to play a dominant role in the outcome of the matches between the two leaders. Oracle, like Alinghi, had proved their versatility very early on with steady performances regardless of the force of the wind. In six encounters, two took place in light wind of 7 - 12 knots, both of which were won by the Swiss. The four others were run in medium wind between 13 and 18 knots, three of which were won by Alinghi. Only one, in Round Robin 2, was won by Oracle. At present, no matches took place in winds above 19 knots. It is therefore impossible to know what the outcome would be in a race between these two challengers in heavy breeze. Advantage to Alinghi at the finish In 80% of the matches won by the Swiss - 4 out of 5 races - Alinghi won the start with a good leading margin over the pursuing boat. Alinghi crossed the finish line between 30 seconds and two minutes ahead of Oracle. Only one race during the semi-finals, which favored Alinghi, was finished with a delta of less than 30 seconds. Oracle's single victory was won by a narrow margin with less than 30 seconds of advance over Alinghi. Gains upwind and downwind Whether it was upwind of downwind, the statistics show that the Swiss gained ground on their adversary. They performed better on the downwind runs, winning three quarters of the time - 75% of the legs - a few seconds over their competitor. The upwind superiority of Alinghi is obvious. They amassed an advance over Oracle on the upwind legs in about two thirds of the case - 63% exactly. The game begins at the start, but the first cross confirms the advantage Once again, the statistics comparing the performances of the two boats are definite and confirm the influence of the start and the first cross on the outcome of a match. Five times out of six, Alinghi won the start ahead of the Americans. A general lead combined with a good position at the start, knowing that achieving the first cross ahead of the competition is more important than taking the best start. The Swiss crossed head 5 out of 6 times, which corresponds with the number of victories. The best start plus the first cross, without a doubt, is the equation that will lead to winning the Cup. A battle of the heavyweights Since the start of the competition, the numbers speak for themselves and Alinghi and Oracle began to rise above the rest of the fleet. Of all the challengers, in the first round Robin, Oracle was the fastest boat upwind, gaining ground on 76% of the legs. Alinghi padded their advantage in half of the cases - 56% exactly. But already, the two finalists have confirmed their versatility by winning races in wind conditions of light, medium, or heavy breeze. They also won races with the most impressive deltas : 5 victories earned with a lead of more than two minutes. Alinghi finished first, and Oracle second in the Round Robins. Both of these teams are undeniably the best teams upwind. The Quarter Finals confirm this tendency since Alinghi and Oracle gained ground on their opponents in 89 and 83% of the case. Their superiority seems evident and the semi-finals were considered a battle of the heavyweights. Source: Alinghi Team