| Team
New Zealand Dismasts
Alinghi is on Match Point
In
very difficult, blustery, conditions, Team New Zealand
dismasted in Race Four of the America's Cup - to
many seasoned Cup observers, its chances of a successful
defence in the XXXIst Match appeared to tumble down
with the rig.
It
was a tough fourth race of the series, with rain
squalls bringing strong gusts and sharp, choppy
seas to the Hauraki Gulf.
On
the second beat, after a strong squall had passed
over the two boats, Team New Zealand appeared to
pound through three particularly big waves. As the
bow came down off the third wave, the mast snapped
between the first and second spreader after what
appeared to be a shroud or spreader failure. None
of the crew members were hurt.
"It's
possible it's the top of the V2 (shroud), which
is the main, load-bearing outside rigging element,
but until we get a chance to really look at the
damage, we'd just be guessing," said syndicate
head Tom Schnackenberg moments after the disaster.
"When the boat pitches forward that increases
the shock loading and the boat was definitely bouncing
over a
couple of waves there and that was obviously the
thing that pushed it."
The
Swiss Alinghi Team had been leading for the entire
race, after skipper Russell Coutts executed a perfect
time on distance start to hit the starting line
just as the gun fired. Team New Zealand skipper
Dean Barker started slightly behind and to weather,
and at the first cross, five minutes up the beat,
Alinghi was able to tack ahead in a strong lee bow
position.
The
Alinghi lead was never threatened and when Team
New Zealand dismasted, Coutts and his team sailed
the rest of the course to grab a 4 - 0 lead in the
XXXIst America's Cup Match.
For
Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts, his 13th consecutive
America's Cup win puts his team on match point in
the XXXIst America's Cup Match. Coutts is now just
one victory away from capturing his third consecutive
America's Cup, and breaking Dennis Conner's record
for America's Cup race victories.
Under
the Match Conditions for the America's Cup, Team
New Zealand cannot ask for a lay day to effect repairs.
"We'll
swap masts with NZL-81, that's a very nice rig,
and we'll be ready to race tomorrow," Schnackenberg
promised.
Race
Five is scheduled to start at 13:15 on Saturday
afternoon.
31ST
AMERICA'S CUP MATCH
Alinghi
(SUI-64) wins, Team New Zealand (NZL-82) retires
Alinghi leads Team New Zealand in the best-of-nine
series, 4 - 0.
Team
New Zealand was slightly late entering the start
box on the starboard end. Both yachts sailed deep
into the box, neither one wanting to engage, and
then going for a time and distance run into the
line.
Russell
Coutts, at the helm of Alinghi, hit the line exactly
at the gun, with Team New Zealand about half a boatlength
behind and to windward.
From
then on, Team New Zealand was playing catch-up all
the time, rounding the first windward mark 8 seconds
behind and the first leeward mark 17 seconds in
arrears.
First
signs of drama came on the downwind run as Team
New Zealand, driving through the quarter wave of
Alinghi, took a lot of water over the bow and down
the forward hatch.
For
most of the second beat, Team New Zealand appeared
to struggle to control its sailplan, with much of
its mainsail backwinding, on a heavily pre-bent
mast.
With
a squall crossing the course and winds of up to
26 knots up the second beat, Team New Zealand ploughed
into three large waves. As the bow buried into the
third wave, the rig broke just above the first spreader
and the crew went from racing mode to survival mode.
For
the second time in this Match, Alinghi were left
to sail around the course on its own, taking their
score to 4-0 and needing just one more win to take
the America's Cup to Switzerland.
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