18th February, 2003
MORNING BRIEFING:
AMERICA’S CUP MATCH – RACE DAY THREE

Team New Zealand showed how good it can be in Race Two, snatching the lead from Alinghi and protecting well for most of the race, but it still wasn’t enough to win as the Swiss made a late charge to build a 2 – 0 series lead.

TNZ skipper Dean Barker will have to rally his troops after the disappointing seven-second loss while Alinghi boss Russell Coutts can relish his 11th consecutive America’s Cup Match win.

The forecast is for tougher conditions, and reliability may be a factor again, as it was in the heavy loads of Race One.

Coutts can really nail down the series with a win today while Barker is in all but a must-win situation. Race Three is scheduled to start at 13:15.

PAIRINGS FOR THE DAY:

Race 1 - Course Location approx: 36 43.5 174 47.2
13:15

UMPIRE ASSIGNMENTS: Chief Umpire: Bryan Willis (GBR)

WEATHER FORECAST:

For Tuesday 18th February at 13:00 – General Synopsis: High-pressure (1028 mb) lying 500 miles SE of Auckland clearing to the east. Southern Ocean low-pressure system (995 mb) positioned 200 miles south of Fiordland moving SE. Active cold front lying NW/SE 150 miles west of North Island tracking east to bring rain later in the day. Warm NW gradient winds are forecast to bring increasing cloud throughout the day.

Winds: NNW 13 – 17 knots gusting to 19 knots.

Building cloud and showers throughout the day, with longer periods of rain later. Air temperatures 19 - 21C. Seas slight to moderate.

Outlook for Thursday: WNW to WSW 18 – 25 knots.

CREW LISTS