Wind aplenty today. Racing started in 12 knots of westerly breeze and began building as racing progressed. The day started with a plan to sail five flights of two races each, weather permitting, but a start line collision between ALEPH Sailing Team and Azzurra, for which the French boat was disqualified, will limit racing today.
Artemis on Day Four at the 2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy
Flight Ten, Race One: Synergy Russian Sailing Team def Luna Rossa, 00:15 – Nice start by both boats. Karol Jablonski claimed the right as both boats came off the line together on starboard. Synergy was slightly bow forward and resisted any attempt by Ed Baird steering Luna Rossa to squeeze him off. Synergy split close to the port layline and the advantage went to Luna Rossa, which continued on before tacking onto port for the mark. At the weather mark, Jablonski came in on starboard and dialed down to force Baird away and lead by 16 seconds. The Russians controlled for the next three legs.
Race Day Four at the Louis Vuitton Trophy 2010
Flight Ten, Race Two: Artemis def BMW Oracle Racing, 00:16 – The start was owned by Terry Hutchinson driving the Swedish boat Artemis. After chasing James Spithill round the start box, Hutchinson led back for a perfect start, at the committee, with Spithill trailing astern by a boat length. Oracle short-tacked relentlessly all the way up the first leg but Artemis covered and rounded the top mark with a seven second margin. Oracle clung to their rival’s transom down the run and the leeward mark margin was still seven seconds. Artemis extended slightly through eight tacks on the next leg as the breeze freshened and gained on the run as Oracle split away in a final futile search for salvation.
Flight Eleven, Race One: TEAMORIGIN def All4One, 00:05 – All4One led to the line with a clean start, followed by TEAMORIGIN on his hip. Ben Ainslie steering the British boat quickly tacked away and Sébastien Col soon followed as the French/German axis eked out a 20-metre lead on a long port tack. When Ainslie eventually tacked onto starboard, Col responded with a lee-bow tack. Ainslie was able to survive on All4One’s hip and tacked again to lead into the mark overlapped before carrying their opponent far above the buoy. The British boat sailed out to a 150 metre lead which All4One chiselled down to 37 metres on the final run as the breeze freshened.
Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena Day Four of the race
Flight Eleven, Race Two: Azzurra def ALEPH Sailing Team, 00:00 – The Italian boat won after ALEPH was disqualified following a collision 36 seconds before the gun as both boats reached down the line towards the pin. Azzurra, leading, hardened up as ALEPH turned down to attempt a leeward hook. ALEPH struck the Italian boat’s starboard side about one metre from the transom. Both of the BMW Oracle boats suffered damage. USA 98 lost a portion of the bow USA 87’s stern was splintered. In addition to her black flag disqualification ALEPH will lose a penalty point and may face further sanctions.
Flight Twelve, Race One: Luna Rossa def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:13 – Ed Baird on Luna Rossa claimed the right at the start but it was Dean Barker who started at speed on the left after a hard luff that slowed the Italian boat. Luna Rossa initially found better air in the middle of the course and moved ahead and although the Kiwis hooked into a good shift it was never enough to put them in front. Baird carried them out beyond the port tack layline to round the top mark a boatlength in front. On the second beat the Kiwis again clawed back ground but Baird came across on starboard before the top mark to lock in the lead for the rest of the race.
