Day 2 Semi Final and Knockout rounds recaps
Three matches and three exciting finishes for Synergy and Emirates Team New Zealand as the Russians even the match at 1-1
Semi Final Pair A
R1: Emirates Team New Zealand d. Synergy Russia Sailing Team – Delta: 20 seconds
Emirates Team New Zealand has been the strongest team at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur. Synergy Russia Sailing Team has been the most surprising. Those forces collided in the best match of the regatta, with Team New Zealand winning a hard fought match that was much closer than the delta indicates.
This match featured three lead changes and the Kiwis won it by getting the lead in the last quarter of the run to the finish. Synergy led at the first windward mark and leeward gate. Team New Zealand overtook on the second upwind leg by being to the left in a left-hand shift. Synergy was 15 seconds behind at the second windward mark when it gybe-set to starboard. Team New Zealand covered but Synergy was in a heading puff and rolled over the top and back into the lead.
The Kiwis gybed away to port and when the two boats converged again in a port-starboard situation, Synergy had to gybe to port to avoid fouling the Kiwis. The Synergy crew couldn’t quite pull off a clean gybe, and Team New Zealand luffed. Synergy had to press up hard on starboard to keep clear as windward yacht, and Team New Zealand bore away to a controlling leeward position. The crews had one last gybe to port, but Team New Zealand had control and scored the win.
Team New Zealand leads the best-of-three match 1-0.
R2: Synergy Russia Sailing Team d. Emirates Team New Zealand – Delta: 50 seconds
While it may not seem it on paper, this pair is incredibly even on the water. They’ve now completed three races and all have been decided within sight of the finish line. Synergy evened the match at 1-1 with a win on the finish line while Team New Zealand was stuck trying to complete a penalty turn.
Team New Zealand was penalised in the pre-start for jibing too close. The Kiwis led this match around the course, but couldn’t pull far enough ahead to complete the 270-degree penalty turn and clear the finish line in the lead. The two crews raised their genoas and lowered the spinnakers as they got into the final quarter of the run to the finish. The pair wound up outside the committee boat end and to leeward as Team New Zealand was looking for an opportunity to complete its penalty or offset it on the Russian crew. But Synergy stayed clear through all the manoeuvring. In fact, Team New Zealand was assessed a second penalty for causing a collision.
Semi Final Match B
R2: TeamOrigin d. Azzurra – Delta: 2:29
TeamOrigin evened its semi final match against Azzurra at 1-1 with a dominating performance. British skipper Ben Ainslie cleaned out Azzurra at the start, pushing the Italians over the line early at the boat end and gaining two penalties on them. Azzurra had to circle around the committee boat end to re-start and then had to perform one 270-degree penalty turn after entering the racecourse. By that time TeamOrigin was upwards of 10 boatlengths ahead. TeamOrigin led by 59 seconds at the first mark and never was threatened the rest of the way.
Knockout Pair A
BMW Oracle Racing d. TFS – PagesJaunes – Delta: 1:06
BMW Oracle Racing won this match in the pre-start. Entering on the favoured starboard tack, helmsman Gavin Brady dialled-up his counterpart on TFS – PagesJaunes, Bertrand Pace, and held him head-to-win for nearly the entire 5-minute period. With about 30 seconds to go and both boats well over the start line, Brady was able to spin his bow behind TFS and head back to the line. Brady got below the start line before the gun and had a clean start while Pace was left one length to windward of the line. It was a full 30 seconds before Pace was able to get behind the line and start properly. BMW Oracle Racing led by 55 seconds at the first windward mark and was never really threatened.
BMW Oracle Racing advances to the match for 5th and 6th place against either the winner of Knockout Pair B, Artemis or All4One. TFS – PagesJaunes moves onto the match for 7th and 8th versus the loser of the pair B match.
Knockout Pair B
All4One d. Artemis – Delta: 27 seconds
All4One, the host team at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Nice Côte d’Azur, has advanced to the match for 5th and 6th place against BMW Oracle Racing after beating Artemis in their one race sail-off. All4One started on port tack at the boat end of the start line and took the right side of the racecourse. The two yachts slammed through the big seaway as they beat upwind on starboard tack, separated by a few lengths. All4One was to windward, however, and led by 7 seconds at the first mark. The combined French/German team extended that lead to 30 seconds at the leeward gate and then applied covering tactics on the rough conditions for the well-earned win.
The race committee hopes to sail the race for 5th and 6th this afternoon.
