Team NZ chasing common goal 

Source: PhotosportTeam New Zealand tackle some big seas

Louis Vuitton Day 2:

The commute to work on the Promenade des Anglais is normally a brisk bike ride along the seafront. Not today.

About ten thousand runners blocked the route as they prepared for the annual marathon from Nice to Cannes. They'd have struggled to work up a sweat. At 0700 hrs it was only six or seven degrees but at least the rain had stopped. Evidence of a number of downpours overnight was evident on the pavements and in the mountains behind the city. Out on the race track later in the morning we could see the Alps covered in fresh snow which could be clearly felt in the cold breeze blowing off the land for the first race.

Emirates Team New Zealand had been out early for a little parade of sail in front of the marathon, giving the citizens of Nice a choice of sporting sights to enjoy on land and sea. The early start did the Kiwis no harm in their match against the new "All4One" syndicate which is a combination of America's Cup talent from France and Germany. Once again the ETNZ afterguard picked the best side and once again they led off the line leaving the opposition in their wake.

"All4One" is an interesting concept. The swashbuckling name is of course drawn from "The Three Musketeers", while its format leans more towards modern marketing jargon than classic literature.

"All" represents the idea of team. "4" refers to the four elements of the team's "positioning" - inspiration, innovation, performance and respect.

And "One" is the one common objective - becoming number one.

Fine words and a fine target. But it's a long way off.

The team that gives a new meaning to entente cordiale certainly has the talent. From the German side comes skipper and strategist Jochen Schuman, three times an Olympic Gold medalist and twice a winner of the America's Cup with Alinghi.

The top French talent is helmsman Sebastien Col, a former World No.1 on the match racing circuit who drove the French K-Challenge yacht at the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland after driving the Areva Challenge in Valencia.

Also in the mix as tactician, the much-travelled Kiwi sailor John Cutler, a veteran of five America's Cup campaigns and an Olympic bronze medalist in the Finn class.

But the stellar cast was not exactly glittering today. Trailing the Kiwis off the start line was bad enough and then at the bottom gate the Europeans' mainsail sagged onto the boom as the main halyard failed. Attempts to repair it quickly failed and "All4One" retired.

All up it was a grim day for the French with Bertrand Pace's French Spirit soundly thrashed by the Artemis team from Sweden. The prime Nordic connection on Artemis is owner Tobjorn Tornqvist, bank-roller of the campaign which features a wealth of America's Cup talent and experience. Paul Cayard is skipper, Terry Hutchinson drives and former ETNZ campaigner Kevin Hall is navigator.

There's the usual bunch of Kiwis including Craig Monk and Jared Henderson and when it gells this should be a powerful outfit. Certainly they were too much for the French. After a bit of feisty dueling in the box both were early for the start but while Artemis managed to shed enough speed the French failed and crossed early. By the time they return it was all over.