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Team New Zealand - Source: Photosport -
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Team New Zealand secured first blood in the final of the Louis
Vuitton Trophy yachting regatta, winning the opening race of their
best-of-five showdown with Italians Mascalzone Latino by 12sec on
Saturday.
Having earlier secured the decisive third and final race of their
semifinal match against another Italian boat, Azzurra, by 27sec,
skipper Dean Barker's crew completed a superb penultimate day of
the regatta with a clinical victory to begin the final. They need
two more wins on Sunday when a maximum of four races will
be completed.
Barker controlled the pre-start well, helping Team NZ to a
one-length lead off the start line after forcing opposition skipper
and compatriot Gavin Brady to circle back from the committee boat
end.
Team NZ tactician Ray Davies said the start was pleasing in the
flukey 10-12 knots of breeze.
"We had a very good pre-start, and basically the plan was to
protect the right hand side of the course and sail to our own
beat," Davies told TVNZ.
"We got initial control but it was one of those days where it was
pretty hard to have standard match race cover, tack for
tack."
The hosts were up by 12 seconds at the first mark but ceded the
lead narrowly on the first downwind run.
The Italians headed right and New Zealand tacked left early in the
third leg and Davies said his crew were delighted to find superior
upwind conditions.
"We always saw more pressure on the left and when he (Brady) didn't
come with us quite soon after, we felt better and better about it.
We got a good lift on that side of the course and took
control."
New Zealand protected their lead better on the final downwind leg
to hold on for a relatively comfortable win.
Earlier, Team NZ and Azzurra began the day tied at 1-1 after the
host crew had won race two by a mere 2sec late Friday to stay
alive.
Mascalzone beat Sweden's Artemis 2-1 yesterday in their
semifinal.
