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Team New Zealand - Source: Photosport -
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Team New Zealand has eased through to the semi-finals of the
Louis Vuitton Trophy with a hard-earned 15-second win over Synergy
as the yachting regatta in Auckland neared the business end of
competition on Wednesday.
New Zealand, as top qualifier from eight days of round robin
competition, sailed off against eighth-placed Synergy
(Russia) and the win means the Dean Barker-led Team New
Zealand go directly through to the semifinals on Friday.
After delays earlier in the day with wind readings well over 20
knots, the New Zealand-Synergy match got under in breezes around
18-22 knots, with the New Zealand boat taking early control off the
start even as Synergy snatched the right of the course in the last
seconds of the pre-start.
"The right was very strong and at the first cross which was almost
right on the lay line we couldn't make a lee-bow tack stick and we
followed the close into the mark," Barker said afterwards.
"The good thing for us is that we kept the pressure right on them,
waiting for an opportunity. Their hoist was bad and we slid around
them.
"We kept a cover on and the boys did a great job to defend hard
right to the end."
The No 2 qualifier, Italian yacht Mascalzone Latino, sailed off
against seventh-placed Aleph (France) and crossed the line first by
nearly a minute to go straight into the other semifinal. Synergy
and Aleph now drop out of the trophy.
Morgan Larson, the Mascalzone Latino tactician, said the crew had
shown real improvement since the regatta began.
"The reality is, this is only our eighth race together as a team.
There's not much time till we face the real good teams. Fortunately
we will debrief tomorrow, watch the racing," he said.
"Actually a race tomorrow would be an advantage because we're only
getting better. But that's okay, we'll take the day off."
All4One (Germany-France), Azzurra (Italy), Artemis (Sweden) and
Team Origin (Britain) race on Thursday in the elimination
semifinal that will decide the opposition for New Zealand and
Italy.
All4One, as the next top qualifier, have selected Azzurra as their
opposition, leaving Artemis to race Team Origin. The first
team to win two races advances to the semi-finals.
