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OneWorld, Prada 3-0
AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- U.S. team OneWorld and Italians Prada have continued their winning streak, taking their third successive victories in the Louis Vuitton Cup quarterfinal repechage. The wins force their opponents, Sweden's Victory and Team Dennis Conner, to win the next four races to stay in the competition to find a challenger for the America's Cup against Team New Zealand in February. The winners of the best-of-seven repechage will join Swiss team Alinghi and Oracle BMW Racing in the semifinals. Racing on Thursday was delayed by about three hours due to a lack of wind, but reached 12 to 15 knots before the deadline of 4pm local time for racing to begin. Stars & Stripes helmsman Ken Read lost the advantage when he hesitated at the start line, believing his boat was about to cross the line prematurely and incur a penalty.
OneWorld surged ahead but was forced to tack 20 times in a fierce duel as Stars & Stripes tried to fight back. OneWorld built on that early lead the rest of the way around the race course to earn a strong win by 1 minute 2 seconds. Prada had a harder time defeating Victory Challenge who was leading for the early part of the race. The Swedish team led around the top mark and carried that advantage down the first run. But nearing the bottom of the course, under immense pressure from Prada, the Swedes broke their spinnaker pole, dropped the sail in the water, and picked up a penalty. Prada won by 51 seconds. "We fought a good battle downwind when we attacked our competitors, we passed them and put them in a vulnerable position, forcing them into a penalty," Prada skipper Francesco de Angelis said. Victory helmsman Jesper Bank said his crew were very disappointed by the loss. "I think we've got a package that, boat-on-boat, can match Prada and then it comes down to the people handling the equipment," Bank, a double Olympic gold medallist, said. Team Dennis Conner and Prada have lodged protests with the Cup authorities accusing OneWorld of possessing and using boat design secrets taken from other teams. They want the Seattle-based syndicate disqualified from the regatta. OneWorld has strongly denied any wrongdoing.
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