Surprises in light conditions at Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena
By the Louis Vuitton Trophy Media Team. |
| May 22, 2010. |
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| The savage gusts and rolling waves of last week’s mistral were a distant memory today as just two races were sailed in light and benign conditions at the opening day of the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena. |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Italy, May 22 until June 6, 2010. The
pre-race Skippers Meeting.
Photo © Paul Todd / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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| Unforced errors bedevilled both races. Spinnaker problems aboard Great Britain’s TEAMORIGIN led to a victory for France’s ALEPH Sailing Team, while Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi won after Italy’s Azzurra never recovered from a penalty awarded for early entry into the starting box. |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Sardegna. Frist day of racing as the
TeamOrigin crew gets ready for the dockout.
Photo © Bob Grieser / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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Conditions were promising as the boats docked out from the Porto Arsenale this morning under cloudless skies. The forecast called for the light northerly to build to seven to ten knots.
There were plans for three flights with two races in each flight, and provision for a fourth flight if everything went to schedule. However the wind was slow to arrive and racing was delayed for 75 minutes. |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Italy, May 22 until June 6, 2010.
Race Day 1. TeamOrigin and ALEPH.
Photo © Bob Grieser / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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Race One: ALEPH Sailing Team def TEAMORIGIN by 01:06.
Britain’s TEAMORIGIN exploited their right-hand entry in a light northerly and the French boat ALEPH split off to the left at the gun. Bertrand Pacé at the wheel of ALEPH had a meager lead the first two times they met, but Ben Ainslie had the starboard advantage and forced the French away.
TEAMORIGIN’S lead was 14 seconds at the top mark. Halfway down the run, a disastrous gybe in light airs wrapped the British kite in a baulky figure-eight that led to a very untidy firedrill. Ainslie revealed later that the fault lay in errors hooking up the sheets. |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Italy, May 22 until June 6, 2010.
Race Day 1. TeamOrigin and ALEPH.
Photo © Paul Todd / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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ALEPH enjoyed a five boat-length lead at the leeward mark. The race was theirs’, although tempered by some anxious moments closing the finish as they sailed into light air and conceded some ground.
"It might not be a symbolic victory, but it is a valuable point! We are happy to take it," said Pacé.
"TEAMORIGIN made a better choice on the start. We wanted the left and we had it; they wanted the right and they also had it. Then at the first crossing we were lacking ten meters to cross in front of them. We were still behind at the upwind mark. Luckily for us, they made a big mistake when gybing and we took over the lead rather easily." |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Italy, May 22 until June 6, 2010.
Race Day 1. TeamOrigin wraps its gennaker during a gybe.
Photo © Paul Todd / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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| Ainslie said: "It was pretty frustrating, we were in a nice little spot. But one of those classics: one little mistake which led to a couple more mistakes which led to a race-losing mistake. We had an issue with the spinnaker sheets being led outside when, with it being very light, they should have been led inside. It was a mistake of how it was set up." |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Sardegna, Italy,
May 22nd until June 6th 2010. Race
Day 1.
Photo © Paul Todd / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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Race Two: Mascalzone Latino Audi def Azzurra by 02:27.
It was billed as a top race of the day between rival Italian teams with strong ties to the region. Mascalzone Latino, the host team in a duel with Azzurra, racing under the colors of Sardinia’s Yacht Club Costa Smerelda.
Expectations of a battle royale dimmed at the five-minute gun when Azzurra was penalized for early entry to the start box. Azzurra’s Francesco Bruni kept the pressure on, gaining on some shifts and losing in others but then faced the ignominy of a slow finish. His boat remained stuck in a windless patch as Mascalzone Latino’s Gavin Brady sailed away to a 2:27 lead. Azzurra never completed her penalty turn. |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Sardegna, Italy,
May 22nd until June 6th 2010. First day of racing for
the teams but only two races finished before the wind shut down. Mascalzone Latino Audi Team verses Azurra.
Photo © Bob Grieser / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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| Bruni said: "We were relying too much on the instruments as we approached the start box and so we paid the price for believing in electronics rather than ourselves. So we were given a penalty. After that my mind went blank for the next five minutes and we should have got a much better start than we did. For that, I have to take all the blame. However at one point we believed we scored a penalty against Mascalzone Latino, but unfortunately the umpire did not agree. So no penalty!" |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Sardegna. First day of racing for the
teams but only two races finished before the wind shut down. Mascalzone
Latino Audi Team against Azzurera. Mascalzone heads into the weather
mark and begins to raise the spinnaker.
Photo © Bob Grieser / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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| Brady said: "Azzurra is a very dangerous team to sail against in light air. They proved that in Nice last year. They are very good in those conditions. What I liked about today was that our team kept their composure when things were really tricky and we had to make some big decisions." |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Sardegna. First day of racing for
the teams but only two races finished before the wind shut down.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team against Azzurera. Mascalzone won the
race.
Photo © Bob Grieser / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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The two flights not raced today will be pushed back to allow tomorrow’s matches to remain on the original schedule. They
are:
Flight 4
All4One v Azzurra
Aleph v BMW Oracle Racing
Flight 5
Luna Rossa v Mascalzone Latino Audi Team
Team Origin v Artemis
Flight 6
Emirates Team New Zealand v Aleph
Azzurra v Synergy |
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Louis Vuitton Trophy, La Maddalena, Sardegna. First day of racing for
the teams but only two races finished before the wind shut down.
Mascalzone Latino Audi Team against Azzurera. Mascalzone gybes in
front of Azzurra to head for the finish.
Photo © Bob Grieser / Louis Vuitton Trophy / outsideimages.co.nz.
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| Live streaming web coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena is available on the event website at: http://www.louisvuittontrophy.com. The official site (in English, French, Italian and Russian) is also rich in team content, as well as features, audio, video and images. |
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| Outimage and Louis Vuitton Trophy © 2010 |
