First heat, first French victory!
Scheduled since the end of July, the regatta calendar included a first confrontation between Team Orient Express and Alinghi Red Bull Racing. After disappointing preliminary races, the two outsider crews were keen to demonstrate their potential.
And the French did not disappoint the spectators in this first race. The crew, led by Quentin Delapierre, got off to a flying start, taking the lead from the very first beat, and never letting up.
Leading by 27 seconds at the first windward mark, Team Orient Express extended its advantage, despite the attacks from the Swiss, who had better downwind speed.
Widening the gap to 46 seconds at the 2 e passing a windward marker, the French are at ease and have a good feel for the water in this asthmatic breeze.
But on the last tack, a technical problem almost deprived the French of this first victory. Thanks to the energy of the power sailors, the race was won in spite of everything. The opposite would have been unfair after leading this first Louis Vuitton Cup race from start to finish.
TNZ confirms its superiority over the Italians
Already opponents in the final of the preliminary regattas, the Italians were keen to beat the Defender, even though points don't count when the Defender is entered in the Louis Vuitton Cup.
After a good start, the Italians lost the lead on a tack that was negotiated too early, and never managed to catch up with the Kiwis.
Patriot scotched at the start
The third race of the day got off to a very poor start for the American crew. Deprived of flight after a soft patch, the American challenge lamentably crossed the line too early in archimedean mode, before returning to "fly" mode, and catching up with its British adversary. Despite this huge blunder, the Americans came back strong, proving that the Patriot has great speed potential, provided it flies. Victory for the British.
Luna Rossa wins its first point against the French
Quentin Delapierre got off to an excellent start against the big favourites, just a few lengths ahead of the Italians. Jimmy Spithill, two-time winner of the America's Cup, managed to push the French to the left of the race course, in a windless zone. Benefiting from better speed, Luna Rossa passed the Frenchies on the first tack, and rapidly took a 250m lead in the first two minutes of racing. Marking their opponents, and leaving no chance for their rivals, the Italian challenge ended the race with a comfortable lead.
Crane accident for the Defender
This first day of racing was marked by an unfortunate accident for the Defender. Just as they were about to rig their AC 75, the New Zealand challenge suffered a crane problem, and their foiler fell heavily onto the cradle, crushing the front runner. There's no doubt that such a shock had consequences, as the Kiwis gave up at the very least racing on the 2 e day of the Louis Vuitton Cup, which they were to race against the French. A busy night ahead for the title-winning technical team...
