An electric atmosphere
The atmosphere on Barcelona's quayside on Tuesday, September 3 was charged. The weather forecast was for 8-15 knots, with a high risk of thunderstorms. The first match of the day pitted France, credited with just one point, against the last-placed Swiss.
Both teams are playing for a place in the semi-finals, and one of them will be eliminated at the end of the week. It was in the rain that the two foilers began their start procedure for a round that will weigh heavily on the rankings.
The Swiss regain confidence
Since the start of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the Alinghi team has been experiencing a number of problems: a lack of speed, technical problems and a lagging strategy.
So it was with a vengeance that they tackled this round against the French. The Swiss got off to a great start and took the lead on the first upwind leg. They tacked ahead of Quentin Delapierre's crew, who found themselves downwind of the Swiss.
It was at this point that a technical problem seemed to force them to go for broke. The gap between the two AC75s widened, until the French foiler landed and fell seriously behind.
It took the French almost a minute to restart. The Swiss complete their course without pressure, with a lead of over 1000m, and finally win their first point. A fine victory for Alinghi, who gain a precious point that should give them renewed hope of reaching the semi-finals.
The two favorites under the lightning
Under increasingly threatening skies, Luna Rossa and the New Zealand Defender battled it out in a heat in which points do not count towards the final standings. Luna Rossa quickly took the lead, never relinquishing it and demonstrating its ease in these highly unpredictable conditions.
The end of the race was marked by lightning strikes. After the Italian victory, the committee decided to cancel the last two races of the day.
