Le plan Farr s’est montré à la hauteur du bateau suisse...

Photo : F.Socha / www.francksocha.com

But, the San Francisco-based team picked up two penalties in the race and eventually trailed the Swiss boat across the finish line by 61 seconds to post a 3-0 score in the best-of-nine series.

Encouraging for the Oracle BMW Racing team was that the distinct speed Alinghi had shown in the choppy water of the first two races was not evident in the flat water conditions today.

Racing took place in 10-12 knot northerlies, which settled in after a two-and-a-half hour wait for breeze. The strategy on USA-76, skippered by Chris Dickson, was to keep it close and wait for the downwind legs to force the action. The first three mark roundings saw USA-76 trail by never more than 13 seconds, providing a launching pad for an aggressive downwind attack on the second run.

The action was fast and furious as the two yachts engaged in attack and counter attack, with the umpires kept busy coping with aggressive luffing from both crews. The umpires flew 10 green flags, but eventually USA-76 emerged carrying a Rule 17 penalty (sailing above proper course) after hitting the transom of the Swiss Alinghi yacht.

Everything now depended on the American crew being able to build enough of a lead to complete their 270 degree penalty in time to retain their lead over the finish line. At the line, they threw the boat into the penalty turn, but copped a second penalty when they hit the pin end of the line as Alinghi swept past to take the victory gun.

• ALINGHI (SUI-64) BEAT USA-76 - DELTA 01:01
 Alinghi leads best-of-nine finals over Oracle BMW Racing by 3-0

Skipper Chris Dickson and his Oracle BMW Racing crew came in to the pre-start on the favoured starboard tack, but Alinghi’s Russell Coutts pulled off a masterful start, positioned upwind of USA-76, with pace, on the favoured right hand side.

For the first time in the Louis Vuitton Cup Final, Oracle BMW skipper Chris Dickson didn’t take the helm after the start gun, allowing Peter Holmberg to drive the first weather leg. Although Coutts converted his impressive start into a controlling position, USA-76 kept it close and rounded the top mark just 8-seconds back.

Holmberg immediately ratcheted up the pressure by diving down around the mark and setting up slightly lower and inside Alinghi. Both crews can be commended on beautiful sets under pressure conditions and the boats started speeding downwind just a few metres apart. A poor spinnaker drop on USA-76 gave Alinghi a bit more breathing space at the mark-rounding. Early in the second beat, the Swiss enjoyed a solid two length lead after being overlapped just a couple of minutes before.

Alinghi maintained a lead of 12-seconds around the second top mark with USA-76 chasing hard a couple of lengths behind. After the first gybe, Oracle BMW set up nicely to windward and started to roll over Alinghi. Coutts luffed, and Holmberg responded, but the American boat was eventually able to break through to weather and make the pass. A flurry of Y-flag protests followed, with Dickson claiming Alinghi was sailing above its proper course, but found no sympathy from the umpires.

When Alinghi eventually gybed, Oracle BMW gybed to leeward, and, now holding luffing rights, immediately attacked the Swiss boat. The action was extremely close and Dickson and Holmberg made at least two very strong attacks with Alinghi desperately avoiding contact. No penalties were awarded with Alinghi going on to break the overlap. The frustration on the American boat was evident and Holmberg and Dickson attacked one last time, the bow on USA-76 coming up and hitting the stern scoop on Alinghi. The umpires penalised Oracle BMW for violating Rule 17 (sailing above their proper course).

Dickson and Holmberg recovered from that to sail Alinghi out to the starboard gybe layline before gybing inside and rounding ahead to make the pass, albeit at the cost of a penalty. USA-76 led Alinghi around a mark for the first time in this series, with Alinghi 8-seconds behind.

On the final beat, needing to earn enough room to off load the penalty, Oracle BMW Racing made a nice little gain on the left side early in the beat, and covered well to stretch away a few crucial boatlengths. USA-76 made two fewer tacks than Alinghi, and that also added precious seconds to what would be a 28-second lead around the final weather mark.

The final run was an incredible test for both boats, with Alinghi trying to close up enough to make a penalty turn impossible for their opponents. "This is all about velocity, sailing our boat," skipper Chris Dickson told his crew at the start of the leg.

While the Oracle BMW crew strained for every metre it could find, Alinghi, benefiting from stronger wind behind, followed on its trail. As the finish line approached, the Swiss crew was able to claw in a few more metres to put more pressure on the American crew.

At the finish line, the jib went up and the gennaker came down cleanly. Holmberg spun the boat around the pin end of the finish line, and with Alinghi charging down under full sail, USA-76 initially looked as though it might just make it. But after tacking, and needing to bear away to cross the finish line the boat stalled out and Alinghi swept past to take the gun. Meanwhile, Oracle BMW drifted onto the buoy marking the pin end of the line and copped another penalty for hitting the mark.

The end result, a 1:01 win to Alinghi and a 3 - 0 lead in the series.

... Mais Alinghi s’est à nouveau imposé pour mener par 3 victoires à 0 !

Photo : F.Socha / www.francksocha.com

ORACLE BMW Racing goes 3-0 down after tense and close race

Auckland/Munich. After a delay of two and a half-hours waiting for the wind to fill, race three of the Louis Vuitton Cup Finals got underway in 12 knots of breeze and smooth water. From the start the action was tight with ORACLE BMW Racing holding the leeward position before initiating a tight tacking duel up to mark 1. The Swiss challenge, Alinghi, led by just 8 seconds at the top mark and the stage was set for a battle royal on the downwind leg. After a tack-set, ORACLE BMW Racing attacked, sailing lower initially and then attempting to roll over Alinghi after both boats had gybed. USA-76 showed good downwind speed and kept the racing tight. A dummy-gybe by Alinghi allowed the two sailboats to separate before the first leeward mark where SUI-64 held a 13 second lead. On the second upwind leg ORACLE BMW Racing, skippered by Chris Dickson, closed down the gap after a classic tacking duel. By mark 4 the official delta was 12 seconds. Heading off downwind, ORACLE BMW Racing again attacked hard, this time managing to sail over the top of Alinghi as the Swiss defended out towards the starboard layline. With ’proper course’ called, both boats gybed onto port. After a series of luffs, Alinghi managed to break clear of USA-76’s overlap but not enough to gybe. However USA-76 incurred a penalty as the two boats came together bow to transom and the on-water judges ruled in the favour of SUI-64. The result was that USA-76 would be forced to execute a 270-degree turn before the finish of the race. As both boats gybed back for the final leeward mark rounding, ORACLE BMW Racing seized an 8-second lead. On the last windward leg, USA-76 extended that lead further having accurately predicted the shifting breeze and showed good upwind pace. Rounding the final mark with a 29-second lead, the race was on to extend far enough into the lead to exonerate the penalty incurred on leg four. As USA-76 crossed the finish line they began circling the mark. It was a tight call that unfortunately didn’t work as the distance between the two sailboats was not enough, and Alinghi crossed the finish line to take the gun. The final official delta was 1 minute and 1 second after USA-76 scraped the finishing buoy on their turn and was forced to do another. ORACLE BMW Racing is now 3-0 down in this best of nine series to decide who advances to face Team New Zealand in the America’s Cup America's Cup #AmericasCup match XXXI.

 Skipper, Chris Dickson : "We showed today that USA-76 has the speed to challenge the Swiss. The crew work today was excellent, but that penalty on the downwind leg cost us the race. Congratulations to Alinghi on leading 3-0, but we are looking forward to tomorrow."

Source Oracle BMW Racing