Emirates Team New Zealand wins the Louis Vuitton Trophy Regatta Auckland

6 - 21 March 2010, World Sailing Teams Association, By Warren Douglas
Emirates Team New Zealand has won the final of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta with an emphatic 56 sec win over Mascalzone Latino this afternoon - Warren Douglas
With the win, Emirates Team New Zealand went 2 – up in the best-of-three final.
Barker and his afterguard wanted the right at the start – Mascalzone Latino wanted the left. Both got their wish and ETNZ was fast off the line.
Neither team had a clear advantage into the beat, a left shift favouring Mascalzone Latino at first and then tactician Ray Davies got the shift in the right that strategist Adam Beashel was calling from his vantage point up the mast.

ETNZ got back into the lead....

As Dean Barker said after the race: “For a while the shift looked like it was going to be too late.” But when it arrived, ETNZ got back into the lead and extended.  At the first cross, they were ahead and looking strong.
Mascalzone Latino followed into the mark, but there were only 8 seconds in it. Rounding ETNZ gybed into a left-hand shift and Mascalzone Latino continued on.
Barker benefited mightily and extended all the way to the finish.  The margins:  21 sec at the second mark, 38 sec at the third and 56sec at the finish.

PROVISIONAL FINAL RANKING
EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND 1
MASCALZONE LATINO AUDI TEAM 2
AZZURRA 3
ARTEMIS 4
ALL4ONE 5
TEAMORIGIN 6
ALEPH SAILING TEAM 7
SYNERGY RUSSIAN SAILING TEAM 8

Special thanks to all the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squdaron Race Committee & Volunteers - what a fantastic event!

LIVE Sport Sailing 103.0 FM has featured all-day live coverage of the Louis Vuitton Trophy!  Thanks LIVESPORT!!!

For more images & further information please visit the event website www.louisvuittontrophy.com

Close racing at the LV Trophy Regatta Auckland Photo: Chris Cameron

Another close start for ETNZ Photo: Chris Cameron