Louis Vuitton Trophy: Semi Finals produce surprises and tight racing

3:00 AM Fri 19 Mar 2010 GMT

'Startline incident Semi-Final 2 Artemis vs Mascalzone - Louis Vuitton Trophy' ARL Media Click Here to view large photo

With two races complete in the Semi-Finals of the Louis Vuitton Trophy, there has been plenty of action on the water and a few surprises.

The first match of the day was a pedestrian affair with Mascalzone Latino getting the jump at the start and lead all the way around the four leg course, set in the mouth of the Waitemata Harbour, with the Swedish Artemis trailing throughout and not able to make an impression on the Italian Challenger for the 34th America's Cup.

The second looked to be going the same way when Emirates Team New Zealand led off the startline and to leeward of Azzurra (ITA). However that turned inside out midway up the second leg, when Azzurra drew level and then split tacks into the northern shore to pick up more pressure and a better angle and a small deficit became a 135metre lead.

That margin was enough to wipe off a penalty the Italians had incurred at the windward mark, at the end of the first leg, when Emirates Team New Zealand lured them them into a luffing match, and Azzurra was caught as the windward yacht.

At the top if the course for the second time the Italians wipe off the penalty, with a well executed gybe, and came out with a 50 metre lead which remained more or less constant for the rest of the final leg.

In the third race of the day - delayed for a couple of hours while the course was reset, and moved down the coast to Takapuna Beach in the Rangitoto Channel - Mascalzone Latino, the winner of the first race, was forced over the startline, by the slimmest of margins by Artemis, and it was game over from there.

by Richard Gladwell