NZ leads after Day 1 of BMW Sailing Cup World Final 2010

10:23 AM Mon 22 Mar 2010 GMT

'Racing on Day 1 of the 2010 BMW World Cup'

The opening day of the BMW Sailing Cup World Final 2010 saw the seven competing teams complete four windward-leeward fleet races, with the local Team New Zealand crew holding a 3pt lead over Team Italy.

Racing on the Waitemata Harbour in Auckland, New Zealand took place in brisk northwesterly winds of 15-17 knots.

After a morning practice session, the racing got away on time at 1pm and the crews were put through their paces in testing conditions.

The New Zealand crew might have the advantage of local knowledge both of the waters where they are racing and the fleet of identical Farr MRX 10m yachts they are sailing, but they did not have an easy day against a very competitive fleet.

In the four opening races, Spain, Italy, Portugal and New Zealand all celebrated wins. Team New Zealand was always consistent, however, scoring two second place finishes and a third along with its top place in the final race of the day.

Racing on Day 1 of the 2010 BMW World Cup -

'The standard of racing is very good at the front end of the fleet,' said Team New Zealand skipper, Phil Robertson. 'All the teams are mixing it up well. We felt our upwind speed was not that good at the start of the day, but we got that right towards the end.'

Team Italy skipper, Jacopo Pasini, said his crew found it tricky getting used to the MRX yachts, which are regularly used for international match race events. 'We trained a little before the racing began, but we were still learning while we were racing,' said the skipper who comes from Ravenna in the north of Italy.

'The conditions were not easy, but I have a good team. We have sailed together for a long time. We are happy with the way we went today.'

Race Director Russell Green said the conditions for racing were excellent. 'I was impressed at how quickly most of the fleet got to grips with the boats,' he said. 'The boat handling was good.

'The standard of racing is very high at the top end of the fleet. It is certainly competitive racing out there.'

Racing on Day 1 of the 2010 BMW World Cup -

The standings at the end of Race Day One were:
1 Team New Zealand (2/2/3/1)
2 Team Italy (3/1/5/2)
3 Team Portugal (5/3/1/3)
4 Team Spain (1/7/2/5)
5 Team Malta (4/4/6/4)
6 Team Germany (6/5/4/7)
7 Team Hong Kong (7/6/7/6)

Background Information:

. The BMW Sailing Cup World Final is being held in New Zealand for the first time ever. Crews from New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Malta, Portugal, Spain and Hong Kong are contesting the 2010 BMW Sailing Cup World Final which is the climax of the Auckland Festival of Sailing.

. The BMW Sailing Cup is the largest, and considered the most prestigious, amateur international title for keelboat sailors.

. Amateur crews compete in national regattas in their home countries to progress to the World Finals.

. The inaugural event was raced in association with the 2007 America's Cup regatta in Valencia.

. In 2009, the New Zealand crew of 'Triple 8' won the 2009 BMW Sailing Cup World Final at Lake Garda in Italy, beating the Italian team.

by Event Media