It's SHOW TIME

[Charlie Tuna]

After 3 years of prep and bullshit, it now comes down to brass tacks.

Preview show had video of one of the guys one Oracle fall off in practice manuvers!

[Dutch Rudder]

GREAT RACING! Looks like ETNZ does have the faster boat. Jimmy needs some help in the tactics division if they are gonna
hang on!

[Charlie Tuna]

ETNZ looking solid in race 2. Oracle has ordered more duct tape!

[Dutch Rudder]

Kiwis WIN! 2 down, 7 to go!

[Charlie Tuna]

Looking grim for the cheaters.

[Photoboy]

In what looked like a match race made in heaven, with tight mark roundings, tactical moves, and
crossings within inches of each other ceased with wind increase. Below 16 knots ETNZ and Oracle
Racing looked evenly matched, and lead changes happened again and again, but as the
thermals kicked in, and the pressure increase on the water, the pressure also increased with
Jimmy's team.

The delta at the end of races 1 was 36 seconds.





Pre game jitters, as it were seemed were evident on Oracle Racing as unceremoniously lost
a team member overboard while running from port to starboard, a second member nearly followed suit.

The team also suffered wing delamination at end of 1st race and an onboard discussion finally resulted in opting to
stay and race and not play their mulligan. The 2nd race, Barker and crew got a nice start and were able to reach the 1st mark
with a nice lead. With increasing pressure, the Kiwi boat just looked faster, and it was. The local team's body language showed
it's sudden realization of things slipping away. Now with 15 races possible, they must win 11. The Kiwis just 7.








The crowds were also out in force, enjoying the outstanding weather and crowding the beaches, piers
and water with the biggest numbers to date!









UPDATE: 1445 hours

Emirates Team New Zealand will return to its base this afternoon as a happy team. The Kiwis won both races of the opening day of the 34th America’s Cup versus ORACLE TEAM USA. The Kiwis won Race 1 by 36 seconds and followed it up with a 52-second win in Race 2.

34th America’s Cup Standings (first to 9 points wins)

Emirates Team New Zealand – 2
ORACLE TEAM USA – 0
Race 2 Performance Data

Course: 5 Legs/10.11 nautical miles
Elapsed Time: ETNZ – 22:46, OTUSA – 23:38
Delta: ETNZ +:52
Total distance sailed: ETNZ – 11.3 NM, OTUSA – 11.3 NM
Average Speed: ETNZ – 30.12 knots (35 mph), OTUSA – 28.92 knots (33 mph)
Top Speed: ETNZ – 46 knots (53 mph), OTUSA – 42.87 knots (49 mph)
Windspeed: Average – 16 knots, Peak – 21 knots
UPDATE: 1432 hours

Emirates Team New Zealand is having an easier go this race. The Kiwi crew leads by 46 at the windward gate, having added 39 seconds to its lead on the 3-mile beat. Before the race the ORACLE TEAM USA crew appeared worried about something with the wing sail. Could they be favoring the boat so the issue doesn’t become explosive?

UPDATE: 1422 hours

Emirates Team New Zealand fended off ORACLE TEAM USA on the first run and leads by 7 seconds at the leeward gate, beginning the 3-mile beat.

UPDATE: 1416 hours

Both crews were close to the start line and slow at the gun, but Emirates Team New Zealand was to windward and got up to speed a split second before ORACLE TEAM USA, which allows the Kiwis to lead at the first reach mark by 2 seconds. The wind is blowing around 17 knots from 250-255 degrees.

UPDATE: 1339 hours

Emirates Team New Zealand has won Race 1 of the 34th America’s Cup with a 36-second victory over ORACLE TEAM USA. The fantastic race saw the lead change hands two times and close boat-for-boat racing. Once the Kiwis regained the lead, they sped away from the defender and steadily increased their lead to the final delta, the largest of the race.

Race 1 Performance Data

Course: 5 Legs/9.71 nautical miles
Elapsed Time: ETNZ – 23:30, OTUSA – 24:06
Delta: ETNZ +:36
Total distance sailed: ETNZ – 11.7 NM, OTUSA – 11.4 NM
Average Speed: ETNZ – 30.07 knots (35 mph), OTUSA – 28.58 knots (33 mph)
Top Speed: ETNZ – 43.54 knots (50 mph), OTUSA – 42.51 knots (49 mph)
Windspeed: Average – 16 knots, Peak – 21 knots
UPDATE: 1332 hours

A fantastic windward leg saw the lead change hands two times and the Kiwi and ORACLE TEAM USA crews traded exhausting tacks. The Kiwis lost the lead and then regained and then stretched away to lead by 25 seconds at the windward gate, a gain of 21 seconds on the 3-mile leg.

UPDATE: 1320 hours

Although the Kiwis initially stretched their lead on the first run, ORACLE TEAM USA closed it up to within a length for most of the leg. Emirates Team New Zealand led by 4 seconds at the leeward gate in some amazingly close racing. ORACLE TEAM USA tried for a port-starboard protest in a close call, but the umpires green-flagged it.

UPDATE: 1317 hours

Emirates Team New Zealand took a familiar position on the start line, to windward of ORACLE TEAM USA, and led at the reach mark by 3 seconds. The Kiwis quickly extended that lead beginning the run to more than 150 meters.

UPDATE: 1255 hours

About 20 minutes from the start of Race 1, the wind is blowing around 16 knots from 241 degrees.

UPDATE: 1230 hours

The wind is blowing between 14 and 18 knots from 240 degrees.

Both ORACLE TEAM USA and Emirates Team New Zealand left their moorings at the America’s Cup Park with gennakers tacked to the bowsprits. The wind would seem stronger than what we believe is optimal for the giant headsails, in the 8- to 10-knot range, so the question is: What’s the top end windspeed for the gennakers or are the two crews trying to psyche each other out?

UPDATE: 1200 hours

Initial wind reports from the racecourse indicate a strength of 15 knots from 250 degrees. Race 1 is scheduled to start at 1315 and Race 2 at 1415.

[Charlie Tuna]

Kiwis win race 5, Oracle plays the wanker card!

Kiwis 4, Oracle -1

[Born 2 Sail]

Will Kostecki be on board Thursday?

[Nick Salvador]

Kostecki

It's a toss up...no StFYC Junior would have made today's mistake. They need a tactician with experience that knows a bit about multi hulls...like a quick call to Randy Smythe is in order. Kostecki is just gagging on this.

[3D]

It's a toss up...no StFYC Junior would have made today's mistake. They need a tactician with experience that knows a bit about multi hulls...like a quick call to Randy Smythe is in order. Kostecki is just gagging on this.

Hmmmmm....Randy is in town for the next couple of weeks too. He will be sailing in the Weta West Coast Championship At RYC on the 21st and 22nd. Perhaps Oracle will give him a call. ;-)

-3D

[Prince of Whales]

From outhouse to penthouse in one fell swoop? Nah.

Look for Slingsby to be calling the shots on Thursday.

[Tom Mc]

Kinda funnny

The ETNZ guys call the the OR botched bottom mark rounding a Mr Whimpy.

Sail Racing Magazine Podcast Episode 25 - ETNZ's Ray Davies and TV New Zealand's Peter Lester after AC race five

[Tom Mc]

Those in the know reporting JK is off the boat today.

[fototaker]

[Rainier]

Anybody know how we can see todays races? uboob says not in this country...