But Coutts’s SUI-64 seemed to stall out when turning. Its mainsail was often eased way out to help the boat turn down and prevent it from rounding up.

The boats circled many times until with about 45 seconds to go Holmberg turned to head back for the line. Coutts trailed close behind.

Coutts attempted a late leeward hook, but didn’t get it. His bow then got on Oracle’s windward quarter and Holmberg forced him to tack away with 15 seconds to go.

Holmberg hit the line with speed as the gun sounded on starboard tack, halfway down. Coutts started on port near the boat end.

FIRST BEAT

After starting on starboard, Oracle BMW Racing tacked to port and both boats sailed toward the right side of the course, with Alinghi to leeward.

As they neared the layline, Alinghi tacked to starboard and Oracle was forced to tack to leeward.

The pair then had another long drag race, with Alinghi to windward. They sailed to the port tack layline where they tacked for the windward mark.

Alinghi led by 14 seconds at the mark.

Both boats set full size spinnakers for the 3-mile run in 18-knot winds.

FIRST RUN

Not much speed difference between the boats. They favoured the left side of the leg (looking downwind). Oracle BMW tried unsuccessfully to block Alinghi’s wind a few times.

Then Oracle BMW’s Holmberg aimed for a leeward overlap, but Alinghi was able to jibe to starboard and cross her bow.

Alinghi gained one second on the run and led by 15 seconds at the leeward mark.

SECOND BEAT

Alinghi and Oracle BMW traded tacks up the second beat. Alinghi was protecting the left side.

Late up the beat Alinghi crossed to the right and found a right-hand shift. They turned a 40- to 50-metre lead into a 100-metre lead in the matter of a few minutes.

Alinghi rounded the second windward mark with a 41-second lead, a gain of 26 seconds on the 3-mile leg.

Once again both boats set full-size spinnakers in the 18- to 20-knot winds. The leeward mark remains at 045 degrees.

SECOND RUN

Once again, not much change or difference in speed. Alinghi simply stayed on the same side of the course as Oracle BMW Racing to prevent them from getting too much separation.

Alinghi led by 36 seconds at the second leeward mark, an eternity against Oracle BMW Racing.

THIRD BEAT

Oracle BMW Racing gained another four seconds on the 3-mile leg, largely the result of gaining a right-hand shift in the top third of the leg. To leeward and ahead, Alinghi was forced to sail a bit of a header as it crossed to the right of Oracle BMW.

In crossing over Alinghi minimized its damage and covered Oracle BMW for the final 4 minutes into the windward mark.

Alinghi led by 32 seconds at the last windward mark, beginning the 3.25-mile run to the finish.

No. 3 OneWorld (USA-67) vs. No. 4 Prada (ITA-74)

Another aggressive pre-start with both teams circling many times. OneWorld appeared to be able to spin on a dime without losing speed.

Late in the sequence OneWorld’s James Spithill jibed inside Prada, which gave Luna Rossa helmsman Rod Davis a leeward hook. He used it to force Spithill to tack to port and then covered, trying to ride him out past the committee boat end.

With 18 seconds to go Spithill luffed from leeward. Davis responded but held head to wind for an instant, forcing Spithill to fall off on port.

Davis tacked to starboard and headed for the line. Spithill gained speed before tacking to starboard and heading for the line.

Both boats were considerably late, but Davis crossed earlier. Spithill, who has been brilliant in the pre-starts, had his worst start of the series.

FIRST BEAT

Although late, OneWorld was to windward of Prada and forced both boats to sail a long starboard tack off the line. OneWorld was advantaged as the wind oscillated to the right and they quickly gained back the distance lost in the pre-start.

Prada was first to tack to port, and OneWorld tacked on their lee bow when they met for the first time, forcing the Italian boat back to starboard.

A tacking duel ensued up the beat with OneWorld protecting the right side in the oscillating winds. The boats traded about 20 tacks in the last half of the leg. OneWorld, though, led by 10 seconds at the windward mark.

Both boats set full-size spinnakers for the run.

FIRST RUN

Prada demonstrated its trademark downwind speed on the run. After both boats jibed to starboard Prada stormed to even with OneWorld.

Late on the run OneWorld, to leeward, began taking Prada up but the Italian boat was able to sail past OneWorld.

With the overlap broken, OneWorld made an aggressive move to the inside for the leeward mark rounding. But they were unable to get the overlap and fell off back to leeward.

OneWorld then jibed to port for the leeward mark. Prada had a disastrous takedown, but still got inside OneWorld at the mark and led by 3 seconds.

SECOND BEAT

Beginning the second beat OneWorld’s Spithill forced Prada to tack away while they were still cleaning up the mess of the takedown.

Soon after this was defined: OneWorld has superior pace upwind and Prada superior downwind.

After Prada’s chaotic rounding, OneWorld sped away to the left. They kept gaining and passed Prada halfway up the leg.

OneWorld crossed to the right side and then protected it, looking for the right-hand shift that Alinghi got.

The pair approached the windward mark with OneWorld to windward of Prada and just shy of the starboard-tack layline. After trailing at the beginning of the leg, OneWorld opened up a lead of 3 to 4 boatlengths in the final stages of the leg.

OneWorld led by 20 seconds, a gain of 23 seconds on the leg.

SECOND RUN

Prada again showed blinding speed downwind. They pulled even as both sailed down the leg on starboard jibe, and then when they jibed to port Prada, to windward, simply rolled over.

But the boats would jibe back to starboard which gave OneWorld the windward position. They began rolling Prada. Italian skipper Francesco de Angelis luffed sharply.

OneWorld’s chute trimmer let the sheet run to avoid putting too much pressure on the pole and rounding-up.

Prada’s trimmer didn’t let the sheet run and the pole snapped in two. Later, the head tore off the chute and the sail dropped in the water. The crew did a good job to gather the sail and avoid running it over.

OneWorld went on to lead by 18 seconds at the leeward mark.

THIRD BEAT

After surviving Prada’s attempt to luff them off the racecourse on the previous run, OneWorld used its superior upwind performance – better speed and height – to motor away from Prada.

OneWorld simply kept a loose cover on the 3-mile leg, and led by nearly 10 lengths approaching the windward mark.

OneWorld rounded the windward mark with a 1:10 lead.

THIRD RUN

As OneWorld’s chute reached full hoist and snapped-full in a puff, the top quarter of the sail ripped out. The body of the sail fell overboard and the crew scrambed to retrieve it.

OneWorld sailed for some two minutes without a spinnaker as Prada charged down towards them.

Prada had a spare pole onboard and used that in place of the broken one for the final 3.25-mile run to the finish.

Source: Event Press