NZers win right to challenge for the Americas Cup.
Tilly
Vuitton Cup (5-0) to win the right to challenge for the America's Cup the
most prestigious prize in world yachting..
--TEAM New Zealand cruised past Italy's Luna Rossa today to win the Louis
Vuitton Cup series 5-0 and the right to challenge for the America's Cup.
The Kiwi crew jumped up and down on deck, hugging and cheering as they
crossed the line off the coast of Valencia, Spain, 22 seconds ahead of Luna
Rossa, who had Australian James Spithill at the helm.
"This is our ticket to the America's Cup which is why we're here, so it was
a huge relief once we crossed the line,'' Team New Zealand trimmer Tony Rae
said.
The win sets up a rematch of the 2003 America's Cup when double winner New
Zealand lost sailing's most prestigious prize to Alinghi, a debut challenger
from land-locked Switzerland that was crewed by a core team of Kiwis.
Hundreds of New Zealanders gathered in Valencia are sporting T-shirts
cheering "Let's bring it home''.
The LV Cup final whitewash bodes well for that possibility although Alinghi
are generally seen as the favourites for the 32nd America's Cup match which
starts on June 23.
"They have had the benefit of the Louis Vuitton series to get their game
bigger and better so they are a force to be reckoned with,'' Alinghi skipper
and former New Zealand sailor Brad Butterworth said.
After a vicious pre-start battle from New Zealand, Luna Rossa sprang out of
the starting box to fight for their lives on Wednesday and moved ahead as
they sped off to the right.
But once again, NZL92 turned out to be the faster boat and they quickly
caught up, stretched into the lead and turned the top mark 20 seconds ahead.
"It was really some performance by them,'' said Luna Rossa helmsman
Spithill.
"We worked as hard as we could but the way they sailed was a really solid
performance so full credit to them. I didn't think we did anything majorly
wrong.''
Spithill, 27, stunned the sailing fraternity by leading Luna Rossa to a 5-1
semi-final win over BMW Oracle but the aggressive starts and speedy sailing
that spooked the US boat dissolved into thin air against New Zealand.
The 5-0 result was a repeat of the 2000 America's Cup when New Zealand
brushed off then-debutants Luna Rossa to win yachting's oldest prize for a
second time.
- Reuters
Heinrich
"Tilly" <Til...@gmail.com> schreef in bericht news:f487td$g3e$1...@aioe.org...
today you are considering yourself a kiwi again?
Tilly
I hqave never considered myself not to be a Kiwi.
I have dual citizenship. I am also a Swiss citizen so I really can't lose .
Alinghi is a Swiss boat and most of the crew are Kiwis.
Heinrich
"Tilly" <Til...@gmail.com> schreef in bericht news:f489k4$m0h$1...@aioe.org...
Tilly
> "Tilly" <Til...@gmail.com> schreef in bericht
> news:f489k4$m0h$1...@aioe.org...
> > Heinrich wrote:
> > > "Tilly" <Til...@gmail.com> schreef in bericht
> > > news:f487td$g3e$1...@aioe.org...
> > >
> > > today you are considering yourself a kiwi again?
> >
> > I hqave never considered myself not to be a Kiwi.
> > I have dual citizenship. I am also a Swiss citizen so I really
> > can't lose .
> > Alinghi is a Swiss boat and most of the crew are Kiwis.
> lucky for you !! lol
Yes.
everything allright with the newborn ?
Yes, both my daughter and grand daughter are excellent.
Heinrich
"Tilly" <Til...@gmail.com> schreef in bericht news:f48bld$t4s$1...@aioe.org...