AMERICAONE REMAINS AT TOP OF LEADERBOARD AFTER ITS DEFEAT IN RACE 4
AUCKLAND, New Zealand, December 5, 1999 – AmericaOne, the San Francisco-based St. Francis Yacht Club’s America’s Cup 2000 challenger, was narrowly defeated by 20s in Race 4 of the Louis Vuitton Cup by John Cutler at the helm of America True’s USA 51. Conditions on the Hauraki Gulf remained favorable throughout the day despite the frequently changing winds.
Shifting winds on the racecourse led to two separate postponements at the start of the match as the windward mark was reset. When the final starting sequence began, AmericaOne forced America True above the starboard tack layline to the committee boat. Paul Cayard and the AmericaOne Team were off to a perfect start as USA 49 crossed the line 15 seconds ahead of USA 51. With a sizeable lead over America True, AmericaOne chose and defended the left side of the course rounding the first mark 24 seconds ahead. AmericaOne continued to gain on America True, loosely covering each tack and gaining a significant eight boatlength lead. As the wind continued to shift, the Race Committee made its 3rd change on the racecourse. The new mark was laid while the old mark remained in place. Failing to identify the proper mark, AmericaOne forfeited the lead to America True.
“Obviously, we’re disappointed with the result of today’s match,” explains AmericaOne Skipper Paul Cayard. “We were controlling the race when we made a fatal mistake which resulted in America True’s win. But we have another tough race on our hands tomorrow, so we need to remain focused and prepare for battle.”
In other matches today, Stars & Stripes was forced to withdraw from the race against Prada when minutes before the prestart the aft deck of USA 55 separated from the hull. Prada went on to sail around the racetrack to collect its nine points. The Race Committee has granted Stars & Stripes a 48 hour delay in their next scheduled race to make repairs to their boat and as a result the overall race schedule has been modified. ( Please see below). FAST2000, unable to repair its mast that was broken in Race 2 of Round Robin 3, withdrew from the Louis Vuitton Cup and its opponent, Le Defi Francais, sailed around the course alone to collect its nine points.
RR3/Race 4 Starting Line-Up: Greg Prussia, Oroville, CA, bow; Curtis Blewett of Los Angeles, CA, mid-bow; Bill Bates of San Diego, CA, mast/sewer; Josh Belsky of Hood River, OR, pit; Matt Welling of Bay Shore, NY, grinder; Phil Trinter of Lorain, OH, grinder; Jim Nicholas of San Diego, CA, grinder; David McClintock of Portsmouth, RI, upwind trim; Carter Perrin of Houston, TX, downwind trim; Lexi Gahagan of Wilmington, DE, runner; Paul Cayard of Kentfield, CA, helmsman; John Kostecki of Fairfax, CA, tactician; Morgan Larson of Capitola, CA, traveler; Terry Hutchinson of Annapolis, MD, mainsheet; Sean Clarkson of Middletown, RI, main assist; and Gavin Brady of Annapolis, MD, navigator. The 17th crew person was Mr. Pierre-Louis Castelli of Paris, FR.
Final Scores To Date:
Prada / 73 points**
AmericaOne / 63 points
Nippon Challenge / 56.5 points*
America True /56 points
Stars & Stripes / 45.5 points
Spanish Challenge /44 points
Young America / 42 points
Le Defi Francais /32 points
Abracadabra 2000 /25 points
Young Australia /9 points
FAST2000 /8 points
*Nippon had BYE today.
**FAST 2000 did not compete today due to a broken mast in Race 2. Prada sailed the course alone and picked up nine points for the race.
Other Delta Results:
Young America beat Abracadabra – Delta 02:10
Le Defi Francais beat FAST2000 /FAST2000 WAS NOT ABLE TO SAIL DUE TO A BROKEN MAST
The Spanish Challenge beat Young Australia 2000 – Delta 00:42
Prada beat Stars & Stripes / STARS & STRIPES WITHDREW FROM RACE
AmericaOne ‘s schedule for the remainder of Round Robin 3 is as follows:
