| | AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Prada took advantage of its
opponent's equipment trouble to remain unbeaten in the challenger
series for the America's Cup, while two other teams had upset wins
Monday.
Racing in the second of three round-robins resumed Monday after
a 24-hour postponement because of bad weather. Eleven syndicates
are competing in the Louis Vuitton Cup regatta to decide who takes
on defender Team New Zealand next year for yachting's most-prized
trophy.
|  | | Prada won on Monday when Nippon withdrew. It improved to 12-0 and has earned 18 points. |
The Swiss team had their first win of the competition, defeating
Hawaii's Abracadabra, and in a battle between two boats from San
Francisco, Dawn Riley's America True had a heartening victory over
Paul Cayard's better-financed AmericaOne.
In good sailing conditions of winds around 15 knots and a light
choppy sea, Nippon skipper Peter Gilmour was characteristically
aggressive and beat Prada at the start.
Gilmour built a commanding lead of around three boat-lengths for
the first half of the race when, shortly before the second windward
turn, a titanium ring fixing the mainsail to the boom snapped.
Nippon withdrew, handing an easy victory to Prada, which is 12-0
and has 18 points.
"We're very disappointed," Gilmour said. "They deserved to
win today, even though things were heavily stacked against them.
The race in its entirety is what you have to be able to complete,
and we obviously have to work on that."
Switzerland's Fast 2000, whose highly unusual two-keel boat
design has been blamed for a string of steering problems and
breakages, had a tight race but led Abracadabra before the
Americans withdrew on the last leg.
Swiss skipper Marc Pajot said he was thrilled with the win after
a difficult month learning to steer the double keel and rudder
system.
"We found the owner's manual," team spokesman Constantin
Capsis joked.
America True's form has been improving and victory over
AmericaOne by 1 minute, 29 seconds may indicate reconfiguring work
done after the first round-robin is paying off.
In other races, Young America defeated the Spanish challenge by
1:23, and Le Defi Francais defeated Young Australia by 1:43. Stars
and Stripes had a bye.
With wins in the second round-robin worth four points compared
to the first's one point, Monday's results bumped the Swiss past
the French and Australian teams. New York's Young America now leads
AmericaOne 16-12.
After the three round-robins, a finals series between the six
best challenger teams will decide who will meet New Zealand in the
America's Cup regatta starting on Feb. 19. | |
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