| | AUCKLAND, New Zealand -- Frontrunner Prada had instant
success with its second yacht Thursday (Wednesday in the United States) beating the New York Yacht Club's Young America by 23 seconds in the opening race of the America's Cup challenger series third round-robin.
The Italian entry, which won 19 of 20 races with a different
boat in the opening two rounds, unveiled a slightly narrower
version for the final round. Each victory is worth nine points in
the final round.
|  | | America One, left, battles FAST 2000 during the first day of Round Robin 3 races. |
The $40 million Young America syndicate is sailing its second
boat after the first cracked apart during a race and almost sank.
The team hopes to have the first boat available for racing halfway
through the round robin.
Prada skipper Francesco de Angelis said even though the first
yacht had been so successful he wanted to find out the capabilities
of his second craft.
"We decided that it would be interesting to put the other boat
in, and still learn and have an indication for the work that has to
be done for the future," de Angelis said.
Prada won the start by two seconds, but was put under pressure
by Ed Baird's challenger.
In winds gusting from 10 to 18 knots, Young America had a
17-second advantage at the first mark, and a 20-second lead through
the second.
Prada turned the race around when it tacked to port after coming
around the second marker, while Young America worked the left-hand
side of the course. Prada got a favorable wind shift that carried
it past the Americans.
Some campaigns, such as America True, don't have the luxury of
two boats and helmsman John Cutler admitted it would make it hard
for his outfit to retain second place.
America True's opening third-round race is against Dennis
Conner's Stars and Stripes, another one-boat team, on Friday. The
top six of the 11 teams qualify for next year's semifinals.
"This is where we should see some differences with their new
boats coming out," Cutler said of his two-boat rivals. "This is
where the two boat teams should get stronger."
In other races Thursday, AmericaOne defeated Fast 2000 by 33
seconds; Hawaii's Abracadabra beat the Spanish Challenge by 27
seconds; Japan's Nippon trounced Le Defi Francais by 3 minutes, 6
seconds; and Stars and Stripes defeated Young Australia by 1
minute, 14 seconds.
The Stars and Stripes entry has lengthened its boat in a bid for
more speed because it is considered vulnerable in light wind. Spain
and France also made major changes.
Of the syndicates with a choice, only fourth-place AmericaOne is
continuing to race with the boat used in the first two rounds.
Skipper Paul Cayard said the extra points in the third
round-robin meant increased pressure to win.
"We're certainly interested in continuing to improve our
performance," Cayard said. "I wouldn't say that AmericaOne is
setting the pace as far as winning the races goes." | |
ALSO SEE
Third-round schedule and results
Young America ends round 2 in misery
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