With fourteen matches played over two days, this first Round Robin has almost caught up on its delay. Like the day before, Wednesday offered ideal conditions for teams and spectators. In the Louis Vuitton Trophy village, on the Infernet quay at the port of Nice, the crowd was family-oriented on this public holiday. In shirtsleeves, spectators dined on terraces while watching the regattas live on the village’s big screen. The summer atmosphere was guaranteed!
Before their eyes, the best teams in the world faced off once again without mercy, taking advantage of any mistake by their opponents to gain an edge. Speaking of mistakes, the French made the most glaring ones of the day. ALL4ONE penalized itself with a double penalty by jumping the start and subsequently hitting the committee boat against the Russian Synergy team. Sébastien Col and his crew had to return to cross the line properly—with a 200-meter delay—and then pursue their opponent while carrying a penalty (a 270° turn) to perform before the finish line. “There was a lot of confusion onboard at the start,” admits Jochen Schümann, sports director and strategist on board. “In the end, we gave the Russians quite a gift.” Indeed, this costly double blunder gave the Russian crew their first victory in this competition.
A few minutes later, it was the turn of the TFS-Pages Jaunes team to make their mark at the windward passage. After a promising first round staying close to the surprising Azzurra squad, Bertrand Pacé’s teammates failed to hoist the genoa in time to head upwind. This error, followed by a genoa winch problem, dashed French hopes of competing in the second round.
Earlier in the morning, the Franco-French duel ended with ALL4ONE’s victory over TFS-Pages Jaunes. A close match in the first upwind leg that quickly turned to the advantage of Sébastien Col’s ALL4ONE team. The rest of the matches once again confirmed the clear dominance of the Kiwis and the British, still undefeated. Their duel scheduled for Thursday should logically determine the grand leader of this first Round Robin. This sixth day will also offer the French from TFS-Pages Jaunes their last chance against the Russians to win a match in this first Round Robin. A day of high tension is anticipated…
Results of the day’s matches
Emirates Team New Zealand beats Artemis by 23’’
ALL4ONE beats TFS-Pages Jaunes by 50’’
Azzurra beats Synergy Russian Sailing Team by 1’09’’
Team Origin beats BMW Oracle Racing by 2’01’’
Synergy Russian Sailing Team beats ALL4ONE by 1’30’’
Azzurra beats TFS-Pages Jaunes by 1’32’’
Provisional Ranking of Round Robin 1 after 5 days
1) Emirates Team New Zealand, 5-0
2) Team Origin, 4-0
3) Azzurra, 4-1
4) BMW Oracle Racing, 2-2
5) Artemis, 2-3
6) ALL4ONE, 2-4
7) Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 1-4
8) TFS-Pages Jaunes, 0-6
Schedule for Thursday, November 12th, Round Robin 1 – Day 6
BMW Oracle Racing vs Emirates Team New Zealand
Team Origin vs Artemis
TFS-Pages Jaunes vs Synergy Russian Sailing Team
ALL4ONE vs Azzurra
BMW Oracle Racing vs Artemis
Team Origin vs Emirates Team New Zealand
BMW Oracle Racing vs Synergy Russian Sailing Team
