KIWI MAGIC IS KING IN MARSEILLE!!!!

Emirates Team New Zealand take out the Marseille trophy in convincing fashion!

Points at the end of regatta:

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 1+3+1+2+1+2+4,5+6+1+6= 27.5 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA), 8+5+2+6+3+1+1,5+3+8+4= 41,5 points
3. Matador (ARG), 2+6+4+1+2+5+16,5+4+4+3= 47,5 points

Points Overall Audi Med Cup Series:

1. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL), 38+27,5= 65.5 points
2. Quantum Racing (USA), 40+41,5= 81,5 points
3. Matador (ARG), 36+47,5= 83,5 points

So far we are winning on both fronts but we HAVE to keep it up all the way through the the series if we want to have any chance of bringing the Audi Med Cup trophy back to Auckland.

The next regatta is on the 20th-25th July so a good month away so lets hope the momentum is still with the team.

Until then....

Still working the Kiwi Magic

Emirates Team New Zealand managed a 3rd place in the Marseille coastal race along with a 6th and a 1st thereafter putting them today 12 points in the lead ahead of Quantam Racing.

City of Marseille Trophy -Kiwis do it agian

Emirates Team New Zealand pulled out a spectacular show in 20+ knots of breeze in Marseille today winning 2 of the 3 races again putting them 10 points well ahead at the top of the fleet.

This is the stuff the boys have been waiting for and once the breeze gets up, its all about crew work, and thats where Team NZ have a good chance since they are a working AC team, they know the combinations to get things right!

Score board at the moment looks like:

1 - Emirates Team New Zealand - 10 points

2 - Matador - 20 points

3 - Quantam Racing - 25 points

Keep it up guys!

City of Marseille Trophy - KIWI MAGIC!

KIWI MAGIC

Emirates Team New Zealand lead the point board winning 2 of 3 races sailed today in the City of Marseille Trophy in the 2009 Audi Med Cup proving  the Botin Carkeek designed NZL380 is a very real competitor in light winds.

Their debrief from Alicante must have helped too as they all seemed to be working better as a team spotting chances, and retaining them.

The top 3 places after 3 races of 9 are:

1 - Emirates Team New Zealand - 5 points

2 - Bribon - 12 points

3 - Matador - 12 points

This sits comfortably for Team New Zealand to have a cushion but they need to consistently win or place very high in the rest of the races to have a chance of taking out the City of Marseille Trophy and be in the running to take out the 2009 Audi Med Cup!

ETNZ Finish 3rd in Trophy of Alicante

The boys finished 3rd overall in the City of Alicante Trophy, well done!!!!!

RACE 8: 1st

RACE 9: 3rd

This is a GREAT effort for the boys and well done, it can only get better, but like this whole TP52 Campaign, CONSISTENCY IS KEY so they have to just keep the whole average score consistent, not swinging from one end of the board to the other, keep it up in the top 3, pref 1st and we should be home!

Now we look forward to Marseille, France from June 9-14th!

Race 5, 6 & 7 - A good day for ETNZ

ETNZ WON Race 5

ETNZ WON Race 6

ETNZ was 2nd in RACE 7

A very good day for ETNZ with consistent results across the board. Consistency is the key in the TP52 series so I think they are just fitting into their groove.

By all accounts in most of the races ETNZ did not have good starts but their magic on the water sprung to life as the race progresses and their set moves outdid most.

This is an impressive result for a new boat with an experienced crew but from different TP52's in the past, to come together and place SO well but hey It is Team New Zealand!

Go TEAM NEW ZEALAND!

Score board:

TP52 Series
Provisional standings after 7 races:
1. Artemis (SWE) 7,2,9,7,2,2,1=30 points
2. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 4,4,6,2,1,3,10=30 points
3. Quantum Racing (USA) 5,1,3,4,5,6,7=31 points

Race 2, 3 & 4

Race day 2 saw no breeze.

ETNZ finished 4th in Race 2

ETNZ finished 6th in Race 3

ETNZ finished 2nd in Race 4

Overall points standing, ETNZ stands at 2nd overall equal.

TP52 Series Provisional standings after 4 races: 1. Quantum Racing (USA) 5,1,3,4=13 points 2. Matador (ARG) 2,5,1,8=16 points 3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 4,4,6,2=16 points 4. Marazzi Sailing (SUI) 4,6,4,10 =24 points

Race 1: ETNZ finish 4th with Marazzi Sailing penalised!

Today in the first race of Alicante, Emirates Team New Zealand battled their way with Quantam Racing to finish 4th in todays first Race in Alicante.

Marazzi Sailing came first but were deducted points due to a weight issue with crew and have been deducted 3 points to sit equal with Team New Zealand on 4th place.

Current top 3:

1. Matador (ARG) 2pts

2. Bigamist 7 (POR) 3pts

3. Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL) 4 pts

Emirates Team New Zealand get 3rd in Practice Race

Emirates Team New Zealand managed to place 3rd in todays practice race in Alicante. As seen in pics (see chriscameron.co.nz) above our glorious girl #9 looks amazing against the fleet. The start was initially won out by ETNZ but was eaten away by old hat Bribon who managed to take the practice race crown. No one knows if there was sand bagging going on but Im sure there might be some AC tactics thrown in here and there. The next few days of the real race of Alicante will prove who are the ones to look out for, which would be old favs Bribon & Emirates Team New Zealand

Here she is!

Heres the girl sailing in Europe with the proud Kiwi flag flowing behind!

Also in news, see Sail Worlds article about the measurment issue.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog covering the 2009 Audi MedCup which is not far away from starting indeed!

Principally this will be following Emirates Team New Zealand in their attempt to take out the 2009 Med Cup but will give everyone an quick, easy to understand overview of the races and really 'whos winning, whos not' type scene as well as any news relating to our boys or to the ongoing AC33 saga.

Well, as most of you might know the ETNZ TP52 was wrapped up in Auckland a few weeks ago and shipped off to Valencia where she was assembled and had to be modified in order to pass the certification as the keel bulb had to be remilled, something of which the team were aware of before it left Auckland but did not have time to do it here.

Luckily its all be done in Valencia and the team have spent the last few days practising as a whole team for the first time in a long time in the waters off Alicante.

The next 5 regattas over the next 5 months should be something ALL Team New Zealand fans should be looking forward too. This is the first time a Americas Cup Syndicate has entered the MedCup and I dont think it will be the last, lets wish out boys repping the RNZYS to bring the MedCup home!