• Match 1 : OneWorld USA 67 defeats Wight Lightning GBR 70 (3’22")

The pair of boats entered the start box with James Spithill at the helm of USA 67 and starting helmsman Andy Green at the helm of GBR 70. In an aggressive pre-start, GBR collided with USA 67 picking up a penalty for themselves for luffing without rights. USA 67 recovered from the collision and crossed the starting line 22 seconds ahead of Wight Lightening. OneWorld rounded the first windward mark 54 seconds ahead of GBR 70 and continued to extend its lead on every leg of the race. Wight lightening completed its 270 degree penalty turn at the finish and crossed the line 3 minutes and 22 seconds behind the OneWorld team.

– Peter Gilmour OneWorld’s skipper and sailing director : "We sailed a conservative race today with winds between 17 and 25 knots. We had a good start, and because of the conditions we were able to stretch out the lead."

Source OneWorld Challenge

• Match 2 : Orn SWE 63 defeats Stars&Stripes USA 66 (33")

Stars & Stripes skipper Ken Read, from Newport, RI, engaged the Swedish boat in a test of straight-line boat speed as they sailed without tacking out to the port tack layline. There was very little between the boats for the first 15 minutes, until a right-hand windshift gave the advantage to the Swedes.

"The Swedish boat did a very nice job today," said Tom Whidden, from Essex, CT, one of Stars & Stripes‚ afterguard. "They were very well prepared for the breeze and their crew work was flawless. They started to the right of us and held that position to take advantage of the early right hand shifts that made the difference."

Orn, steered by Jesper Bank, was first to tack on the first weather leg and led the way into the windward mark to round 19 seconds ahead. With the wind building in strength from 17 knots at the start to 24 knots at the finish, the Swedish boat used her early advantage to extend on the next four legs. However Stars & Stripes came storming back on the last spinnaker run, halving the distance between the two boats. Orn’s winning margin was just 33 seconds.

Source Team Dennis Conner

• Match 3 : Alinghi SUI 64 defeats Mascalzone Latino ITA 72 (7’08")

Russell Coutts did not let any chance to Paolo Cian from the start of the race to the finish. Latin Rascals finish with the biggest score from the start of the first round robin with more than seven minutes late.

– Russell Coutts : "when there had been a first contact between our twobots, just after the 5 minutes gun, Mascalzone did stop herself immediatly when we were still going on. Thanks to the crew organisation and their excellent work, we were able to maintain our lead and start ahead."

Source Alinghi

• Match 4 : Luna Rossa defeats Areva sur DNF

Another beautiful sunny day on the Hauraki Gulf for Luna Rossa ITA 74 competing today in the third race of the first Round Robin of the 2002-2003 Louis Vuitton Cup. The weather conditions were good today course with clear skies and a moderate Southwesterly breeze around 10-16 knots. The Race Committee started the match between Luna Rossa ITA 74 and the French Le Defi FRA 69 at 12:30. Rod Davis, at the helm of Luna Rossa for the start, wins the windward berth and takes a good start against FRA 69, who crosses the line at the pin end.

In the first beat ITA 74 takes a two boat-lenghts lead after a wind shift to the right and works its way towards the first windward mark in 18 knots of breeze. Luna Rossa defends well its position and rounds the first mark with a 15 seconds advantage over Le Defi. During the first run the French chase Luna Rossa but Francesco de Angelis maintains the lead and rounds the leeward mark ahead by 19 seconds. Second beat. ITA 74 controls FRA 69 maintaining a comfortable lead and rounds the third mark with a lead of one minute and 5 seconds. In the second downwind leg Luna Rossa controls the French boat and rounds the bottom mark with an impeccable maneuver. FRA 69, as she approaches the mark and gets ready to drop the spinnaker, runs into a problem and looses the sail in the water, gaining a penalty from the Umpires on top of that for trailing the spinnaker over the leeward mark. The lead for ITA 74 is now 1 minute and 24 seconds.

At the last top mark before the final run, ITA 74 rounds comfortably in the lead by 2 minutes and 14 seconds. The French boat has really suffered from the problems they had earlier on. The French were never able to close the gap and the lead of Luna Rossa progressively increased over the last downwind leg. Luna Rossa crossed the finish line with an advantage of over 5 minutes on FRA 69, who ends the race with a DNF (Did Not Finish) having never completed her penalty turn before the finish as specified in the
racing rules.

Source Prada Luna Rossa