Semi-final 1, Race 5: Emirates Team New Zealand bt Land Rover BAR by 0:31

Emirates Team New Zealand spot Land Rover BAR 450 metres at the start, yet still win.

The big question on the day was: “Will the New Zealand leak oil or blow a fuse?”

The Kiwis got a terrible start with a problem with the boards and a “button” problem, while BAR were racing off at 40 knots.

New Zealand picked up speed, hitting 40-plus but were 26 seconds behind at the leeward gate.

Going upwind, the Kiwis made a great tack splitting away from BAR to the left. BAR were carefully ahead, but not comfortable. The Kiwis were 155 metres behind, about six seconds, at the mark going on to leg four.

New Zealand made her move and were breathing down BAR’s neck and took a split course going on to leg five.

BAR made a bad tack, wetting both hulls going back across into a close crossing.

Team New Zealand came back in on starboard. Very tight crossing with the Kiwis ahead. New Zealand had clawed back from a very bad start, yet managed to take the lead by the time of the sixth leg.

They sped away to push BAR into must-win territory the rest of the way in the best-of-nine series.

Emirates Team New Zealand lead Land Rover BAR 4-1

Semi-final 2, Race 5: Artemis Racing bt SoftBank Team Japan by 0:39

Nathan Outteridge got in front and kept out of trouble for the win.

SoftBank Team Japan go over early and get recall penalty, so they take two-boat-length penalty and get Artemis’s bad air to lose more distance around the first mark.

Artemis gybed in front of Japan at the leeward mark when they had a clear smooth without taking the turn.

This is a classic match race again. The Japanese needed to keep chipping away at the Artemis lead and wait for the Swedes to do a wet tack or sloppy gybe.

Artemis maintained their lead turning downwind on to leg four and kept it to the upwind turn on to leg five upwind. Artemis lead was just over 100 metres and they aware sailing high and fast inside and ahead. When the Japanese tacked, the Swedes tacked to cover.

The speed of the two boats was very similar. Artemis have seemed a lit better than in the past few days.

Japan needed Artemis to make a mistake, but it did not happen. Both boats were on the left side and Artemis led the pair around safely. Artemis going downwind said: “We are gaining VMG on them.”

Artemis were 20 seconds ahead at the final gate and turned it on for the finish.

Softback Team Japan lead Artemis Racing 3-2

Semi-final 1, Race 6: Land Rover BAR bt Emirates Team New Zealand by 0:20

Emirates Team New Zealand are on match point, but BAR sailed their best race yet to win.

The Kiwis kept it close in the start but BAR’s speed from their windward leg was just even. At mark one, BAR kept the New Zealand just wend downwind to the right boundary.

The Kiwis were hot on BAR’s tail by five seconds around the leeward mark and then they made a high tack and lost a little ground.

New Zealand were catching up to leeward and got into BAR’s wing wash, so they tacked away and went to boundary right and did a wet tack at the boundary.

Going on to leg four, BAR had a 15-second lead, worth 200 metre.

The Kiwis chipped away and closed BAR’s lead to four seconds.

BAR lead on to the last downwind leg by 18 seconds. The New Zealand boat didn’t seem to be as stable as usual and maybe had some problems with a daggerboard again.

This was BAR’s best regatta. Made a nice gybe to take to the left gate and head off to the finish.

BAR takes to point by 20 seconds with a nearly perfect flight time. New Zealand sailed a longer distance around the course and that was the difference.

Can Land Rover Fight back. Stay tuned.

Emirates New Zealand lead Land Rover BAR 4-2

Semi-final 2, Race 6: Artemis Racing bt SoftBank Team Japan by 0:28

Dean Barker on SoftBank Team Japan got another weak start. They were forced outside the port lay line and had trouble maintaining speed to make the mark at the leeward end of the line. He seemed to cross the line with both hulls down and he was going very slow.

It was a very smart start by Artemis with good positioning to force SoftBank away and good timing to hit the line with speed.

Japan were ten seconds behind at Mark 1. They extended slightly to the first leeward mark.

On the upwind leg, Japan got within 100 metres on a right-hand wind shift. But the Swedes rebuilt their lead. Artemis stayed cautiously within the boundary lines with good clean tacks.

Artemis have rediscovered their form and look like they did in practice racing before the Qualifiers started.

Artemis carried a very healthy 27-second lead into leg six, the final downwind leg.

Artemis Racing and SoftBank Team Japan are level at 3-3

Semi-final 1, Race 7: Emirates Team New Zealand bt Land Rover BAR by 0:46

New Zealand led from start to finish to reach the Play-off Finals and send Land Rover BAR to the sidelines.

Team New Zealand finally got the start against BAR. They took a five-second lead around Mark 1 and extended that to 13 seconds at Mark 2. In the races they have been first to Mark 1, New Zealand have won every one.

BAR were in a tough position with a fast boat out in front of them. New Zealand were right in phase with their tacks. All their numbers looked good. They certainly made a reset after the loss in their previous race with BAR today.

New Zealand carried a 32-second lead into leg 4 and the turn upwind on to leg five gave then a 44-second lead.

New Zealand turned on the victory leg and won by 46 seconds. A fantastic renaissance from the state of their boat two days ago.

Sir Ben Ainslie said, “That was the best they have ever sailed.”

Ainslie admitted that his team had come into the event with a lack of speed and said they had actually made great gains to be this competitive. He said the BAR team would be back in the next competition.

Emirates Team New Zealand bt Land Rover BAR 5-2

Semi-final 2, Race 7: Artemis Racing bt SoftBank Team Japan by 1:46

SoftBank Team Japan got a good start on the third try of the day and took the lead.

By the end of leg four, Japan had a five-second lead. If Japan were to make one mistake, their lead would disappear.

And they did make the mistake; well, two of them.

Going up leg five, Barker had to dip to pass the first mark, still setting right in the middle of the course. That dip made it necessary for him to dip Artemis, who was the right-of-way boat the next time they crossed. Then they came together again trying to round the left-hand gate mark going on to leg six.

Artemis approached on port and got into the three-boat-length right-of-way zone and were entitled to have room at the mark. Umpire Richard Slater and his team ruled that Japan did not give Artemis full room to sail its proper course around the mark. Japan got a penalty and had to fall back two boat lengths.

Nathan Outteridge called it a well-practised ‘scramble’ manoeuvre that they executed to tack tight inside around the mark and still come out fast.

This penalty and the dip around the midcourse mark were the breaks that Artemis needed to get the win.

Only 55 per cent of Team Japan’s Mark 1 leads have led to winning races for them. They seem to have a habit of losing leads on the last legs.

Artemis Racing lead SoftBank Team Japan 4-3