Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Play-off Finals

Race 4: Artemis Racing bt Emirates Team New Zealand by 0:15

All the spectators were looking for more aggressive starts and they got it. After some aggressive luffing, Artemis Racing gapped off to windward of New Zealand, then cracked off for speed and outraced them to the middle mark to turn downwind clear ahead. But they were sailing a seven-leg course and the wind is what matters

Going downwind, Artemis were hitting 43 knots and New Zealand were at 38. Artemis led turning upwind. It was another tacking duel, with the Kiwis chipping away. New Zealand found speed and pressure to the left and rounded an opposite mark only nine seconds behind.

Downwind, Artemis chose the right side and it seemed to be the favourite choice. The boats crossed sides, and coming into the upwind mark, Artemis led by 20 seconds. Artemis had chosen the better side of the course in the previous downwind rounding and improved all the way up.

The Swedes kept their lead on leg five when suddenly the Artemis boat leapt out of the water and their daggerboard foils broke through the waves, catching nothing but air. They dived a bow into the waves and suddenly aimed left heading for New Zealand. New Zealand turned away to avoid, they thought, a potential crash and pressed for a penalty. But the umpires ruled no penalty. Artemis skipper Nathan Outteridge later said: “We just wanted to keep it interesting for everyone.”

Artemis barely led around the mark on to leg six and through the short leg seven to the finish.

This result means racing will continue tomorrow.

Artemis’s top speed was 48.5 knots and speed was king.

Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand are level at 2-2

Race 5: Emirates Team New Zealand bt Artemis Racing by retirement

This time the Kiwis got the outside lane, but couldn’t outspeed Artemis who carried them up the course from their leeward right-of-way position. Then Artemis peeled off downwind first and led around the bottom mark by 15 seconds.

Going back upwind on leg three the two crossed tacks and, then at the next crossing, Artemis tacked on the Kiwis’ track. Artemis led by six metres as they turned at the boundary. The Kiwis took control to leeward, luffed up and pressed for a penalty, and Artemis tacked away to keep clear. New Zealand passed Artemis in the move. The Kiwis led at the top mark by 15 seconds and by more than 200 metres going downwind.

On the first Artemis gybe, they almost lost another player over the side. He was spinning around the windward shroud for a few seconds before regaining control. The Kiwi boat led by 18 seconds going into leg five with a 178-metre lead. It was a puffy day with shifts thrown in, too, and there were lots of choices for the skippers and tacticians. The Kiwis were extending their lead.

The wind was dropping and the Kiwis had gone with light-air daggerboards for the day. Wind in the first race was about 16 knots and in the second race it was down to about 10.5 knots.

Turning on to the downwind leg six, the Kiwis had picked up 21 more seconds more to lead by 39 seconds.

The Kiwis’ decision to use light-air daggerboards paid off in this race.

The Swedes retired without taking the final leg. They had a technical problem with the port daggerboard and, as they prepared for the start of the day’s third race, were working out which system needed repair.

Emirates Team New Zealand lead Artemis Racing 3-2

Race 6: Emirates Team New Zealand bt Artemis Racing by 0:01

Artemis took the leeward position off the start line again and once again pushed the Kiwis upwind from the right-of-way position, peeled away clearly ahead and led down past the middle mark to round ahead at the leeward mark on to leg three.

The Kiwis followed Artemis around the left-hand mark, but then tacked early to get clear air and a split. Coming together, Artemis did a fake dial down, like a head fake at New Zealand, who fell into a deep avoiding dip. The Kiwis gained and were very close and, as they came into the weather mark on starboard, they split roundings to opposite marks in the gate.

The Kiwis came out fast for the smooth rounding with the split at the top and got a passing lane to sneak ahead of Artemis. Gybing down leg four, both boats had foiled 100 per cent. They rounded with Artemis only metres behind going on to leg five.

The Kiwis extended their lead by pointing higher with about the same boat speed; that means they had better VMG [velocity made good] to the weather gate. They were extending their lead with every tack. Going into the downwind turn, New Zealand led by 16 seconds

The Kiwis had a huge lead and Sweden had no options left. All they could hope for was a Kiwi breakdown. And they almost got it.

The Kiwi boat was flying for the finish and looked like they were going to crash into the final gate before the dogleg to the finish.

They had a bad gybe because they apparently lost juice in their hydraulics and they just dropped off their foils and virtually stopped.

Frantically, the peddlers pumped it up and the Kiwis got it going to win by a beak and cop a photo-finish win. This was the race of the year so far.

New Zealand have reached match point. Tomorrow is “do or die” for Artemis, who need a repeat of their heroics against SoftBank Team Japan to move on to the Match on Saturday.

Can they do it?

Emirates Team New Zealand lead Artemis Racing 4-2