GO ESP - GO JOHN!

Just a quick one for those of you who didn't watch the racing today. Spain beat Team New Zealand in a legendary race. They are alive and we are SO happy for our friends on that team - Go John!!!

Here is my 'play by play' for media thing I had to do:

ESP on Starboard
ETNZ on Port –
An extra deep entry and a relatively normal dial up
Spain was able to stop really well – they stayed in dial up over a minute..

Coming back to the line – the action has moved down the line quite a ways. Both are very early, ESP to weather– approaching layline to the pin. ESP has tacked ETNZ has to follow not to be over early.
Both starting on Port – unusual but beautiful by ESP

ETNZ had to tack straight away but they seemed to want to left anyway.
ESP – 10m lead but SPLITTING!

Lead “Slowly leaking away”

ESP gets a little righty - ETZN tacks 1st

Back and forth – ESP maintains the Right and a very slim lead (keeps right with lee bow)

At the top ¼ ESP did a marginal lee bow and had to fight HARD to squeeze ETNZ - JUST barely made it at the Starboard tack layline - simo tacks and ESP maintains their lead …. TheyWILL round ahead

TOP MARK: 12sec ESP ahead – with a better set

Nice positioning and ESP leads by 95m over half way down the leg

OH – a bad jibe and lost 30-40m of their 100m lead – NOT good but they round ahead and look OK going upwind … heeled and powerful.

(DIane Wall called - THEY HAD A BAD JIBE! -but are still ahead!)

ETNZ instigated a tacking duel as you would imagine

ESP holding their own but for some reason allowed a pretty big split – granted going to the right but still – lost another 20 m!

FINALLY get back together – still ahead but only but 18m just off of Starboard tack layline – they need perfect boat handling from now on!

Only 8 seconds at the mark. Different game – more aggressive at this distance!

ESP jibes and has a perfect one coming out deep. ETNZ has a marginal jibe and misses ESP’s air.

SPAIN WINS!!!!
HUGE SMILES!
They live another day – and with a reserve day tomorrow – they WILL be celebrating!

PS: On the way in the race boat stopped at the Estrella Damn Bar ?! I called Caroline Cutler and said ‘ your husband better have cab money because they will be partying tonight!’

Tomorrow is a reserve day
Wednesday is race 7 – ESP has to win 3 more or ETNZ 1 but either way what a regatta!

By the way – Oracle lost again today and are eliminated.