Team NZ and Synergy start level for decider

Team New Zealand and the Russian team Synergy will head into a winner-take-all third race in the Louis Vuitton Trophy yachting regatta semifinals in France tomorrow.

The victor will face either British TeamOrigin or the Italian Azzurra in the final, after a beam-on-beam collision at the end of the second race caused some damage to the 24-tonne yachts and saw each team lose their existing points.

The teams have each won one race and the score is now 0-0.

The second race, in a good breeze of 15 to 18 knots, saw Team NZ incur a penalty in the pre-start and need a good six or seven boat-length lead to do the turn to win.

However, it was not enough, and approaching the finish, Team NZ was trying to either complete the 270-degree penalty turn or offset it with a penalty on Synergy when the pair wound up outside the committee boat end of the finish line.

Both crews had their genoas hoisted trying to get upwind and over the top of the committee boat, but Team NZ got close to the committee boat.

Both boats were downspeed in the sloppy seaway and they collided, Synergy's port side hitting Team NZ's starboard side.

The first race was the match of the regatta with the lead changing three times.

After being overtaken on the second downwind leg, Team NZ regained some ground and were able to attack Synergy on starboard, luffing the Russians, led by Polish skipper Karol Jablonski and with New Zealander Rod Dawson calling tactics, and snatching the lead and crossing the line 20 sec ahead.

Racing is scheduled to resume tomorrow morning with a warning signal set for 0830 CET.

The first race will be between TeamOrigin and Azzurra with the Team New Zealand-Synergy race to follow.

- © Fairfax NZ News