Good Pause for Reflection
The timing is right. With two races that provided excellent metrics, balance sheets and actions plans can be laid out. Spithill, Grael and the windward speed are the big assets. Match 3 crystallised the operational rules.
Leeward speed still needs adressing. As does some of the handling. Had LR done the same number of gybes and tacks, one wonders whether they would've finished on top. TNZ and Oracle seem perfect here - consistently so.
The staring down and letting Oracle blink first with mode changes is rather telling. Confidence in the boat and the desire to do more measuring with the same base does provide a slight edge psychologically.
* * * Race 3 * * *
Well, well...surprise! Oracle went and had some measurment changes approved. With dying winds, they probably sought to compensate for a visible weakness windward. After luffing matches, now bluffing games?
The match is decided at the start with LR and Oracle picking different sides... intentionally. Grael's push to the righ ends up being a winner. Spithill was also good at crowding Oracle in, on the basis of their pick, but the course pick was still the deciding factor.
The good news is that windward, LR still has an edge (+30 and +21) seconds, while on the run the gap isn't as obvious (-5 and -14 seconds, covering tightly this time). The Oracle changes are evident.
Still there are areas of concern, after all Oracle did do 5 extra tacks or gybes. Leeward over 12 knots is definitely an area of concern.
TNZ does not seem to have any competition. If this goes on today, we may see a 5-race semi there...
Today though, TNZ takes a pretty agressive - maybe out of desperation facing Jablonski's maneuvers - penalty. But again, the choice of the left-hand side of the course ended up penalising them heavily.
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| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Totale |
| New Zealand | 1 | 1 | | | | - | - | - | - | 2 |
|---|
| Desafío Español | 0 | 0 | | | | - | - | - | - | 0 |
|---|
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| Bmw Oracle | 0 | 1 | | | | | - | - | - | 1 |
|---|
| Luna Rossa | 1 | 0 | | | | | - | - | - | 1 |
|---|
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