Team New Zealand stayed on top in the latest regatta of the Med Cup yachting series yesterday after a day where "winning ugly" was the key off the Italian island of Sardinia.
The Dean Barker-skippered crew on NZL380 had placings of fifth and second in two different and challenging coursesset off Cagliari.
They head into the final day 4.5 points ahead of Swedish entry Artemis, who won the afternoon's first race but were caught out by a huge windshift in the second and had to settle for seventh.
Team NZ boss Grant Dalton compared the racing with a scrappy rugby match.
"You're just winning ugly, trying to win," he said. "That was the story of today, everything was ugly. The sailing wasn't good, the wind was light, the shifts were everywhere, so I think the thing with this team is that it just keeps its composure."
The final day's programme comprises three races and Dalton believed there were three boats left in the 13-strong fleet still in the running for top honours overall. They were Team NZ, Artemis and Argentine yacht Matador, who are five points behind.
Dalton indicated that the three-way battle, and the forecast of tricky conditions again overnight, would make tactical choices difficult.
Cagliari is the third of five stops on the MedCup circuit, which is sailed in TP52s, and Team NZ lead the series overall by 23.5 points.
