Alinghi bounce back to record fourth final win

4.15 pm - By TERRY MADDAFORD

Russell Coutts and his crack crew on Alinghi bounced back from their surprise loss to BMW Oracle Racing in the fourth race to win today's fifth Louis Vuitton Cup challenger's race and stretch their lead to 4-1.


Coutts, narrowly ahead at the start today but trailing around the first three marks, is comfortably ahead in the best-of-nine series and can wrap it in Sunday's sixth race.


There is no racing tomorrow which will give Chris Dickson and his Oracle crew a chance to prepare for the must-win races ahead of them.


It was a stung Coutts at his best today. After taking a narrow lead over the start line, Alinghi soon fell behind as the boats, sailing in about 13 knots, separated.


With a kilometre between them at one stage on the upwind leg sailed in flat seas Oracle took the initiative. Making the most of a favourable wind shift, Oracle stayed ahead and led around the first mark by almost half a minute.


That should have been enough for Oracle to sail away. But Coutts is no quitter and hung in there to claw back one second on the first downwind leg to round at 27s.


He continued to attack on the third [upwind] leg and closed to within 10s at the halfway point. In sight of his long-time rival, Coutts moved for the kill.


In races where passing lanes are few, Alinghi, sailing slightly faster, out-muscled Oracle under spinnaker to take the lead halfway down the fourth [downwind leg] and an eventual 19s turnaround which had the Swiss ahead by 9s heading into leg five.


Once in front, Coutts was giving nothing back. With Murray Jones up the mast to read the wind and call the shots and Brad Butterworth calling the tactics for Coutts, Alinghi kept their rivals at arm's length.


Ahead, Coutts protected the right side of the course and eventually shut Oracle out and take the gun by 13s.


Josh Belsky, from Alinghi, said they felt comfortable throughout.


"The leadership on our boat never get upset. Those guys don't quit," said Belsky.


Of the move which allowed them to come from behind and regain the lead they had held only briefly at the start, Belsky said: "We were able to carry our kite a bit longer than them and we gained two lengths.


"On the beat we were able to get in the middle of the course and take advantage of the shifts."


After a day off, Alinghi will be looking for more of the same on Sunday as they chase the win which will secure the Louis Vuitton Cup and with it the right to challenge Team New Zealand for the America's Cup.


The race mark by mark:


Start:After a 15-minute delay as the breeze settled, racing started at 1.15pm. In a reverse of the previous race, Alinghi narrowly ahead at the start in breezes of nearly 12 knots as Oracle tacked too early and lost momentum in crossing the line. Margin: Alinghi by 2s.


MARK ONE: The boats quickly separated on the first beat with Alinghi going right and Oracle left. At one stage they were nearly 1km apart as Oracle, with Chris Dickson calling the shots, edged ahead in the 14 knot breeze and smooth water.peMargin: Oracle by 28s.


MARK TWO: Good spinnaker sets on both boats as they headed downwind for the first time. While Dickson looked ahead to the next mark, Murray Jones was up the mast on Alinghi searching for the wind. Oracle led by 150m halfway down the second leg and held that around the mark. Margin: Oracle by 27s.


MARK THREE: Around the leeward mark, Alinghi quickly tacked. Oracle tacked in cover which forced Alinghi to tack away. Oracle's big lead whittled away and down to just one boat length before the cross at which point Oracle remained just ahead. Oracle, to the left, under pressure from the Swiss, held on to sneak around in front but only after Alinghi had more than halved their advantage at the halfway point. Margin: Oracle by 10s.


MARK FOUR:Under spinnaker on the downwind leg after rounding the top mark for the second time, Alinghi, to the right, were slightly quicker and soon spilling disturbed air on to Oracle. They eventually edged ahead with Dickson and Peter Holmberg forced to follow briefly before breaking away as Alinghi sailed out from under Oracle on a long gybe and held on to be in front at the top mark. Margin: Alinghi by 9s.


MARK FIVE:Around the mark Oracle, behind, immediately went into a fake tack to break away from Alinghi. Keen to protect the right side and with it the wind and starboard advantage, Alinghi allowed the separation to go beyond 500m as Oracle closed to within a length in a move reminiscent of the first upwind leg before Russell Coutts edged Alinghi away. Margin: Alinghi by 16s.


MARK SIX Oracle, just over two boat lengths back after rounding the top mark, quickly gybed but there was no response from Coutts as he continued to protect the right and eventually sail away as Dickson called for a couple gybes in an effort to close the gap which stretched to over 100m or about four boat lengths. Margin: 13s.


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