6.00pm
Switzerland's Alinghi beat Prada of Italy by 1min 18sec in the first race of their best-of-seven Louis Vuitton challenger quarter final series this afternoon.
However, their lead was greatly extended because the Italians had to complete a penalty turn for making contact.
At the first windward mark, Prada ITA-74 was just 10
seconds behind after a bad tack on Alinghi lost them ground.
Prada skipper Francesco de Angelis quickly put Alinghi SUI-64 under serious pressure. Having struggled for pace upwind, Prada was clearly the quicker boat downwind and sat on Alinghi's stern.
A misjudgment on the Italian boat, however, resulted in contact between their bow and the stern of Alinghi, and Luna Rossa received a penalty.
Although Alinghi held Prada off, the leeward mark rounding delta was just 6 seconds. By the weather mark just 8 seconds separated the boats with Alinghi still ahead.
On this downwind leg, Prada showed her pace again, but this time she managed to roll Alinghi, holding the Swiss out at the leeward mark to round 13 seconds ahead.
But, again, Alinghi's upwind speed was telling and the Swiss regained the lead and held it to the finish.
There was further drama at the finish when Prada let their concentration slip just seconds before clearing their penalty on the line as they trawled their kite and had to blow the lines to avoid damaging the mast.
Winning margin: 01.18
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