Off the line it was a good start from Dean Barker but Alinghi, in a compromised position, hung on.
The race was a classic day of how powerful it was to be onthe right hand side of your opposition. The power was really on the right on the upwinds. Sailing on the left, New Zealand on both upwind legs were bow forward but were unable to capitalise on that.
On the downwind Team New Zealand did well to roll Alinghi on the first run. At the bottom mark gate, maybe if we look back in two races, the Kiwis took the right hand gate looking down and got passed on both times. How significant that might be.
The last downwind was bizarre. At the top mark Alinghi did a dial down. The boat on starboard has the rights, which was Alinghi. The dial down was a set move. Alinghi had practised it. Alinghi dialed down when the New Zealanders dialed down and held their course. Team New Zealand were ruled not to have kept clear. It was a penalty.
Most of us thought the game was over then but on the final run the breeze collapsed near the finish and we saw Team New Zealand get rid of their penalty and miss going into the eighth race by one second.
What a race it was.
As you can imagine Team New Zealand were distraught. But they have plenty to be proud of. They have come so far since 2003. Grant Dalton's leadership has been tremendous and Dean Barker will leave this cup as one of the best helmsman in the game.
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