Coutts notches up first win against Le Defi Areva

3.00pm

Kiwi Russell Coutts, skippering the Swiss yacht Alinghi, was the easy first winner as the challenger series for the America's Cup started in Auckland today.

On the first day of racing for the Louis Vuitton Cup his yacht beat the French Le Defi Areva by a massive four minutes 48 seconds, finishing the race about 2.25pm.

Alinghi pulled away during the race with a huge gain of two minutes 26 seconds in the fifth leg.

Weather: Wind from S-SW, 10-15 knots, increasing to 15-20 knots. Cloudy sky with scattered showers.

- NZPA

nzherald.co.nz/americascup

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