Yachting: Team NZ top qualifier after Louis Vuitton round robins

First-placed Team New Zealand beat bottom-placed Synergy by a minute. Photo / Getty Images

Team New Zealand has finished top qualifier in the Louis Vuitton Trophy yachting regatta off Auckland with a six-win, one-loss record in the round robin.

In today's final round robin race, New Zealand beat bottom-placed Synergy (Russia) by a minute, although the match was delayed by a soft and shifty breeze.

By the time the race started the breeze was a good 16 knots, but it was still shifty and conditions were tricky.

Synergy got the better of the start and looked strong on the beat until Barker applied some pressure from behind and Synergy split rather than engage. That gave Barker the leverage he needed and when the yachts came together again, he was comfortably ahead.

Barker said Synergy's strong start had kept Team New Zealand working hard to stay in touch.

"Synergy did well in the start and got away fast. Our guys did a great job to keep it close up the beat.

"Then we threw a few tacks at them, forcing a split to the left. We got some leverage and crossed in front of them before the top mark."

From there, Team New Zealand maintained control, and sailed well to comfortably maintain their lead.

They rounded the first mark 26 seconds ahead, extended on the run to 38sec and by mark three was more than a minute in front, a margin that was maintained to the finish.

- NZPA