By Suzanne McFadden
Dawn Riley was a smiling skipper as her America's Cup boat won its first race on the Hauraki Gulf yesterday.
Don't panic - racing hasn't started without you.
Five boats turned out for a fleet race on the Cup course yesterday, complete with marker buoys, patrol boats and the starter's
gun.
It was the start of a shakedown for the Louis Vuitton Cup race committee and their volunteers who will control the race course during the challenger series, which kicks off in 12 days.
All the 11 challenger syndicates were invited to front up at the start-line, and four took up the offer.
America True, Riley's co-ed campaign, brought their new boat, USA51, and their trial horse, NZL39, for a day's outing.
"The race committee cheered and clapped when we turned up first," Riley said.
They were joined by the French Le Defi, the Spanish Challenge and Young Australia, making their first real jaunt out on the gulf.
The syndicates who accepted the race invitation are all one-race-boat campaigns.
It is unlikely that any two-boat teams will bother to get into an inter-syndicate duel before real racing starts.
In contrast to what the challengers had been warned to expect - wild winds in October - the race start was postponed when there was not enough breeze.
But when the gun went off early in the afternoon, the French boat Sixieme Sens led the small fleet across the line.
America True headed out to the right side of the diamond-shaped course and picked up a windshift which put them comfortably ahead for the rest of the race.
"It was a great way to get everyone into race mode mentally," Riley said. "It was a very gentle introduction in a light breeze."
The second True boat, with Kiwi Leslie Egnot at the wheel, finished third behind the Spanish Bravo Espanol, and ahead of the French.
The young Australian crew had a day of extremes in their 1995 boat, AUS29.
As experienced crewman Rob Brown explained: "We wobbled our way around the track.
"It was our first sail for a while and the boys were just so happy to get out there after six weeks in boatbuilding mode."
