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Kiwis through to finals of Louis Vuitton Cup

Spain's Desafio Espanol races Emirates Team New Zealand in the semi-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup in Valencia on Wednesday. PHOTO: AFP

Emirates Team New Zealand wanted a challenging race. Desafio Espanol gave them one.

With Luna Rossa of Italy already in the final, the Kiwis were pleased to get a tough contest from their Spanish opponents, taking the best-of-nine Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals 5-2 in a series many expected the two-time America's Cup winners to sweep.

"There's a sense of relief. The Spanish were always a very dangerous team to pick," Emirates Team New Zealand tactician Terry Hutchinson said on Wednesday. "The series we had with them was a really good test for us. They sailed a good series and it'll help us prepare for the next round."

The Kiwis disposed of the Spanish in the seventh flight by one minute, 18 seconds with some aggressive controlling from helmsman Dean Barker.

Barker had some shaky starts in the series, but in a matchup where the team that came off the line with the lead always won, Barker locked counterpart Karol Jablonski out to the far right in the dial-up and crossed the start with a two boat-length lead and a 13-second advantage.

Barker's aggressive pre-start jousting was in contrast to his usual manner, which was reflected in the way the Kiwis celebrated after crossing the line -- like it was just another day at the office.

"We try to be as flatline as we can be whether it's a win or a loss," Hutchinson said. "The feel on the boat was the same as it was two days ago when we lost. We've got a lot left to get through. It'll be a daunting task."

After the seventh flight was postponed from Tuesday when strong wind and choppy sea conditions were deemed likely to damage the boats, Wednesday's conditions weren't much better.

Wind speeds reached some of the highest levels since the start of the America's Cup challengers series, reminding all of conditions at the 2003 Cup off Auckland, New Zealand.

"We gave it our all, but it wasn't enough to them and they have obviously spent many more hours sailing with similar conditions," Jablonski said.

The Kiwis likened the conditions to the Hauraki Gulf, site of the last America's Cup, as waves crashed over the bows of both boats.

"You definitely appreciate being ready after having sailed in the Hauraki Gulf when you get up here," Hutchinson said. "The nice thing about that is you have confidence in your equipment and these conditions. These experiences are worth their weight in gold."

The Kiwis start racing against Luna Rossa in the final on June 1 after the Italians screamed into the final with a 5-1 series win over BMW Oracle Racing.
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