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Sailing into history Prada defeats AmericaOne to reach first America's Cup
Posted: Saturday February 05, 2000 10:36 PM
AUCKLAND, New Zealand (AP) - Italy's Prada will challenge New Zealand for sailing's America's Cup after defeating AmericaOne on Sunday in the last race of a down-to-the-wire finals series. The Italy-New Zealand America's Cup will be the first time in 149 years of competition that a U.S. boat will not take part in the America's Cup. Prada defeated AmericaOne by breaking a 4-4 tie in the best-of-9 challenger finals with a disciplined display of match racing in shifty conditions. Another first-to-5 regatta starting Feb. 19 will decide whether the Cup will remain in New Zealand or go to Italy for the first time. Sunday's race -- three legs sailed into the wind and three downwind for a total distance of 18 1/2 miles -- was delayed for almost an hour because of light winds on the course in Auckland's Hauraki Gulf. More than 1,200 pectator boats -- from multimillion-dollar "mega-yachts" to day-tripper runabouts -- clogged the waters around the course on a warm summer afternoon. Winds strengthened and the race started in about 14 knots. The winds grew to around 18 knots and were very shifty in speed and direction. Prada won the start by 1 second and built a lead of around four boat lengths in a drag race to the right-hand side of the course. After a short tacking duel, skipper Francesco de Angelis guided the sleek silver yacht rounded the 1st mark 34 seconds ahead of AmericaOne. Prada extended its lead on the next four legs, leaving frustrated AmericaOne skipper Paul Cayard too far behind to engage in tactics which might have forced a mistake or penalty. On the first downwind leg, Prada gained 5 seconds, leaving AmericaOne trailing by 39 seconds at the mark. As gray clouds closed in overhead, Prada was again faster on the next leg, adding 8 seconds to its lead. AmericaOne trailed by 47 seconds at the half-way mark. As the wind strengthened, so did Prada, adding five seconds to its lead on the next leg, and 14 more on the next. The Italian boat went into the final sprint to the finish line with a 1 minute, 6 second-lead. De Angelis pumped his fist in the air and the Italian crew hugged and slapped each other on the back as they crossed the finish line 49 seconds ahead of AmericaOne. A Prada crew member opened a magnum of champagne, spraying crewmates and spectators boast nearby. A champion in grand-prix class boat racing in Italy, de Angelis has never competed in America's Cup before. Cayard is a Cup veteran, having helmed Dennis Conner's losing defense off San Diego in 1995, and skippering the only other Italian challenge to have made it to the America's Cup, the Il Moro di Venezia bid in 1992 The America's Cup -- 3-foot high ornate silver pitcher made in 1848 by English silversmith Garrard's -- has left the United States only twice since competition began in 1851. It was bolted to a plinth in the New York Yacht Club after a single American boat defeated a fleet of 14 British boats in a race around the Isle of Wight for the 11 Guineas Cup. The schooner America took the cup home and the cup took the boats name. New York defended 25 attempts to win the cup before Australia broke the 132-year winning streak in 1983 when Australia II defeated Dennis Connner's Liberty. Conner won the cup back off Fremantle, Australia, in 1987 and successfully defended the win in 1992. In 1995, New Zealand became only the third nation to hold the Cup after Sir Peter Blake's "Black Magic" team trounced seven other challengers then defender Young America for a 5-0 victory.
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