8th February 2009 - Louis Vuitton Pacific Series

With Sophie continuing the four-day Tongariro Northern Circuit, I went over to the North Head to watch some of the America's Cup boats sailing in the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series.

Alinghi leads BMW Oracle Racing up the first beat

There were three races scheduled, and the first one (between two Italian crews) got away on time at about 11am. The wind was dying though, and I spent the next 5 hours or so waiting in blazing sun for the next race to start. They did complete the other two races. The 2nd was between Alinghi (Swiss) and Oracle, and the third was between Emirates Team New Zealand and Team Origin (British). Pleasingly, the British team won.

Team Origin crosses ahead of Team New Zealand

These crews showcase some impressive match-racing skills, maneuvering 25-metre (82-foot) boats to within metres of each other. It's entertaining to watch, although it might be a little bewildering for those who aren't into their sailing. The scoring/ranking system for this event was particularly opaque - check out the wikipedia page.

More photos here, but you'd better like boats...