t was another good day for Emirates Team New Zealand on the fourth day of the Louis Vuitton Act 4 at Valencia, winning both races.

The first race today was against The Swedish Victory Challenge, a team with three wins for the regatta.

Skipper Dean Barker said before the race: “We have a healthy respect for the Swedes. We saw how they performed in Auckland and 2003 and we know how well their boat can perform.”

It was another hot day in Valencia. The temperature reached 30 deg in the late afternoon. The sea breeze from the south-east was around 10 – 12 knots.

Barker and his crew started very well, forcing SWE63 out of the start box. NZL 82 got away cleanly, picking up a line of breeze on the left of the course and were leading by about 3½ boat lengths.

SWE 63 recovered well, got a good shift, and started pulling back the deficit. The first beat was close. At times almost too close.

SWE 63 put on the pressure and kept it on for the entire race as they sought a way round NZL 82. But there was no way NZL 82 was going to let them open up a separation, and possibly find a better breeze and slip by.

The grinders worked overtime – 24 tacks in the 2.2 mile leg – as the afterguard worked to keep SWE 63 under control. So close was the racing there was no margin for error or gear damage. NZL 82 rounded the first mark 12 sec ahead; the second mark 23 sec ahead.

On the second beat – again doing 24 tacks as the Swedes attempted to break out of the Kiwi stranglehold. the margin was extended by only 2 sec to 25 sec at the third mark and at the finish SWE 63 trailed by 24 sec.

In the second race of the day NZL 82 beat the China Team (CHN 69) by a comfortable 1 min 58 sec. NZL 82 was never troubled, winning the start and sailing away while maintaining a loose cover.

By the end of the first leg, NZL 82 had a 1 min 14 sec advantage, extended to 1 min 24 at the leeward gate and to 1 min 50 at the third mark.

The team has two big days ahead.Tomorrow Emirates Team New Zealand meets Alinghi (SUI 75) and Shosholoza (RSA 83). On Tuesday, in the last race of this regatta, NZL 82 races against BMW Oracle.

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