South Africa’s Team Shosholoza sailed an epic race on Friday, earning its first win of the season, and indeed in 25 starts at the 32nd America’s Cup. The victory came as the result of some incredible team work and match racing manoeuvres by the rookie team, with new helmsman Chris Law providing the guiding hand of experience.

“The guys were elated,” Law said. “But they’re very controlled; they don’t let it all out.”

On a day when the sun returned to Malmö, the conditions later in the afternoon proved to be testing to the extreme as Sweden offered up a magnificent day of racing conditions. For the first flight of the day, blue sky, heavily dotted with big cumulus clouds, and occasional wind and rain squalls brought Southwesterly winds of 15 knots.

Later in the day, strong gusts upwards of 25 knots tested the teams with both sailors and equipment pushed to the limit. Two main booms were broken, the China Team nearly capsized during a strong squall and a sailor aboard United Internet Team Germany, Christian Buck, was evacuated from the boat after suffering an injury sustained after the race had ended.

On the race course, the tacticians had a tricky day as well. The dark, heavy cumulus clouds represented storm cells that brought stronger winds, and shifts to the left. A current running across the race course was another factor to consider, during a testing afternoon on the Øresund, just to the North of Malmö.

Flight Three
The first flight of races proved to be an opportunity for the smaller teams to threaten some of the strong ones, with +39, China Team, United Internet Team Germany and K-Challenge each showing moments of strength in their matches.

But the biggest push came from Shosholoza, the only team yet to post a win in the 2005 season. The South Africans took Sweden’s Victory Challenge beyond the limit in their match, recovering from some tricky moments in the pre-start to win the left side, and eke out a big enough advantage to hold the lead around the top mark.

It was very close though, and Sweden’s Magnus Holmberg kept pushing on the run, sneaking an overlap, but South African helmsman Chris Law, with luffing rights pushed the Swedes past the leeward gate. Sailing hard to the wind, it was difficult to drop the spinnakers, both teams struggling on the drop, the large sails grabbing in the water. The South Africans recovered faster and Law raced back up to the leeward gate, his aggression resulting in a six boatlength lead as the boats headed up on the second lap of the course. Holmberg never recovered, and Shosholoza earned a very well deserved win.

Among the other matches, +39, K-Challenge, United Internet Team Germany and China Team each took what turned out to be the much favoured left hand side of the start line against their bigger opponents. But the left hand shift was big enough to lift the top teams around the windward mark as well, and Luna Rossa Alinghi, BMW ORACLE Racing and Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia respectively were able to lead around the top mark and win their matches despite the early scares. Emirates Team New Zealand managed to hold off the Spanish to earn its third straight win.

Flight Four
During the second flight, the tough conditions became even harder to figure out, as each cloud seemed to bring a major wind shift. Both race courses were plagued by start postponements due to the big shifts, as the wind jumped in direction and speed throughout the afternoon, ranging from eight to 25 knots from the Southwest to West.

The action came fast and furious during this second flight. Alinghi and K-Challenge were able to get away and although the French had a good start, and earned the favoured left side, the size of the windshift allowed Alinghi to squeeze up past the layline as well, and the Swiss led around the top mark and extended for the win.

The German team was let off the hook after skipper Jesper Bank was late into the start box. Hounded by China Team’s Pierre Mas, Bank needed to use the spectator fleet to shake off the Chinese team, and then Mas made an unforced error, starting early. Bank took full advantage earning his team’s first win.

Then the action really picked up. A series of squalls crossed the race course, bringing big wind shifts and gusts in excess of 25 knots. China Team suffered a massive broach downwind, the boat lying right over on its side for several seconds.

In its match against Luna Rossa, Desafío Español squandered a big lead, and was trailing the Italians when they broke their boom, and had to retire. Luna Rossa moves to four wins.

Shosholoza, after picking up its first win also broke a boom. This occurred whilst the team was waiting in the changeable conditions for their match against +39 to begin. The South Africans retired for the day, handing the race to +39.

Emirates Team New Zealand had a relatively straightforward race against Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team. The Italians picked up a penalty for gybing too close in the pre-start and the Kiwis sailed away to their fourth win.

Finally, Victory Challenge was forced to retire from its match when its jib pulled away from the headstay. The American team was ahead at the time, and completed the course for the win.

Results
Flight Three
Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 74) beat United Internet Team Germany (GER 72), delta 1:40
Emirates Team New Zealand (NZL 82) beat Desafío Español 2007 (ESP 67), delta 0:33
Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team (ITA 77) beat China Team (CHN 69), delta 1:09
Alinghi (SUI 75) beat +39 Challenge (ITA 59), delta 1:45
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 76) beat K-Challenge (FRA 60), delta 1:12
Team Shosholoza (RSA 83) beat Victory Challenge (SWE 73), delta 1:20

Flight Four
Luna Rossa Challenge (ITA 74) won, Desafío Español 2007 (ESP 67) retired
United Internet Team Germany (GER 72) beat China Team (CHN 69), delta 6:32
EmiratesTeam New Zealand (NZL82) beat Mascalzone Latino-Capitalia Team (ITA77),delta 2:58
Alinghi (SUI 75) beat beat K-Challenge (FRA 60), delta 1:04
+39 Challenge (ITA 59) won, Team Shosholoza did not start
BMW ORACLE Racing (USA 76) won, Victory Challenge (SWE 73), retired

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