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Two come-from-behind victories boosted the fortunes of Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi today at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai.

Racing in a light northerly breeze on a soft, late autumn day, Kiwi skipper Gavin Brady guided the Italian team to a comfortable victory against Sweden’s Artemis Racing after overtaking them a few minutes into the first beat.

Race Day 8 Mascalzone Latino Audi Team vs Artemis Racing © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Brady’s second match proved tougher after he conceded a start to the Synergy Russian Sailing team and then fought for more than half the race to gain the upper hand.

Their performance today lifted Mascalzone Latino Audi, the challenger of record for the next America’s Cup, from a distant fifth-equal place to third.

The Italian team is only half a point away from overtaking second-placed Emirates Team New Zealand which lost today after botching a spinnaker takedown and flying the giant sail like a flag from the top of their mast.

Hosted by the Dubai International Marine Club the 14-day-long regatta is being sailed close to the shore in waters between the fan-shaped man-made islands of the Palm Jumeirah and the southern entrance to Dubai Creek.

Today was the penultimate day of the second round robin with each win worth two points and any penalties carrying a two point deduction. Only the top four teams will go through to the semi-finals which start on Friday.

“We’d done the math and we knew we had to win those two races today to keep control of our own destiny,” Brady said. “We had a race where we led comfortably and one where we had to come from behind.

“I messed up the end of that second start. We had full control of Synergy. I had 20 decisions to make in that pre-start and dropped the ball. I made 19 good ones and messed up the last one. And that was the one that counted.

“From there, our tactician Morgan Larson did a really good job and called some good shifts on the run that got us to the leeward gate with a chance.”

The two boats at the top of the leaderboard raced today and the USA’s BMW Oracle Racing, skippered by America’s Cup winner James Spithill, took control at the start and fended off attacks from his Kiwi rival Dean Barker.

Race Day 8 View of the matches between BMW ORACLE Racing vs Emirates Team New Zealand and Synergy Russian Sailing Team vs Mascalzone Latino Audi Team. © Paul Todd outsideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

New Zealand’s chances of a victory plummeted when a messy takedown saw them flying their spinnaker like a giant out-of-control flag from the top of their mast before they were able to cut it free.

“It was a disappointing loss,” said Ray Davies, tactician for the New Zealand boat. “It was a very close race and we made nice gains down the run. We gybed for the right-hand gate, feeling pretty comfortable but then the breeze lifted 15 degrees. It changed the bottom mark rounding for us and we ended up with a very difficult rounding because we had to change the call for the bowman. It was a pretty bad situation for us. When we let the spinnaker go it got caught inside the mast so we had to cut it free.”

Four matches tomorrow will wrap up the round robin and confirm the four semi-finalists.  BMW Oracle Racing, Emirates Team New Zealand and Mascalzone Latino are all poised to go through to the semis but, with all races counting for two points and the possibility two penalty point deductions for infractions or collisions, nothing is certain.

Flight One, Race One, Synergy Russian Sailing Team def All4One, 00:05 – Francesco Bruni and his Russian team conceded the start to Sebastien Col and the French/German team All4One, only to be penalized for tacking too close when they converged in the middle of the course. Bruni had a narrow edge up the rest of the leg and rounded the top mark 13 seconds ahead. Col threatened on the second beat but the Russians eked out a 125 metre edge that provided the narrowest of margins to unload their penalty with a 270 deg. turn on the finish line.

Flight One, Race Two, Mascalzone Latino Audi def Artemis Racing, 01:55 – The Italian team scored a runaway victory against Sweden in light air. Cameron Appleton, steering Artemis Racing, won the start and chose to go right but it was Gavin Brady who came from behind and crossed ahead on port tack, half way up the weather leg to secure a crucial two points.  

Flight Two, Race One, BMW Oracle Racing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:25 –
The intensity of this match was signaled by a protest by New Zealand at the beginning of the dialup for tacking too close. It was green-flagged. They came off the line together on starboard with the Kiwis in a safe leeward. James Spithill, steering Oracle, almost immediately tacked away and ETNZ’s Dean Barker tacked to cover, conceding a one boat-length advantage. BMWOR led at the next two marks. Disaster struck for the Kiwis when they lost control of their spinnaker at the bottom gate takedown and they set off to windward with the chute flying like a giant flag for agonizing seconds before they could cut it free. Game over!

Flight Two, Race Two, Mascalzone Latino Audi def Synergy Russian Sailing, 00:21 –
This was anyone’s race. Gavin Brady chased his opponent all over the ocean above the layline before they returned 40 seconds after the gun to make even starts. However Francesco Bruni enjoyed a tiny edge and was able to push the Italian boat well beyond the port layline to round the top mark just three seconds in front. The Russians still led, by just eight seconds, after a close run but Brady chose the left-hand gate to claim the favored right-hand side for the next beat. He bounced the Russian team away twice and then crossed clear ahead before consolidating his lead with a 23-second margin at the top mark.

Provisional Results after Day Three of RR2:

   1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 12-2, 15 pts 
   2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 7-6, 8.5 pts
   3.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 6-8, 8 pts *
 =4.  All4One, 5-8, 6 pts
 =4.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 6-8, 6 pts *
   5.  Artemis Racing, 5-9, 5 pts

* A scoring penalty has been assessed by the umpires

In Round Robin One, each team sailed every other team twice, with each win worth one point.

In Round Robin Two, each team will sail every other team once, with each win worth two points.

At the conclusion of Round Robin Two, the top four teams will advance to the semi finals. The bottom two teams are eliminated.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

The American team BMW Oracle Racing sailed a near-flawless race today against Sweden’s Artemis Racing to maintain their margin at the top of the leaderboard

Race Day 7 BMW ORACLE Racing © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Everything didn’t go their way. Earlier in the day James Spithill and his team were defeated by the French/German team All4One whose helmsman Sebastien Col won the start and staved off determined American attacks, especially on the first three legs. It was only the second loss in the series for the American team.

Except for BMWOR which holds a four and a half point lead on 13 points, the leaderboard at the Louis Vuitton Trophy remained tightly-packed after the second day of competition in the second round

Race Day 7 BMW ORACLE Racing vs ALL4ONE © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

“We got two points for that race today. It’s a big win,” said All4One’s skipper Jochen Schümann. “BMW Oracle Racing has been very strong so far, so I would say it’s almost ‘bonus points’. We now have a realistic chance to make it to the semis, which is our goal here.”

Sébastien Col, helmsman of the French/German boat said: “We achieved a really solid race. The key point was the first downwind leg, where we defended very well. We were leading at the first mark, and then we defended well with a few close jibes, which was kind of our weakness at the beginning of the event. After a day like this, we will really feel better controlling our competitor downwind.”

Speaking of BMOR’s James Spithill, winner of the 33rd America’s Cup, Col said: “He and I are from the same generation. We raced together very often in youth world championships or on the match racing circuit. He has had an exceptional career these past four years. We’ve known each other for a long time, and it’s always nice to get a win against him.”

Ian Moore, the navigator of the American boat agreed that All4One had done an outstanding job. “It was a little disappointing to lose the first race, but give credit to All4One,” said Moore. “They started well and sailed impeccably well. We see a lot in these races that if you win the start it helps to go on and win the race, and that’s what they did.

“But you can’t let it get you down. You’re going to lose races in a tournament as long as this and we rallied in the second race. Jimmy got a fantastic start and our tactician John Kostecki did a nice job calling the race and picking the shifts.”

Moore said that after losing to the French/German team,  “it was good to get a victory against a strong team like Artemis.”

The hard luck story of the day was the Swedish team Artemis Racing which lost two races, each worth two points, to drop from third place overall to fourth. They had started the day in third place, just one and half points behind second-placed Emirates Team New Zealand.

Artemis lost first to the Synergy Russian Sailing team even though the Russians were penalized for a collision in the pre-start. In one of the closest races seen in Dubai this week, Synergy skipper Francesco Bruni attacked and gained the lead before surrendering it while unwinding his penalty. He then fought his way back to finish first, only to lose his two finish points with a two-point deduction for hard contact.

In their second race Artemis was solidly defeated by BMW Oracle Racing.

Racing resumes tomorrow afternoon with race boats now scheduled to leave the dock at 1300 and the earliest warning signal at 1345.

Race organizers aim to complete the Round Robin competition on Tuesday. There will be a lay day on Wednesday followed by fleet racing on Thursday. The semi-finals and finals will be raced on Friday and Saturday.

Flight One, Race One, All4One def BMW Oracle Racing Team, 00:45 -
This was only the second race the Americans have lost. Sebastien Col had the starboard advantage at the entry, went nose-to-nose in a protracted dialup above the line against James Spithill, and led back to start at the pin on starboard. Coming into the top mark Spithill was pressing hard but the French/German alliance held the Americans out above the mark and led by eight seconds. Oracle stayed close and on the attack but Col held his nerve and pulled away on the last two legs.

Flight One, Race Two, Synergy Russian Sailing Team def Artemis Racing, 00:26 – A collision before the start saw the Russian team facing a four point loss – two penalty points for hard contact in the collison and  the prospect that Cameron Appleton and Artemis Racing would win the match and go up two points. Synergy’s Francesco Bruni sailed the race of his life to lead on the first beat, unwind the penalty at the top mark and hold off Appleton on the second beat to win the race and two points that were wiped out by a two point loss for hard contact.

Flight Two, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:10 – The Kiwis claimed the right at the start and despite early gains by Gavin Brady, steering Mascalzone Latino Audi, it was Dean Barker who led around the top mark. Brady remained in close contact as the breeze softened with the approaching sunset and it was only on the final run that the New Zealand team could feel comfortable about an imminent win.

Flight Two, Race Two,  BMW Oracle Racing def Artemis Racing, 01:03 – The presence of team owner Torbjorn Tornqvist onboard was not sufficient to save Cameron Appleton and the Swedish from a sound defeat at the hands of James Spithill.  After a protracted dialup, Spithill returned to start on the left on starboard with Artemis trailing by a few metres at the committee and also on starboard. Spithill was able to cross his opponent on the port tack half way up the beat and extended from there on every leg.

Provisional Results after Day Two of RR2:
   1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 11-2, 13 pts
   2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 7-5, 8.5 pts
   3.  All4One, 5-7, 6 pts
   4.  Artemis Racing, 5-8, 5 pts
=5.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 5-7, 4 pts *
=5.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 4-8, 4 pts *

  * A scoring penalty has been assessed by the umpires

In Round Robin One, each team sailed every other team twice, with each win worth one point.

In Round Robin Two, each team will sail every other team once, with each win worth two points.

At the conclusion of Round Robin Two, the top four teams will advance to the semi finals. The bottom two teams are eliminated.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

The All4One team found success on the waters off the Dubai International Marine Club on Saturday afternoon, winning the traditional dhow race on Heritage Day at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai.

Louis Vuitton Dhow racing with all the skippers in crew. © Paul Todd outsideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Each of the six Louis Vuitton Trophy crews was assigned a local dhow, one of the traditional craft that used to ply these waters as essential modes of transportation and trade. Today, dhow racing is among the top events on the local sporting calendar and Saturday’s race marked the first time foreigners were allowed to actively participate in a race.

Each dhow was manned by 11 crew from the LVT teams, along with six of the boats’ regular sailors. The dhows set up for the start with an anchor off the bow and stern and the sails down. When the starting gun fired, the sails were heaved up, the anchor lines cast off, and the boats started reaching towards the finish line, some six miles downwind.

At the finish line, it was All4One, taking the win over Emirates Team New Zealand and BMW ORACLE Racing. Getting a good, fast start proved to be critical.

“You need to come off the starting blocks fast. We picked a good angle and it worked out well for us,” said Jochen Schumann, the multiple Olympic medallist who was sailing on the All4One dhow.

While Schumann acknowledged there are many differences in how these boats sail, he says some of the essential tactics and strategies remain the same. “In many ways, I think these boats are similar to other sailboats; ‘Do you sail higher and faster or lower and a little slower?’ I think we did well to gybe only once, because those are expensive, and in the end, we did well and had a lot of fun. We’d love to do it again.”

That final sentiment was shared by many of the skippers.

“It was fun and it was good to do it. I’ve seen video and photos of these boats before so it was neat to be able to try it,” said Gavin Brady, the helmsman for the Mascalzone Latino Audi team, who missed out on a podium finish, but enjoyed the afternoon nonetheless.

Louis Vuitton Dhow racing finish line next to Burj al Arab © Paul Todd outsideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Also racing on Saturday was a gaggle of local junior sailors, who competed in the Louis Vuitton Junior Trophy. Racing on O’pen Bics in the lagoon off the DIMC, the junior sailors were vying for a chance to sail as 18th man with the finalists of the main event, on November 27th.

It’s back to business for the Louis Vuitton Trophy teams on Sunday when racing resumes in Round Robin Two.

Four races are scheduled, with the event leading BMW ORACLE Racing matched up against All4One in the first pairing. Artemis then faces Synergy, Emirates Team New Zealand is against Mascalzone Latino Audi and the final match will see Artemis race BMW ORACLE Racing.

The earliest time for a warning signal is 1245.

Provisional Results after Day One of RR2:

  1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 10-1, 11 pts
  2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 6-5, 6.5 pts *
  3.  Artemis Racing, 5-6, 5 pts
=4.  All4One, 4-7, 4 pts
=4.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 4-7, 4 pts *
=4.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 4-7, 4 pts

* A scoring penalty has been assessed by the umpires

In Round Robin One, each team sailed every other team twice, with each win worth one point.

In Round Robin Two, each team will sail every other team once, with each win worth two points.

At the conclusion of Round Robin Two, the top four teams will advance to the semi finals. The bottom two teams are eliminated.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

After the end of racing on Day 6 of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai the top of the leaderboard remained unchanged from yesterday. However it stayed that way only because Emirates Team New Zealand redeemed itself in the last race of the day with a double-points victory against Sweden’s Artemis Racing.

Race day 6 Emirates Team New Zealand © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Earlier in the day, the Kiwi boat skippered by Dean Barker, had dropped to third place after losing at the hands of fellow Kiwi Cameron Appleton steering Artemis Racing. Their match, the opener of the day, was the last single-points race in Round Robin One.

In Round Robin Two competition the USA’s BMW Oracle Racing, Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi and ETNZ all won their matches and posted double points.

Conditions for racing off the Dubai International Marine Club were ideal with a shifty northerly breeze that built to 14 knots and flat seas.

Serene and seemingly untroubled, the American boat skippered by America’s Cup winner James Spithill, now has an 11-point record, four and a half points clear of the New Zealanders. The rest of the field remains tightly bunched with only two and a half points between second and sixth boat.

“Spithill’s doing a fantastic job,” said Rod Dawson, tactician for the Synergy Russian Sailing Team that lost to Oracle. “He certainly got the better of us in the pre-start today. “Being behind with a deficit is one thing but carrying a penalty as well is just about impossible.”

Ian Moore, navigator for the American team, provided a glimpse from the inside. “We’re a lot more prepared than the last two regattas we did, with more practice time. Practice makes perfect. There’s no doubt about that.

“One of the things you’re seeing is that we’re starting very well. Everyone’s firing on all cylinders. It makes my life easy because you know what’s going to happen next. Everything is running smoothly. It’s a joy to behold, really. However you’ve got to keep that intensity and momentum up. You can’t let it go.”

Speaking of their second match against Emirates Team New Zealand, Artemis tactician Iain Percy said: “We had a pretty even start and backed ourselves in a big shift. In the end it became almost too good because we overstood and gave away that gain. At the top mark it came down to a few metres and unfortunately it wasn’t quite enough.”

Ray Davies, tactician on the Emirates boat said: “The start is very important on this course. We wanted to be to the right and we were to the right.  It was close at the top mark but we had a piece of them by a couple of metres.”

There will be no Louis Vuitton Trophy racing tomorrow. Instead, the skippers and ten crew members from each of the International America’s Cup Class boats will join Arab sailors to compete in a 60-foot traditional dhow race. 

Organized by the Dubai International Marine Club, it will be the first time that outsiders have ever competed in the sleek, lateen-rigged craft that celebrate centuries of Arab commerce, fishing, and pearl diving.

The six dhow skippers attended a special press conference and joined their counterparts, taking part in the draw to decide choice of boats for the race that will start tomorrow afternoon.

Flight One, Race One, Artemis Racing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:27 -
The Swedish boat steered by Kiwi Cameron Appleton won handsomely, claiming second place overall for Round Robin One, half a point ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand, his opponents in this race. The New Zealand afterguard performed dismally in the pre-start, gifting the race to the Swedish team. The Kiwis were trailing Artemis on starboard 20 seconds before the gun when Dean Barker tacked onto port. He was late. Unable to lay the committee on port, he tacked onto starboard on the line three boat lengths behind Appleton, losing the right-hand advantage and any chance of redemption. From there, it was a procession.

Flight Two, Race One, BMW Oracle Racing def Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 00:48 -
Oracle’s James Spithill held Francesco Bruni away from the start line as the seconds ticked down. At the start gun the boats were still luffing head to wind well below the committee. The Russians made an attempt to hook Spithill and the umpires flagged a penalty. Spithill took another 43 seconds to gather momentum and cross the start line, with the Russians tucked away three boat lengths astern. Bruni never got close and finished still carrying the penalty.

Race day 6 ALL4ONE vs Mascalzone Latino Audi Team © Paul Toddoutsideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

Flight Three, Race One, Mascalzone Latino Audi def All4One, 00:24  -
Gavin Brady skippering the Italian boat held Sebastien Col above the start line before circling the committee, making a perfect start and claiming the right side of the course. Col and the French/German boat were delayed getting back and conceded a boat length as racing started. Col drew level in fresher conditions at the top mark but Brady was again able to push him away from the mark to round first. Col kept it close on the run and was only one a half boat lengths behind as they gybed for the bottom mark. Then the French/German spinnaker pole went overboard in an untidy spinnaker drop that left sail plastered all over the foredeck. 

Flight Four, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Artemis Racing, 00:32 –
After losing their first race today to Artemis Sailing, Emirates Team New Zealand lined up for their second start side by side with the Swedish team. Both boats were head to wind nine seconds before the start and they started together on starboard with Artemis to leeward. Dean Barker had claimed the right side of the course and he quickly split away. When they met again at the weather mark the Swedish boat had slightly overstood and Barker used his starboard tack advantage to herd Cameron Appleton away from the mark. The delta was ten seconds. 

Provisional Results after Day One of RR2:

  1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 10-1, 11 pts
  2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 6-5, 6.5 pts *
  3.  Artemis Racing, 5-6, 5 pts
=4.  All4One, 4-7, 4 pts
=4.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 4-7, 4 pts *
=4.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 4-7, 4 pts

* A scoring penalty has been assessed by the umpires

In Round Robin One, each team sailed every other team twice, with each win worth one point.

In Round Robin Two, each team will sail every other team once, with each win worth two points.

At the conclusion of Round Robin Two, the top four teams will advance to the semi finals. The bottom two teams are eliminated.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

Competition between Sweden’s Artemis Racing and the French/German team All4One in today’s matches epitomized the character of racing at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai today.

Race day 5 Artemis Racing vs ALL4ONE - © Paul Todd outsideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

 

Race day 5 Artemis Racing vs ALL4ONE - © Paul Todd outsideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Racing against each other twice, each team won once and lost once. It was a pattern repeated in all but one of the other pairings, leaving the leaderboard bunched in the middle.

With just one match remaining in the first round robin, BMW Oracle Racing is unassailable at the top of the leaderboard with nine points. After that, the fleet is tightly grouped with just half a point separating the next four boats. Emirates Team New Zealand is in second place with 4.5 points. Sweden’s Artemis Racing, Synergy Russian Sailing Team and the French/German team All4One remain third-equal on four points. Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi team is sixth with two points.

Race day 5 BMW ORACLE Racing. © Paul Todd outsideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Only Artemis Racing and Emirates Team New Zealand have a chance to improve their standing. They will race tomorrow in the final match of the first round robin. A victory for Artemis would see them overhaul the Kiwis to take over second place.

Racing in round robin two will begin following the ETNZ vs Artemis match. In the second phase of the regatta, each team will sail the other just one time, but a victory is worth two points. The top four teams at the conclusion of round robin two will advance to the semi final.

Kevin Hall, navigator for Artemis, is looking forward to the last race of the round tomorrow against Emirates Team New Zealand.

“What we’re seeing out here is very good racing so we were happy to go one and one. All the teams are going to have to be happy with one and one by the looks of it. It’s tough racing and the teams are close.”

Jochen Schumann, three-time Olympic gold medalist and skipper of All4One had praise for his team’s win against Artemis after fighting off multiple attacks in their second race.

“I thought our strategy and our teamwork was good,” he said. “Obviously all the teams are getting better day by day. We’re all getting ready for what’s to come. Next round robin it will be two points for a win, so that will make a difference.”

Ray Davies, tactician for Emirates Team New Zealand, said that their one win and one loss came down to what happened in the starts. “We were over in the first and gave Synergy a big jump. In the second race we pushed them over at the start. It was great work by Deano (skipper Dean Barker) and we got a big lead out of that and we only had to cover them for the rest of the race.”

For every one of the Louis Vuitton Cup matches, a VIP guest sails aboard as the 18th man, riding in the back of the boat, right behind the skipper and experiencing the tactics and action up close.

Today’s guests included English cricket ace Freddie Flintoff and Kiwi cricketer Chris Cairns. Flintoff rode with Emirates Team New Zealand today and was filled with praise for their smooth teamwork.

Race day 5 Chris Cairns, New Zealand cricketter, as the 18th man on Mascalzone Latino Audi Team during the 1st race. - © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Although not a sailor, it’s not the first time he’s sailed on a Cup boat. “I sailed on the Hauraki Gulf in New Zealand in 1992 and it was cold and wet and windy,” he recalled. Dubai conditions were not the only difference. “I got stuffed in Auckland. I got put on grinding duty. I didn’t make that same mistake today. I very quietly declined.”

Flight One, Race One, Synergy Russian Sailing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:14 - Synergy’s light nudge into the safety wands extending from the stern of the Kiwi boat was all it took to give an initial advantage to Emirates Team New Zealand in the pre-start. Kiwi skipper Dean Barker went for a start at speed at the committee boat end, only to be called back for breaking the line a split second too soon. Francesco Bruni sailed away carrying a penalty but led around the course, eventually increasing his lead enough to expunge his black mark with a penalty turn on the finish line.

Flight One, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:41 - James Spithill exploited a starboard entry to lead off to the left at the start with a half boat length lead over the Italian boat. Gavin Brady split away and took Mascalzone Latino off to the right but there was no magic there and Spithill was never really threatened.

Flight Two, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Synergy Russian Sailing, 00:33 – After a long dialup, Barker chased the Russian team off to the pin end of the start line, hooking his bow below their port quarter to control and push Francesco Bruni over the line early. The Kiwi skipper tacked and started at speed as Bruni returned to start properly before trailing 100 metres in the wake of the New Zealanders. After that, Synergy never got close. 

Flight Two, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:45 – Gavin Brady wanted the left and sailed off to an early lead as Spithill and the American team split away on the right, where they found more wind pressure, to eventually round the top mark half a boat length in front. BMWOR led at every mark, extending on the final run to win by 200 metres.

Flight Three, Race One, Artemis Racing def All4One, 00:05 - Cameron Appleton split away at the start of the closest race of the day. He took Artemis out to the right side of the course but the French/German boat made early gains before it fell into his wake. Sebastien Col, steering All4One, kept the pressure on and this was anything but a procession. At the leeward mark the boats were overlapped but Col couldn’t break through.

Flight Four, Race One, All4One def Artemis Racing, 00:37
- The first half of this race was very tight. The boats split at the start, with Artemis again going right. When they closed for the first cross, All4One on port tack feinted and drew level to claim a safe weather berth as Artemis tacked below them. The French/German team proceeded to sail the Swedish team out beyond the starboard layline and led by eight seconds around the top mark.  Cameron Appleton pulled back alongside approaching the midline gate but again Col held him out, sailing past the mark before leading back. Col’s margin was still only ten seconds at the leeward gate but after that, the French/German team pulled away on the beat.

Provisional Results:

   1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 9-1, 9 pts
   2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 5-4, 4.5 pts *
 =3.  Artemis Racing, 4-5, 4 pts
=3.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 4-6, 4 pts
 =3.  All4One, 4-6, 4 pts
   6.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 3-7, 2 pts *

* Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

Emirates Team New Zealand exposed the first cracks in the armor of the dominant BMW Oracle Racing team at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai today.

The New Zealanders split race wins with the regatta leader, winning their second match by a nail-biting one-second margin over the fast advancing Americans.

Race day 4 BMW ORACLE RACING vs Emirates Team New Zealand - © Bob Grieserousideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

Oracle skipper James Spithill had won the pair’s first match, preserving his team’s no-loss record after four days of racing off the host Dubai International Marine Club and putting the Kiwis on the back foot.

In an about-face, New Zealand’s Dean Barker grabbed control at the start of the second race and led the Americans around the course.

It was a must-win for the Kiwi team flying the flag of the United Arab Emirates. Down two races before today, and docked half a point for a collision on the opening day, they ideally needed two wins to put a dent in the winning performance of the team that holds the America’s Cup.

The scoreboard now has BMW Oracle Racing on seven points and Emirates Team New Zealand in second place with 3.5 points. Sweden’s Artemis Racing, Synergy Russian Sailing Team and the French/German team All4One are third-equal on three points. Italy’s Mascalzone Latino Audi team is sixth with two points.

Race day 4 Mascalzone Latino Audi Team vs Artemis Racing - © Bob Grieserousideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

Expectations were heightened at the end of the day when old Louis Vuitton Cup foes America and New Zealand lined up for their first start.  Oracle’s Spithill won the start and claimed the favored right hand side of the course. The Kiwi boat led early but better conditions on the right favored the Americans.

Barker kept it close and there were two confrontations at the top of the first leg with flogging sails, shouts and protest flags. The combatants narrowly avoided collisions and all the protests were green-flagged by the on-water umpires.

In the second race Barker was pinned by his rival in the pre-start but got out of jail with a minute remaining before the start gun. The right was favored and the Kiwi skipper grabbed it like a drowning man.

Barker exploited his edge all around the course, remaining a couple of boat lengths clear of the attacking Americans. However the Oracle team’s favorable gybe on the last leg almost robbed ETNZ of their sorely-needed point.

“It was another good close race,” said Emirates tactician Ray Davies. “Obviously we’re going to see a few more races like this so better get used to it. In the last race there was some favorable line bias and pretty much the reversal of what we saw in our first race. It was a bit tricky on that run to the finish but, very happy with the final result.”

At least a day’s racing remains in the First Round Robin.  All the teams each have two races still to sail.  ETNZ and Artemis have a third match, with the promise of a one-point advance on the score table for the winner.

Race day 4 ALL4ONE vs Synergy Russian Sailing Team - © Bob Grieserousideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

Flight One, Race One, Synergy Russian Sailing def All4One, 00:08

 – Synergy Russian Sailing team earned a come from behind win with a pass on the first run. But they were given a scare on the short downwind sprint to the finish on the second lap of the course as All4One made a gain with a smoother rounding at the top mark, and some good crew work on their downwind gybes. Although the French-German team was able to pull into an overlapped position halfway down the run, Francesco Bruni and his Synergy crew held their nerve to earn a narrow victory.

Flight One, Race Two, Artemis def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:39

 – This match was all but over before it began as Gavin Brady, at the helm of the Italian boat, picked up a penalty one minute before the start. Attempting to dive down to leeward of Artemis, which was leading back towards the starting line, the bow of the Italian boat clipped the safety wands extending from the transom of the Swedes. Carrying the burden of his penalty all the way around the track, there was nothing Brady and his team could do to recover. An easy victory for Artemis.

Flight Two, Race One, All4One def Synergy Russia Sailing, 00:11

 – A good start by Seb Col on All4One saw him win the right hand side of the course with his nose forward of Synergy. Bruni, at the helm of the Russian boat, was forced to luff hard to clear the pin end of the starting line, handing the early lead to Col. A tacking duel ensued, with All4One always holding the advantage on the right, which translated into a seven-second lead at the top mark. On the run, Synergy was able to position itself well for the gybe towards the leeward gate and rumbled past All4One to an 11-second lead. But on the second beat, the duo of Seb Col and tactician John Cutler engineered a pass for All4One, successfully fending off a lee-bow tack by Synergy, allowing them to sail the Russian team out past the layline before leading back to the mark and holding on to the finish for an important win.



Flight Two, Race Two, Mascalzone Latino Audi def Artemis, 00:38

 – A nice timed run start by Mascalzone Latino saw them tight to leeward of Artemis and hitting the line with speed, forcing the Swedish boat to tack away. The Italian team rounded the top mark with a lead of just one length but gained on the run to have a comfortable margin the rest of the way around.

Flight Three, Race One, BMW Oracle Racing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:19 – James Spithill and BMWOR won the start, and the right side of the course. Dean Barker and the Kiwis split away to the left for an early advantage but more pressure on the right drove the American boat ahead. Racing was close, close enough for a dial down confrontation at the top of the first beat and a series of protest flags at the top mark, all green flagged. Barker stayed within two boat lengths on the run and attacked with a series of muscle-punishing tacks upwind but Spithill dominated and won comfortably.

Flight Three, Race Two, Emirates Team New Zealand def BMW Oracle Racing, 00:01 – James Spithill controlled the start until the last minute when Dean Barker got under his guard and pushed BMWOR away from the favored right hand side. The Kiwi boat controlled comfortably with a two boat lead until the final leg when a crucial gybe saw the Americans advancing to trail by just five metres at the finish.

Provisional Results:

   1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 7-1, 7 pts
   2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 4-3, 3.5 pts *
= 3.  Artemis Racing, 3-4, 3 pts
= 3.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 3-5, 3 pts
= 3.  All4One, 3-5, 3 pts
   6.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 3-5, 2 pts *

* Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

James Spithill, the youngest skipper to win the America’s Cup, continued an unbroken record today at the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai as his BMW Oracle Racing team posted two more victories in close match racing.

Race day 3 BMW ORACLE Racing - © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy.

Race day 3 BMW ORACLE Racing - © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

The American team’s record is 6-0 and six points. Their nearest competition is Emirates Team New Zealand in second place with 3-2 and only 2.5 points after an jury penalty on Sunday.

Spithill was merciless in his opening match against Italian Francesco Bruni steering Synergy Russian Sailing. Spithill waited until the last minute of the pre-start before swooping in to attack.

Seconds later he’d grabbed a controlling position on Synergy’s port quarter and pushed the Russian boat above the start line as the gun went. The Russians had to go back and start property while Spithill increased his lead on every leg, finishing 300 metres ahead, the biggest margin of the day.

Race day 3 Synergy Russian Sailing Team vs BMW ORACLE Racing - © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Spithill’s second race against the Russians was a different story. BMW Oracle Racing tactician John Kostecki described the race as “quite tight.” The Americans rounded the top mark first but Kostecki said the first beat was touch and go.

“We got to them just about at the layline,” Kostecki said. “They had to bail out and we were able to roll them. They had to do two tacks at the top mark. I think we played that right. It was real close though. It could have gone either way.”

Spithill finally got control of the race after a hair-raising leeward mark rounding when the Russian team came charging back into contention and rounded inside the American boat, claiming and getting an inside overlap.

“We managed to get them to tack away and incur a penalty,” Kostecki said. “Out of that we got the starboard advantage and got ahead on the last beat and ended up winning the race. It was a good race. It feels good to be 6-0.”

Emirates Team New Zealand only had one race, against the Swedish team Artemis Racing. Kiwi skipper Dean Barker claimed a small advantage at the start but Artemis skipper Cameron Appleton enjoyed the starboard side advantage and bounced ETNZ away every time they met in a series of tacks.

When Barker tried to duck his opponent and get right, Appleton bore off in a classic dial down. Barker tacked back and the boats narrowly avoided collision in a flurry of protest flags and shouting.

“We could have cut them in half,” said Grant Dalton, ETNZ CEO who also crews on the boat. “We wanted a red flag penalty but the umpires didn’t agree.”

Flight One, Race One, All4One def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:22 – Gavin Brady’s race with Sebastien Col was over before it started when  Mascalzone Latino Audi jumped the gun as she grazed past the race committee boat on port tack in a split tack start. Col, at the helm of the French/German boat All4One, set out with a 90 metre lead that turned into a 38 second advantage at the top mark. A messy spinnaker drop cost All4One valuable time at the leeward mark but she was still 100 metres in front at the finish gun.

Race day 3 ALL4ONE vs Mascalzone Latino Audi Team - © Paul Todd ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Flight One, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Synergy Russian Sailing, 00:58 – At BMWOR’s helm, James Spithill swooped down on the Russian boat inside one minute to the start as both boats approached on starboard tack. Hooked by the American boat, Francesco Bruni was pushed over the line as the seconds ticked down and Synergy Russian Sailing was forced to return and start.

Flight Two, Race One, All4One def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 00:13 – Gavin Brady started the Italian boat at speed on starboard with a safe leeward on All4One. The French/German boat tacked away and Brady followed, taking them out to the starboard layline before leading at the top mark by a boat length. Half way down the run, the Italian spinnaker pole went in the water on a bad gybe. Sebastien Col seized the lead and held it to the finish.

Flight Two, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Synergy Russian Sailing, 00:15 – Russia’s Francesco Bruni came close to wrecking James Spithill’s so-far perfect record in Dubai, overtaking the American boat on the inside at the leeward mark only to be penalized for failing to keep clear as they sailed away from the mark. Spithill had made a safe leeward start on starboard and controlled the race to the weather mark, leading by a boat length and opening the lead only to see it evaporate as Bruni closed at the end of the run, successfully claiming the inside overlap.

Flight Three, Race One, Artemis Racing def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:21 – The Swedish boat skippered by Cameron Appleton claimed the right at the start and bounced Kiwi skipper Dean Barker back to the left on six successive tacks. When Barker bore off and attempted to duck his opponent, Appleton, on starboard, dialed down and forced Barker away before hardening up take a clear lead. Barker kept it close but the race was Appleton’s

Flight Three, Race Two, Mascalzone Latino Audi def Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 00:15 – On their third race of the day against the Russian team, Gavin Brady and Mascalzone Latino finally prevailed and put their first point on the board. Brady made a perfect start at speed at the pin end of the line and led by eight seconds at the top mark. Francesco Bruni and the Russians clawed back within two seconds as they rounded opposite ends of the leeward gate but Brady maintained control and the lead.

Results:
   1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 6-0, 6 pts
   2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 3-2, 2.5 pts *
= 3.  Artemis Racing, 2-3, 2 pts
= 3.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 2-3, 2 pts
= 3.  All4One, 2-4, 2 pts
   6.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 2-4, 1 pts *

* Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

The Synergy Russian Sailing Team and Emirates Team New Zealand both featured in come-from-behind victories during close competition today at the Louis Vuitton Dubai.

Race day 2 BMW Oracle Racing rips their spinnaker going down wind against Artemis Racing.© Bob Grieserousideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

Their efforts put the Kiwis and Russians second and third respectively in the standings after Day Two but it is James Spithill’s American team BMW Oracle Racing that enjoys first place with a perfect 4-0 score.

Weather played a role in curtailing racing, forcing the race committee to postpone one match until tomorrow.

The start of racing was delayed as the race committee waited for the sea breeze to fill in.  One hour before the scheduled start at noon there was barely a breath of wind as the temperature hit 30 deg. C on its way to a forecast high of 32 deg.

Racing got under way an hour and a half later in a building northerly breeze. Later in the afternoon a gusty, dusty breeze off the desert heralded an easterly wind shift and briefly postponed competition before racing restarted in 15-knot northeaster.

The Synergy team, which narrowly missed winning the Louis Vuitton Trophy La Maddalena earlier this year, pulled out all the stops in their race against Mascalzone Latino Audi, the challenger-of-record for the 34th America’s Cup in 2013.

Synergy’s helmsman Francesco Bruni went for the jugular in the prestart, only to be penalized for hitting the safety wands on the stern of his opponent’s boat. Undaunted, he eked out a 120 metre lead by the top of the second windward leg and completed his penalty turn to round in company with Mascalzone.

Race day 2 Synergy Russian Sailing Team vs Mascalzone Latino Audi Team © Paul Todd/outsideimages.com/Louis Vuitton Trophy

Now the Italians led but only until their spinnaker parted company with its halyard and fell in the sea. Game set and match to the Russians.

“We had quite a mixed pre-start,” said Synergy tactician Rod Dawson, with masterful understatement. “Then we came off the start line with a small edge and capitalized on that. We extended up the beat and throughout the race. We were sailing really well.”

There were lead changes too in the contest between Emirates Team New Zealand and the French/German boat All4One.  Dean Barker won the start only to surrender the lead half way up the first beat as his opponent Sebastien Col pulled off a risky port tack cross.

Race day 2 Emirates Team New Zealand vs ALL4ONE start © Bob Grieserousideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy.

Closing the leeward mark, the Kiwis rolled their opponents and grabbed an inside overlap plus the lead at the mark, despite an untidy spinnaker drop that threatened to put the brakes on their advance.

“It was a tricky little race,” said ETNZ tactician Ray Davies. “It was a very difficult course with quite big wind shifts and the game was changing all the time. It looked straightforward but it wasn’t.”

Flight One, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def All4One, 00:23 – At the gun, Dean Barker steered the Kiwi team to a perfect start to leeward of the French/German boat, eventually forcing Sebastien Col away. At the weather mark ETNZ led by 12 seconds but had to work hard to hold off the opponents nipping at their heels.

Flight One, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Artemis Racing, 00:27 – Artemis tactician Iain Percy called for a pin end start, while Oracle was well up the line as they started together. At the top mark James Spithill had the American boat 17 seconds ahead but they went through the downwind gate side by side. Oracle shredded a spinnaker approaching the leeward gate and Artemis’ Cameron Appleton closed, only to be denied an inside overlap protest.

Flight Two, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def All4One, 00:17 – ETNZ enjoyed an early lead before Col pulled off a close port tack cross half way up the leg. All4One controlled the right and rounded the top mark 10 seconds in front. Closing the leeward mark the Kiwis rolled their opponents and went on to win.

Flight Two, Race Two, BMW Oracle Racing def Artemis Racing, 00:37 – Skipper James Spithill wanted the left and grabbed it after taking Cameron Appleton and Artemis out into the spectator fleet in a lively and noisy circling duel. Spithill led back and tacked onto port right at the pin end of the line. When Appleton eventually came back on starboard, the American boat was already 60 metres clear ahead and pulling away.

Flight Three, Race One, Synergy Russian Sailing Team def Mascalzone Latino Audi, 01:19 – Aggressive tactics before the start cost Synergy a penalty as Francesco Bruni attempted to hook Gavin Brady’s Mascalzone. Brady started at the committee and went right but Bruni got up on his hip and held the Italian boat above the starboard layline to lead at the next two marks. Synergy had a 120-metre edge as the breeze softened on the second beat. A penalty turn put the Russian boat back into contention but Mascalzone rounded the weather mark just three seconds in front. The Italian boat’s voyage to victory ended when the spinnaker came off the halyard and went in the water.

Provisional Results:

  1.  BMW ORACLE Racing, 4-0, 4 pts
  2.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 3-1, 2.5 pts *
  3.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 2-1, 2 pts
  4.  Artemis Racing, 1-3, 1 pt
=5.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 1-2, 0 pts *
=5.  All4One, 0-4, 0 pts

* Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires

Note:  Racing will start tomorrow, Tuesday at 1:00 pm local time.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.

James Spithill, winner of the 33rd America’s Cup and defender of the 34th America’s Cup, topped the standings on the opening day of racing in the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai.

Race Day 1 Emirates Team New Zealand collides with Mascalzone Latino Audi Team. The Kiwi pole impaled through the Italian hull before breaking off. © Bob Grieserousideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

The young Australian skipper steered BMW Oracle Racing to a 2-0 record over the French/German boat All4One while the other four boats in the contest posted 1-1 records.

Racing was close and eventful on the short windward-leeward courses tucked into gulf waters between Dubai Creek and the palm-tree shaped man-made islands of The Palm Jumeirah.

There were two collisions, one serious, when Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand speared its spinnaker pole through the side of Mascalzone Latino Audi steered by Gavin Brady. No one was hurt but Brady was penalized twice in the incident and race officials asked Brady to withdraw to avoid further damage to the Kiwi boat.

Race Day 1 Repair work will be carried out overnight in order to have the boats ready to sail tomorrow © Paul Toddoutsideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

Cameron Dunn from Mascalzone said his team was head to wind when the New Zealand boat tried to turn inside them and their spinnaker pole sliced into the brittle carbonfiber topsides of the Italian boat.

“It went straight through the carbonfiber,” Dunn said. “It’s not a very thick skin at that point. It’s not designed to take impacts on the side. We’re lucky it wasn’t much worse. It could have been considerably worse. I’m surprised the bow didn’t hit. Luckily it was just the spinnaker pole. No one was hurt. It was pretty exciting for the 18th man in the back, and the television cameraman.” 

Ray Davies, tactician on ETNZ said: “It was pretty dramatic. Obviously not what anyone wants. A lot of damage, a broken spinnaker pole and a big hole in a boat. It’s not a good way to start but the guys are working on repairs and it should be OK for tomorrow.”

Following a jury hearing into the collision, Mascalzone Latino Audi was docked one point while ETNZ lost half a point.  Before racing started, race officials had warned sailors about actions that might render boats incapable of racing.

In the other incident, young French helmsman Sebastien Col flicked the bow of his French/German boat All4One into the safety wands on the stern of BMW Oracle Racing. The contact earned him a penalty flag and he lost the race.

Dubai skies were clear, hot and sunny skies as racing got under way after a short delay. The sea breeze came in at 6-8 knots and built to 14 to 15 knots as the afternoon wore on. Boats raced twice around a windward-leeward course with a mid course start finish line that also served as a gate for all legs.

Flight One, Race One, Mascalzone Latino Audi def Emirates Team New Zealand, 00:27 – At the start ETNZ split away on port tack while Mascalzone bore off on starboard with an early lead. Gavin Brady, skippering the Italian boat seized the early advantage and controlled the race, leading at every mark and fending off the New Zealanders as they threatened to overtake at the leeward mark.

Flight One, Race Two, Artemis Racing def Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 00:30 – It was all over before the start gun as Cameron Appleton on Artemis threatened to push Synergy above the committee boat as they approached on starboard tack. Francesco Bruni elected to squeeze into the narrowing gap between his opponent and the committee to. Seconds later the umpires signaled a red flag penalty requiring an immediate penalty turn. The Swedish boat led comfortably and finished 122 metres ahead.

Race Day 1 Artemis Racing © Bob Grieser ousideimages.com Louis Vuitton Trophy

Flight Two, Race One, Emirates Team New Zealand def Mascalzone Latino Audi, ret – This race ended with a bang. Dean Barker carried Gavin Brady far above the wrong side of the weather mark before the boats collided after rounding. The Kiwi spinnaker pole speared through the side of the Italian boat leaving Brady with two penalties for the mark rounding scuffle. Minutes later Mascalzone Latino was asked to withdraw to avoid further damage. Barker sailed on to take the point.

Flight Two Race Two, Synergy Russian Sailing Team def Artemis Racing, 00:31 – Both boats wanted the right at the start but it was Artemis who controlled and split off on port to claim the right hand advantage. Half-way up the first leg, the Russian boat clawed back to take a narrow 11 second lead at the top mark before extending and protecting their lead for the rest of the race.

Flight Three, Race One, BMW Oracle Racing def All4One, 00:17 – James Spithill landed a penalty on the French/German boat and led it off the line with a 60-metre advantage after a spirited pre-start exchange. All4One helmsman Sebastien Col had attempted to duck below his opponent and hook him as they approached the line but as his bow pinged the safety wands on the American boat’s stern, the umpires’ flag went up. Col kept it close but the race belonged to Spithill.

Race day 1 BMW ORACLE Racing vs ALL4ONE © Paul Toddoutsideimages.comLouis Vuitton Trophy

Flight Four, Race One, BMW Oracle Racing def All4One, 00:24 – The Americans wanted the right and controlled the start but Sebastien Col started perfectly to leeward and the margin was seldom more than a metre either way as they sailed for three and a half minutes out to the layline. BMW Oracle rounded eight seconds ahead, gradually extended on the following legs and finished 85 metres ahead.

Results:

  1.   BMW ORACLE Racing, 2-0, 2 pts
=2.  Artemis Racing, 1-1, 1 pt
=2.  Synergy Russian Sailing Team, 1-1, 1 pt
  4.  Emirates Team New Zealand, 1-1, 0.5 pts *
  5.  Mascalzone Latino Audi Team, 1-1, 0 pts *
  6.  All4One, 0-2, 0 pts

* Scoring penalty deducted by Umpires

The Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai is under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Airline and Group, the principal sponsor of the event.