Sailing: GBR have last laugh on jokers

The momentum gained from three wins in their last three races of the first round of the Louis Vuitton Cup is just the tonic Britain's America's Cup challenge needed to carry them into the next series of races in a week's time.

With the wind near the top of its racing limit on the Hauraki Gulf, and over a course shortened to two laps as the organisers tried to clear a backlog of races, GBR Challenge powered away, sporting a new mainsail. Their latest victims were the underdogs from Naples, Mascalzone Latino. That translates as Latin Rascals and the jokers in the pack lodged a protest after the British boat Wight Lightning fluffed a spinnaker drop. The 4,000 square feet of cloth, costing £20,000, was cut free and left to float. The Italians claimed the sail blocked their path but the protest was dismissed.

While the GBR crew enjoys two days of recreation, the rest of the syndicate are working feverishly on the boats to produce extra speed. "We have three or four options, all already tested either on the water or in the tank," said the starting helmsman, Andy Beadsworth.

Sitting in third place with five wins is Oracle BMW, two points behind Switzerland's Alinghi, skippered by Russell Coutts, and with Oracle's chief designer, Bruce Farr, in town to discuss performance improve-ments.

Oracle had lost their first race to their northern rivals OneWorld, of Seattle, after one of the most aggressive pre-start confrontations of the series between Peter Holmberg and the young Australian James Spithill, who has taken over the role of on-the-water skipper and helmsman from Peter Gilmour. Spithill controlled the race all the way to the finish to send OneWorld back to their compound as the only unbeaten team.

They ended the first round with an 8-0 scoreline and even though they are due to be stripped of one point for an infringement, they go into the second round-robin honours even with Alinghi of Switzerland.

The next round-robin series begins a week today, and the main schedule of races the following day.