Sailing: Alinghi on course for America's Cup

Europe moved within one race of a challenge for the America's Cup after Switzerland's Alinghi, skippered by Russell Coutts, won the fifth race of the Louis Vuitton Cup final in New Zealand yesterday to take a 4-1 lead over Oracle BMW, of San Francisco.

Flat water and a soft breeze in the Hauraki Gulf suited Oracle well as they took the lead from the start, looking as though the momentum the underdogs had created over the previous two races could be continued. Oracle's skipper, Chris Dickson, urged his crew: "If you don't squash them now, you never will."

But with the breeze strengthening in Alinghi's favour, they put in a powerful counter-attack to seize the lead midway through the fourth of the six legs and sail to a 13-second victory for a commanding lead in the best-of-nine series. The winners face Team New Zealand in next month's America's Cup.