March 29, 2024
BANGOR DAILY NEWS (BANGOR, MAINE

Mahaney sails yacht to victory

SAN DIEGO – Kevin Mahaney’s Young America outmaneuvered the all-women America3 in a critical downwind tacking duel to steal the lead and sail away to its first victory Friday in the third round of America Cup racing.

In a steady wind of 10 knots, the Pact 95 boat crossed the finish line 1 minute, 20 seconds ahead of America3. The victory puts the syndicate from Bangor, Maine, at the top of the defender scoreboard.

“I think the biggest thing is we are sailing the boat better,” Mahaney said. “We are getting more out of the boat and it’s starting to show.”

OneAustralia debuted its controversial new boat with a victory on the challenger course over Spain, and Japan’s Nippon Challenge beat an improved Sydney 95 after the team lost a crewman, a sail and a spinnaker pole in a nail-biting matchup.

Sydney 95’s woes began when starting helmsman Nev Wittey had to be taken off the boat because of illness. Later, Sydney snapped a spinnaker pole in half, handing the close race to Nippon.

Racing on the defender course began in ideal conditions with a 7-knot breeze and small swell. With slightly better speed, Young America led America3 across the start line by one second.

In a tacking duel at the first leg, America3 had the upper hand and led by 31 seconds at the first mark.

Mahaney revealed afterward that Young America had to repair a broken winch on the first beat, but the problem was fixed by the mark.

Downwind, Young America launched an attack and closed the gap. Approaching the second mark, Mahaney outmaneuvered America helmsman Leslie Egnot, sailing to the inside and taking a 14-second lead into the second lap.

“They did a good job,” Egnot said. “We’re trying to push our bottom roundings to a point where they are risky and today they weren’t the tidiest roundings.”

As the wind picked up to 10 knots, Young America maintained a loose cover over the next six miles of the course.

“We’re pretty happy,” Mahaney said. “We’re stayed with the girls in the tacking duel and we’re awfully happy about that. They were beating us pretty bad in the first series.”

The victory, worth four points, lifts Young America above Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes on the scoreboard. America3 is in third.

“We’re sick of losing,” Egnot said. “We have to get more than one win this round.”

In the best race on the challenger course, Sydney 95 led Nippon out of the start area and around the first mark by 41 seconds.

Japan came back and on the second run and, under a blue geneka, sailed past Sydney 95. The Australian team’s hopes of a comeback were dashed a moment later when its carbon fiber spinnaker pole snapped in half, causing the spinnaker to fall into the water.


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