Alinghi won both races yesterday and with two races down in both the pro driver and owner driver regattas, the pressure dial was turned up high for the crew on board SUI-64 today.

Pro-Driver Series - Race 5/7 : Alinghi beat Oracle BMW Racing (0'41'')

Alinghi took control of this race in the pre-start. Jochen Schuemann used his starboard tack advantage to force a dial-up. After the traditional circling and jockeying for position, Alinghi and Oracle BMW set up their run for the start line on starboard tack with Schuemann to windward, Oracle BMW helmsman Gavin Brady to leeward, and time to kill.

Both boats luffed to lose time, and Brady eventually decided to tack and duck behind Alinghi. But he didn’t have enough time to return to full speed, and the start gun fired with Schuemann racing across the line, a full length ahead and to leeward of the American boat.

Alinghi used this start line advantage to build a nice lead, midway through the race. On the second beat, Schuemann elected not to cover, and Brady, and Oracle BMW skipper Chris Dickson, made him pay. Separating by over 1300-metres, Dickson found stronger wind on the right in the middle of the Bay, and as Alinghi sailed up the shoreline, Oracle BMW steamed past to lead by just 10-seconds around the top mark.

But on the final run, Alinghi set itself up well, gybing first inside Oracle BMW. When Dickson gybed, the Swiss team was able to roll over the American boat and make a pass. As Dickson and Brady tried to re-gain position from behind and to leeward, they came too close and when their spinnaker touched the mainsail on Alinghi the Umpires assessed a penalty.

Schuemann was able to round the leeward mark with a slim lead, and covered loosely up the short beat to the finish. After completing a penalty turn just before the finish line, Oracle BMW crossed 41-seconds behind. .

Owner-Driver Series - Race 3/5 : Alinghi beat Oracle BMW Racing (0'35'')

There was a false start in this race, with racing abandoned in a close contest just after the start due to a miscommunication between race officials. When the race re-started, the boats lined up for the start line with Oracle BMW Racing owner Larry Ellison to leeward, and Alinghi owner Ernesto Bertarelli powered up slightly to windward.

Ellison luffed his counterpart aggressively, but Bertarelli stayed clear, and started close to windward, both boats on starboard tack. Ellison was able to force Alinghi to tack with two hard luffs after the start and Bertarelli claimed the right hand side of the course for the start of the leg.

The boats switched sides when Alinghi was forced to tack by Alcatraz Island, and Bertarelli then worked up the shoreline, in front of the crowds lining the shore. Ellison enjoyed good wind in the middle of the course, but when the boats converged again, Alinghi carried a 19-second lead around the top mark.

With this race being sailed on the short, three-leg, course, the Oracle BMW Racing team couldn’t find a passing opportunity, and Bertarelli and his Alinghi team, won its first race in the Owner-Driver series. Oracle BMW now leads 2 –1 in the five race series.