As the points board takes shape, Shosholoza and Areva Challenge will not make it to the semi finals.

Team Shosholoza's dream of a place in the Louis Vuitton Cup semi-finals faded with a loss against the Spanish home team Desafio Espanol, but the team will be going all out to win their remaining three matches to end in an honourable position on the leaderboard.

"We are not yet dead", said captain Salvatore Sarno, team founder and managing director. "We are still alive and we must still be there. We have three more races to go and Areva are very close".

"We can still fight", he added. "For us to have started as newcomers at the bottom of the leaderboard and come so far is incredible. We are still fighting and we will continue as we have been doing for three and a half years. We are not defeated. We are doing this for the next campaign. We will finish the Louis Vuitton honourably".

Captain Sarno said Saturday should be remembered as the start of a new two boat challenge for South Africa.

"Most probably Alinghi will win again and if they do, it is not final, but 99% sure, that the next Cup will be in Valencia. If this is the case I hope that we will be able to launch RSA 101 by February next year and have it ready for the first Acts in May. My plan is that we have a two boat programme and if we can do that we can win the America's Cup."

The French challenger would not go forward to the last four as BMW Oracle Racing stormed to the finish to stay as the only unbeaten side in the second round robin series.

"It isn’t frustrating", said Sébastien Col, Areva Challenge's Helmsman. "It just shows that to be up there you need an early start with a campaign, sound financial resources, a consolidated team and from experience, I would say that a two boat campaign, even if they are not new".