Emirates Team New Zealand update - looking for better at San Francisco

Emirates Team New Zealand is taking time to get into its groove racing the AC45 at the America’s Cup World Series Regatta at San Francisco.

After an indifferent first race day for the team – an eighth and a ninth in the two fleet races – skipper Dean Barker is looking for better over the next three days.

“Today we were far from our best. We know only too well that if we don’t get a good start and if we are not in good shape at the first mark, it’s difficult to make opportunities on a one-way course.

“We got to the first mark back in the pack today and we fought to pick up a place here and there but there was no way through.”

There are three days to go and the final fleet race carries extra points our times the points – the winner getting 40.  “Our aim is to get to the start-line on Sunday in good shape.”

Today’s results:

Match racing quarter finals:

Artemis Racing White  b Luna Rossa Swordfish
Oracle 4 b Luna Rossa Piranha

Fleet race 1: Oracle 5  1, Oracle 4 2, Luna Rossa Piranha 3, Energy Team 4, Artemis White 5,  Artemis Red 6,  Team Korea 7, Emirates Team New Zealand 8, Luna Rossa Swordfish 9,  JPM-Ainslie 10,  China Team 11.

Fleet race 2: Oracle 4  1, Artemis Red 2, Artemis White 3,  Korea 4, JPM-Ainslie 5, Oracle 5  6, Energy Team 7,  Luna Rossa Piranha  8, Emirates Team New Zealand  9, Luna Rossa Swordfish 10,  China Team 11.

Tomorrow Emirates Team New Zealand races Ben Ainslie in its match racing quarter-final. Oracle  5 v Energy.