America's Cup: OneWorld sails away while Prada penalized

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Seattle's OneWorld Challenge evened the score with Italy's Prada today, winning by 33 seconds and seizing a major victory in the America's Cup trials.

OneWorld's big win on the volatile Hauraki Gulf ties the best-of-seven series at one point apiece in the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals. A previous win by OneWorld in the semifinals was nullified by a penalty.

The first two legs of the two-hour race were closely fought, but an on-the-water penalty against Prada — which required its Luna Rossa yacht to do an extra penalty turn around the second buoy — left the race in OneWorld's hands.

"The guys did a great job on board. It was a special situation where the team needed teamwork," OneWorld skipper Peter Gilmour said. "The guys were terrific."

Prada skipper Francesco de Angelis said at a news conference that he thought the penalty was a bit strong.

In other semifinal action, the Swiss Alinghi yacht, skippered by Kiwi sailor Russell Coutts, hammered San Francisco's Oracle BMW Racing for the third day in a row.

Alinghi, which finished 46 seconds ahead of Oracle, needs just one more victory to secure a berth in next month's challenger finals.

Prada and OneWorld started their race in a northwesterly breeze of 12 knots, just hours before gale-force winds were expected to rip through the gulf. Once the day's races got underway, the breeze intensified, tropical showers turned to heavy rain, and the seas became as choppy as a washing machine.

OneWorld helmsman James Spithill circled around to get on Prada's stern, but the Italian boat driven by Rod Davis was able to take the favored, windward position. OneWorld's USA-67 accelerated and the two boats crossed the starting line together.

They drag raced up the first windward leg, slamming into rising waves. OneWorld showed a slight speed advantage and grabbed an early lead. But as the two boats tacked back and forth up the gulf, their dueling grew fierce and Prada began to close the gap.

OneWorld rounded the first mark just 10 seconds ahead of Prada. Raising their parachute-like spinnakers, the two boats sailed downwind. Prada's sleek vessel began to show its superior downwind strength.

As the winds rose to 17 knots, Prada cut in front of OneWorld and took the lead by a few meters. Prada led OneWorld around the second buoy by four seconds, aggressively squeezing out OneWorld as the two boats negotiated the turn.

Umpires aboard a chase boat immediately raised blue and red penalty flags, indicating that Prada had committed a foul by sailing above its proper course.

Prada's sailors executed a penalty turn around the buoy, as OneWorld sailed away.

On the next three legs, Prada tried to make up the distance, but OneWorld rounded the last mark 56 seconds ahead.

On the last downwind run, Prada made a final assault.

But the Italian syndicate ran out of time, and OneWorld crossed the finish line with boat lengths to spare.