Switzerland's Alinghi cruises to series lead against Oracle

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Swiss syndicate Alinghi underlined its role as favorite in the America's Cup challengers final by comfortably beating U.S. rival Oracle in the series' first race on the Hauraki Gulf today.

Alinghi led from start to finish as it beat Oracle by 1 minute, 24 seconds to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-nine race series. The winner of the Louis Vuitton Cup for challengers will sail against defending champion New Zealand in the America's Cup beginning Feb. 15.

Oracle fought hard against Alinghi in aggressive prestart maneuvers and early on the first leg of the six-leg, 18.5-nautical-mile race.

But Alinghi, with former Cup-winning skipper Russell Coutts of New Zealand at the helm, wrested control of the race within five minutes of the starting gun and crossed ahead of Oracle to open a lead of about 100 meters halfway down the first leg.

Coutts and tactician Brad Butterworth made the most of the shifting wind conditions of about 10 knots and increased their lead to 1:23 by the end of the second leg.

Oracle chipped away at Alinghi's lead on the fourth and fifth legs but never looked capable of mounting a real challenge to Alinghi's lead. Software billionaire Larry Ellison, who has funded most of Oracle's $95 million challenge out of his own pocket, appeared glum as he sat in the "17th man" nonsailing position at the stern of his boat.

With the wind building to more than 14 knots near the end, Alinghi increased its lead to more than 90 seconds by the end of the fifth leg and cruised home for a comfortable win.

Alinghi beat Oracle 4-0 in the "double chance" semifinals group to force Ellison's team into a semifinals repechage.

But by beating rival OneWorld, a rival U.S. syndicate from Seattle, in the repechage, Oracle skipper Chris Dickson earned the rematch with Alinghi in the Vuitton Cup finals.

Dickson had said at a prerace briefing Friday that he thought Oracle had improved significantly since then, and had made radical changes to the most expensive America's Cup yacht ever built that have given him a much faster boat. But yesterday there appeared to be little evidence of that against a very impressive Alinghi.