Alinghi ends Oracle's run for America's Cup

AUCKLAND, New Zealand — Switzerland's Alinghi advanced to the America's Cup final against Team New Zealand, beating Oracle in the sixth race of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series yesterday.

The victory, aided by a prestart penalty to the San Francisco yacht, gave Alinghi a 5-1 decision in the best-of-nine series on the Hauraki Gulf course.

Oracle's loss leaves the America's Cup without a U.S. boat in the final for the second straight time after it participated in all previous finals in the 152-year-old event.

Alinghi crossed the finish line less than 10 seconds ahead of Oracle, but the victory margin grew to 2 minutes, 34 seconds because of Oracle's penalty.

The race start was delayed for two hours due to light wind.

While the American boat completed the penalty turn, Alinghi's crew — led by New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts — shouted and sprayed champagne in celebration.

Oracle led for the first two legs yesterday without taking its penalty, but lost the lead after three legs, marking the fourth time in the series that the San Francisco boat lost the lead.

Alinghi will attempt to end New Zealand's hold on sport's oldest trophy in the nine-race final scheduled to begin Feb. 15. New Zealand has won the last two regattas, in 1995 off San Diego and in 2000 in Auckland.

Oracle was penalized before the start for not keeping clear during prestart maneuvers, causing the yachts to nearly collide.

"He got one, he got one," Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth shouted to his crew even before the flag indicating a penalty to Oracle went up.

Alinghi won the start by a second in 9 knots of wind as it went up the committee boat side and headed for the right side of the course. Oracle took the left, but when the yachts crossed, Oracle had a lead of about a boat length and led after the first mark by 15 seconds.

Oracle doubled its lead early on the second leg in patchy wind conditions, but Alinghi pulled some of that back. The umpires' boat closely following both boats had its blue light flashing, indicating the penalty by Oracle had to be discharged.

Alinghi, unable to do much to cut into Oracle's lead, trailed by 28 seconds after two legs. On the third leg, Alinghi threw a half-dozen tacks at Oracle to try to cut into the lead.

Alinghi closed the margin when the wind fell dramatically around Oracle, which was sailing about 150 meters away.

Alinghi took a 10-second lead after the third leg, its first lead in the six-leg, 18.5-nautical-mile race.

"I'll tell you, the shift didn't save us, in the end he (Oracle) just died in the corner," Butterworth told Alinghi's crew of the wind drop.

Alinghi increased the margin to 24 seconds after four legs and with a four-boat-length lead, Alinghi could sail confidently knowing Oracle had to take the penalty turn.

On the final leg as Oracle closed in on Alinghi, Oracle skipper Chris Dickson said "we can still win this thing." But Alinghi held its lead through a number of gybes.

Oracle's campaign ends after 34 races, including a 12-4 record in the round-robin series and an 8-0 mark in two playoff series against OneWorld of Seattle.