America's Cup: Emirates Team NZ double winners in Cascais World Series



6:30 PM Sun 7 Aug 2011 GMT
'Emirates Team New Zealand win the Speed Trials of the first America's Cup World Series event in Cascais with a best speed over 500 metres of 42.35 km/h. America's Cup World Series - Day 2 - Cascais' Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Five teams crowded the podium on Sunday at the for the first round of the America's Cup World Series - Cascais.

The opening weekend ended with some champagne sailing across the two events. On Sunday, large crowds on the beach and in the spectator fleet enjoyed front row seats with the racing just meters from the shore.

Emirates Team New Zealand were double winners on the day, claiming top spot in the AC Cascais Preliminaries after four fleet races and then going on to record the fastest run in the AC 500 Speed Trial.

'We are happy how it went,' said skipper Dean Barker. 'But we know we have a lot to keep up with. It's nice; a good feeling to start the week, but there is a lot we need to improve on.'


OracleE Racing Coutts won today's long fleet race, stealing victory from Emirates Team New Zealand after a member of the crew fell overboard. The Kiwis did their best to hang on, but Coutts managed to grind down the shorthanded New Zealand crew just a few hundred meters from the finish, giving the American team victory in the race and second place overall, with Sweden's Artemis Racing in third spot.

In the AC500 Speed Trial, the top three teams needed their third and final runs to record their fastest speeds. The Kiwis, after a disappointing first two tries, had a perfect set-up for their final attempt, screaming down the track at an average speed of 42.35 kph.