Emirates Team NZ clear leader in Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland

8:20 AM Sun 14 Mar 2010 GMT

'Emirates Team New Zealand CEO Grant Dalton and All Black, Dan Carter, who will ride with the team as 18th man, on the transfer boat before ETNZ race Azzurra (ITA) in the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010.' Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealand has made it five wins in five races to consolidate its place at the top of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland leader board.

The margin against the Italian team Azzurra may have been 42 sec at the finish, but the race was not without drama for Dean Barker and his crew.

Rounding the first windward mark with a comfortable 50sec lead, ETNZ broke the spinnaker pole at the hoist and completed both downwind legs without one.

Azzurra crossed the finish line and dropped their spinnaker in the water. It wrapped around the keel and was damaged. Sail makers at the Emirates Team New Zealand sail loft said it would take at least 20 man hours to repair. But first the sail has to dry and that could take three to four hours. Four sail makers will work into the night.

Emirates Team New Zealand race Azzurra (ITA) with All Black Dan Carter as 18th man, in the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010. - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

In the boat shed, work started this afternoon repairing the third spinnaker pole to be broken this regatta. Boat builders say it takes about 14 hours to repair a spinnaker pole and it 'cooks' fur 12 hour before it's strong enough to use.

Unbeaten in the round robin, Emirates Team New Zealand on five points is alone at the top of the leader board.

Each team has two more races in the round robin.

Emirates Team New Zealand race Azzurra (ITA) with All Black Dan Carter as 18th man, in the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010. - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

Dean Barker describes the race:

'We had a clear game plan to start in the left and protect the left side of the course on the first beat. We managed to force a split tack start, ETNZ on starboard at the pin and Azzurra on port at the committee-boat end.

The boats separated to more than a kilometre - Azzurra to the right and ETNZ to the left. At the first cross towards the top mark, Barker and sfterguard were rewarded with a 7 - 8 boat-length lead, which at the mark translated to 50sec.

Rounding the mark, they set up for a gybe-set. 'It's a routine manoeuvre and we're still not sure the cause of the problem, but it might have been a jam in the halyard. The tip-end of the pole went into the water; the pole went into the shrouds and snapped.

Emirates Team New Zealand race Azzurra (ITA) in the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010. - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

'We recovered well. The boys retrieved the pole and stowed it safely.'

'From then,' Barker said, 'We sailed a strong race and were never really threatened.'

Today's 18th man was All Black Dan Carter.

Today's results

ALL4ONE beat Aleph by 1m7s
Emirates Team New Zealand beat Azzurra by 42s
TEAMORIGIN beat Synergy by 1m18s
Mascalzone Latino beat Artemis by 1m03s

Emirates Team New Zealand Bowman Jeremy Lomas guides Dean Barker to the start for their race against Azzurra (ITA) in the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010. - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

Leader Board after five flights

EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND - 5
ALL4ONE - 3
AZZURRA - 3
MASCALZONE LATINO AUDI TEAM - 3
TEAMORIGIN - 3
ARTEMIS - 2
ALEPH SAILING TEAM - 0*
SYNERGY RUSSIAN SAILING TEAM - 0

? ALEPH has lost one point due to a penalty.

Emirates Team New Zealand race Azzurra (ITA) in the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010. - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

CC20100314m318 - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealand snap the spinnaker pole when the topper jams in their race against Azzurra (ITA) in the Round Robin of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010. - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

Azzurra (ITA) trawl their spinnaker at the finish in their Round Robin match against Emirates Team New Zealand. Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand 14/3/2010. - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

by Warren Douglas