Louis Vuitton Trophy: Emirates Team NZ through to the semis

9:05 AM Wed 17 Mar 2010 GMT

'Emirates Team New Zealand race Synergy (RUS) in the elimination round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand. 17/3/2010' Chris Cameron/ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealand race Synergy (RUS) in the elimination round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand. 17/3/2010 - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealandand Mascalzone Latino have gone through to the semi-final of the Louis Vuitton Trophy Auckland regatta.

ETNZ beat Synergy by 15 seconds to earn their ticket through to the semi-final; Mascalzone Latino beat Aleph by 59sec.

Synergy and Aleph have been eliminated from the regatta.

Artemis, Azzurra. TEAMORIGIN and ALL4ONE race tomorrow to find the two remaining semi-finalists.

Emirates Team New Zealandand Mascalzone Latino do not race tomorrow.

The breeze was a good 18 - 22 knots at the start this afternoon. Earlier in the day the three preceding matches were delayed because the breeze was well into the 20s.

ETNZ had early control off the start even as Synergy snatched the right of the course in the last seconds of the pre-start. Dean Barker: 'The right was very strong and at the first cross which was almost right on the lay line we couldn't make a lee-bow tack stick and we followed the close into the mark.

'The good thing for us is that we kept the pressure right on them, waiting for an opportunity. Their hoist was bad and we slid around them.

'We kept a cover on and the boys did a great job to defend hard right to the end.'

'Racing tomorrow will be interesting. There'll be some tough racing no matter which team wins through to the semis.'

Emirates Team New Zealand catch Synergy (RUS) shortly after the top mark rounding as Synergy struggle with the set. Elimination round race of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand. 17/3/2010 - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealand race Synergy (RUS) in the elimination round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand. 17/3/2010 - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

Emirates Team New Zealand race Synergy (RUS) in the elimination round of the Louis Vuitton Trophy. Auckland New Zealand. 17/3/2010 - Chris Cameron-ETNZ

by Warren Douglas