ITALY in, USA out! SPAIN hangs on KIWI.

Race 6 of the Louis Vuitton Cup Semis endS with ITALY's LUNA ROSSA CHALLENGE throwing out USA's only hope BMW ORACLE RACING. While cup host, Valencia's favorite DESAFIO ESPANIOL 2007 pulls a second upset to EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND and maybe do a hat trick and win 3 more to buy a ticket to the final.

Luna Rossa dominated the series with rounding all the marks ahead of the US team on all the 6 races. This means a lot for any racing team. The Spaniards are also consistent in a sense that they have been winning all their races during the weekend. Being true to their nickname "weekend warriors". They however trail the NZ 4 to 2 points.


I prefer that the Kiwis meet with Italy on the final. It'll be like the remake of the 2000 America's Cup defense. Only this time the Latinos seem to be stronger...

Looks like the Italians vs Kiwis in the Final

After five races each in the semis, it appears the Italian-Luna Rossa Challenge and Kiwi-Emirates Team New Zealand are dominating the best of nine series of the Louis Vuitton Cup. Follow the live audio feed and internet TV tonight (Manila time) to find out if it's the last race for BMW Oracle Racing and Desafio Espaniol. Or can they take the semis all the way to race 9 to upset the leaders?


Spectacular boat handling by the Italians! Here you'll see BMW Oracle Racing just before they hit there transom on Luna Rossa Challenge's side getting penalty number 2.

BMW ORACLE Racing and Desafío Español must win their next four races if they hope to advance to the Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup. That’s the grim reality facing both teams after they lost their matches on Saturday on the waters off Valencia, in front of an enormous weekend spectator fleet.

The Italian Luna Rossa Challenge came into today’s match having led BMW ORACLE Racing at every turning mark in their four contests to day. Under pressure to strike early, the skipper of the American team, Chris Dickson, found himself in trouble during the pre-start, eventually taking two penalties. With such a big disadvantage coming off the starting line, the American team could never get back into the race and Luna Rossa streaked to the win and a 4-1 series lead.

In the other match, Emirates Team New Zealand came off the starting line later and slower than Desafío Español. But a small right hand shift allowed the Kiwis to get their nose in front and they extended from there. The Emirates team leads the series 4-1.

The first team to win five races in each series will advance to the Final. Racing continues on Sunday.

More details here.

Final Four

Next week four remaining teams of the Louis Vuitton Cup Challenge will battle it out on the water where it counts. Two match sets of best of nine will decide who will be in the finals. The winner will have the right to challenge the America's Cup current holder Team Alinghi.

Emirates Team New Zealand skippered by Dean Barker vs Desafio Espaniol 2007 with world number 1 ranked helmsman Karol Jablonski. On the other course are BMW Oracle Racing with skipper Chris Dickson vs Luna Rossa Challenge with Francesco De Angelis behind te wheel of this Italian boat.

I just wish they show this on Philippine cable TV. Damn!