The challenger's cup isn't just to determine the fastest boat to take on the Kiwis. It's also a development series which gives the challengers opportunities to improve. Apparently it's working for Prada since they have now won three in a row. Two of the American boats, Stars and Stripes and Oracle BMW, seem to be struggling, while the Swedish boat and the British boat are doing better. The two top boats, the Swiss Alinghi and the Seattle OneWorld, are very even. Alinghi caught a wind shift on the first leg and that was the margin of victory. Each boat now has just one loss — to each other. The two round robins will determine the matchups for the best of 7 quarter finals and will drop one boat from the field. That dubious honor will likely fall to the French Le Defi or the Italian Mascalzone Latino.

Alinghi Beats OneWorld, Prada Wins Third in a Row
Oracle also picks up a win with new helmsman Chris Dickson...

The weather spoiled the sailors on the Hauraki Gulf for the first time in a long while with a solid 8-13 knot north-northeast breeze and bright early summer sunshine caressing the boats around the race course.
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