It had to be one of the most frustrating races ever to sail, let alone watch. Forced to start in a very shifty, light breeze six hours after the planned race time and only minutes before time ran out for the day, Prada (helmed by Gavin Brady) and OneWorld proceeded to spend a painful few hours being tortured by the conditions. After losing the lead in the second leg, OneWorld watched as Prada picked up a zephyr and sailed away to an unassailable lead.
But the win turned to ashes in the mouths of the Italian team, they needed to sail and win two races to stay alive and the late start denied them the opportunity to do so. As a result, the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup-winning team have been eliminated, leaving OneWorld to race in the semifinal repechage against Oracle that begins this Friday. Prada def. OneWorld by 17m:46s.
