Europe's chance of remaining in the running for the America's Cup took a dunking on Saturday, and an amateurish error before the start prevented Stars & Stripes from expanding its lead in the defender trials as it lost to Young America.
Nippon scored a critical win over France 3 in the battle for the remaining spot in the Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals for challengers. The victory, by 3 minutes, 38 seconds, solidified Nippon's hold on fourth place, 23 points to 15 for France 3.Both were semifinalists in 1992, and both are among the better-funded syndicates this year. But with three strong challenges from the South Pacific dominating the foreign fleet, either France 3 or Nippon will be the odd yacht out.
Team New Zealand, oneAustralia and NZL-39 already have clinched spots in the semifinals.
To survive, France 3 needs to win two of its four remaining races and have Nippon lose its remaining three.
Nippon still gets its layday and must face only one of the top three boats, Team New Zealand, while France 3 must face oneAustralia and NZL-39. Nippon and France 3 both face the sixth-and seventh-place boats, Rioja de Espana and Sydney 95.
This was the first win in three races for the new Nippon yacht. France 3 had beaten the older Nippon yacht in the second and third round-robins.
European yachts have been trying to win back the America's Cup since 1851, when the yacht America beat a fleet of 16 English yachts around the Isle of Wight. Only two European entrants have reached the finals in the last 31 years, England's Sovereign in 1964 and Italy's Il Moro di Venezia in 1992, and both were beaten decisively.
Also Saturday, Team New Zealand beat national rival NZL-39 by 2:35, and Rioja de Espana beat Sydney 95 by 1:15 to pull out of last place for the first time since January. Rioja de Espana won for only the second time in 21 races, both victories coming against Sydney 95.
On the defender course, Kevin Mahaney's Young America beat Stars & Stripes by 1:03.
Starting helmsman Paul Cayard wheeled Stars & Stripes into the starting area before the 5-minute gun, drawing a penalty that required a 270-degree turn after the start.
That proved costly for Stars & Stripes, which gained from two wind shifts on the first leg but trailed by 24 seconds at the first mark.
Stars & Stripes gained from a shift on the windward third leg, but Young America made the correct call by hoisting a lighter gennaker on the downwind fourth leg as the breeze dropped to 5-7 knots. Stars & Stripes changed to a lighter gennaker halfway down the run, and Young America pushed its lead to 52 seconds.
The victory, worth seven points, allowed Young America to tie Stars & Stripes for first place in the Citizen Cup standings with 32 points apiece. America3's women's crew is third with 14 points.