Tonight, fate is once again in our own hands, thanks to Alinghi's drubbing of ETNZ this afternoon.

So we are back in control of our own destiny. Beat both Luna Rossa and Alinghi tomorrow, we win Act 8. While we would finish tied with Alinghi on 10 wins, two-boat ties are broken in favor of the team that wins the match between them.

There can be no doubt both matches tomorrow will be tough. But tonight everyone in the base is fired up, even our local (Trapani) security guards.

Alinghi also won their first match today. It was no contest -- Shosholoza didn't start due to a breakdown.

It brings up a subtle but interesting rules question being considered by the teams and race committee. Under the current rules if your opponent starts and then retires, you must complete the race to get the point. However, if your opponent does not show up to start, after ten minutes the umpires "black flag" the match and award it to you, meaning you get the point without sailing around the entire racetrack.

After the Alinghi-Shosholoza match was black-flagged, Alinghi sensibly took their sails down and towed back into Trapani Harbour -- and relaxed while ETNZ slogged it around the race course in their match against China Team.

On a two-race day, would it have been fairer if Alinghi had been required to stay out and complete the four-leg course alone, and therefore be a little less fresh when they met ETNZ in the second flight of matches today?

Finally found some pictures of the 3-second finish in our match Saturday with ETNZ, courtesy of CupInfo.com. Click on the pictures to enlarge.

Just before the finish line, 76 does a nice jibe, gets a puff and surfs
alongside ETNZ.

ETNZ has just crossed the finish line, which I have painted in with a
green line between the buoy (just to starboard of ETNZ) and the RC boat
(lower left corner of the picture). As fate would have it, the loss to ETNZ
has not diminished our chances of winning this regatta.