Challenger Selection Series – Alinghi has no chance and is facing elimination – Sport

• Alinghi is facing elimination from the America’s Cup in Barcelona.
• The Swiss syndicate also lost semi-finals 3 and 4 against Great Britain at the Challenger Selection Series.
• This means that the British team still needs one win to reach the final of the preliminary round.
• The Italians, who are also 4-0 up against the USA, are just one win away from reaching the final.

After the two clear defeats on Saturday, Alinghi wanted to show a reaction in the semi-final of the Challenger Selection Series for the America’s Cup against Great Britain. But this endeavor failed miserably – the Swiss syndicate experienced a real disaster at the start of the third duel.

Near-crash at start

Before crossing the starting line, there was a near-collision with the British. Both teams had to take evasive action, and the Swiss boat fell off the foils before crossing the starting line, as it had in the second duel – the team around skipper Arnaud Psarofaghis was virtually at a standstill.

Team Britannia immediately pulled away and had already built up a lead of over a kilometer after the first leg. For Alinghi, the third duel after this cold start was already over, and it was now just a matter of limiting the damage. However, the gap at the finish was 2:20 minutes.

The second duel of the day was also a clear matter

In the second duel of the day, everything went smoothly at the start. However, the British were able to position themselves better and build up constant pressure on Alinghi. Every maneuver by Alinghi was followed by a prompt reaction. The Swiss team had to react constantly in the downwind of the Britannia, while the British were able to continuously increase their lead.

With their tactically excellent approach in the first leg, the British laid the foundation for another clear victory. Alinghi could not keep up the pace and ended up losing 48 seconds.

Italy also close to reaching the final

In the other semi-final duel, Luna Rossa from Italy also celebrated two more victories against American Magic from the USA. The Italians are just one more win away from reaching the final.

This is how it continues

Alinghi now needs a small miracle to make it to the final. The next two duels are scheduled for Monday afternoon. The Swiss cannot afford any more slip-ups, however. Another victory would put the British in the final, which would mean the end of the America’s Cup for Alinghi.