Switzerland's Alinghi team, the Defender of the America's Cup, won the first race of the 32nd America's Cup Match on Saturday afternoon in front of an enormous spectator fleet on the waters off Valencia. Conditions were perfect for racing, with a stable 12 knot sea breeze on the race course.
Alinghi trailed very early in this race, with Emirates Team New Zealand looking strong off the starting line. But the Swiss showed good pace, eventually forcing the Kiwis to tack off, and when the boats came together for a first cross, it was SUI 100 that was ahead.
Alinghi was able to convert that small advantage into a 13 second lead at the top mark. The Swiss made gains on both runs, while the Kiwis were able to close the gap a little bit on the second leg to windward.
By the finish it was Alinghi winning by 35 seconds. The Swiss take a 1-0 lead in the 'first to five' America's Cup Match.
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