A loss to America True Friday took Team Dennis Conner out of the America's Cup race. Ken Read, helmsman on Stars and Stripes, was in a must-win position after losing one point in a equipment protest, and losing a race to Prada earlier.
Stars & Stripes needed a point to tie Luna Rossa and force a sail-off for the second spot in the finals, according to the Louis Vuitton Cup media center.
But Read fell behind early when after a split start, John Cutler found new pressure and a favorable shift on the right side of the course.
Stars & Stripes could never recover from the big loss it suffered in the early going, as Cutler shut down the passing lanes by covering strongly.
It was the fourth win for America True over Stars & Stripes in five matches.
Ken Read, on Stars & Stripes, said,"There was nobody on the boat that was expecting to lose the race today. This round we have lived and died by the first shift. Every time I’ve been here, every member of the panel on the winning team says ‘we got the first shift.’ We died by the first shift
today, unfortunately. Everything wanted left, every person on the boat wanted left, our weather guys wanted left, my wife wanted the left, everybody wanted it. And the left was wrong, unfortunately."
Conner said though he was sad at the loss he was proud of his team and the program they put together.
"I’m very happy to have been here and I know this will be a very memorable America’s Cup. The best is yet to come. We’ll see a very exciting Louis Vuitton final," Conner said.
