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VALENCIA, Spain -- Team New Zealand took a 2-0 lead over Italy's Luna Rossa after the second race of the Louis Vuitton Cup final on Saturday.
Luna Rossa came into the best-of-nine series full of plaudits for their aggressive starts but it was New Zealand helmsman Dean Barker who won the battle in the box, accelerating over the line one second ahead and building up momentum immediately.
Team New Zealand, favorites to take on holders Alinghi for the America's Cup later this month, quickly stretched out a lead and kept control of a long and frenetic tacking duel up the first leg to turn around the windward mark 25 seconds ahead.
Known for their disciplined and conservative racing style, the Kiwis stayed in charge for the rest of the race, keeping yards of clear water between them and the Italians. They eventually crossed the line 40 seconds ahead.
The match was the opposite of Friday's race, when the boats were never more than 12 seconds apart, but the conditions were similar -- a very steady sea breeze which offered Luna Rossa no room to spot a better patch of wind and slip by.
Luna Rossa helmsman James Spithill engaged counterpart Barker in the box for the starboard side after coming in from the left. Barker let the more aggressive Spithill take it as both teams tacked across the start.
The Kiwis used a long tacking duel up the first lap to open up a decisive three boat-length lead. They then matched the Italian boat's every move throughout the race to cross the finish line 40 seconds in front.
In Friday's first flight, Emirates Team New Zealand hung on for a narrow eight-second win after Spithill gave up the right-hand advantage to Barker at the start.
The third flight of the best-of-nine final is scheduled for Sunday with the eventual winner racing defending champion Alinghi in the America's Cup from June 23.
The pre-start featured tense jabbing between the boats, with Luna Rossa avoiding a penalty after the Kiwis felt they had to alter course to avoid the ITA-94 yacht with 60 seconds to the starting gun.
Spithill kept Barker from pinning his team out beyond the race committee boat as they nearly tangled while Luna Rossa took the right.
Luna Rossa performed a downspeed tack to break free of the Kiwis. But halfway up the first lap, the Kiwis took the offensive and engaged Luna Rossa in a tacking duel as they tried to push Luna Rossa out past the port layline with the first marker nearing.
Emirates Team New Zealand rounded the marker with a 25-second advantage.
Only once in 15 challengers series matches since the end of the round-robin stages has the leading team around the first marker failed to win the race.
Another duel
Luna Rossa gybed out of the shadow of the Kiwi boat to initiate another duel downwind, in a repeat of the final lap of the first flight when the Kiwis nervously hung on for an eight-second victory. This time the lead was larger and the Italians found it difficult to make up ground on the even-weather course.
The Kiwis crossed the bow of the Italians nearing the leeward marker before rounding the right-hand mark with a 35-second lead.
The Italians decided at the last moment to follow around the same marker and failed to get the headsail set quickly to give away more to the Kiwis.
Another tacking duel developed up the third leg, but Barker's starboard tack extended the lead to 200 meters as the Kiwis stayed in full control despite a left-hand shift, giving Luna Rossa some momentum.
With the lead up to 39 seconds around the final marker, only an equipment failure would have allowed the Italians to overtake the Kiwis.
