BA Cup Day 2

Team GBR, all from Royal Thames YC, held a 6-2 lead over the USA at the end of Day 2 today in the first-toscore-seven-wins British-American Cup tournament being sailed at Queen Mary Water. But that score notwithstanding, no one on the home side is counting chickens or underestimating that latent potential of Dean Bremmer and his Team USA from Seawanhaka Corinthian YC. The score belies the closesness and intensity of this gripping four-onfour team racing match. USA fought hard this morning to convert a seemingly unbreakable British 1-2-3 position at Mark 2 into a USA win at the finish - and in the last race of the day looked to be about to pull back to 5-3 with their own 1-2-3 - a position seemingly settled when one of the British boats copped a further penalty. But in a brilliant display of solo team racing at the final, downwind, turning mark British team captain Andy Cornah, steering what must be the longest, widest J80 in history managed to slow, baulk and delay not one, not two but three US boats to allow his team mates to re-engage. On the final beat, the Brits were able to catch and then slow their opponents to such good effect that it was the Blue team, not the yellow, that crossed the finish 1-2-3.

The tournament concludes tomorrow. The Brits must win one match, the Americans five, to lift the Cup. This American team has won three - or is it four? - BA Cups in a row and on two previous occasions in British waters has pulled the fat from the fire on the final day.

No one in the British team - or their supporters - is saying anything just yet.