Yachting: Team NZ beaten by Oracle in semifinals

Team New Zealand were ousted by Oracle 4 in the semifinals of the America's Cup World Series in San Diego today and will instead find themselves in the unaccustomed position of racing for third and fourth.

Oracle won both races today against the Kiwi team of Dean Barker, Glenn Ashby, Winston Macfarlane, Ray Davies and James Dagg and will take on Energy in the final. Team New Zealand will sail off against Artemis Racing of Sweden for the minor placings.

"We were expecting a tough day and we got it,'' skipper Dean Barker said. "And today we simply didn't sail very well. Oracle 4 had a good day and deserved their wins. We hope we can make some amends tomorrow and on Sunday in the final fleet race.''

James Spithill on Oracle 4 got the better of the pre-start in the first race, forcing New Zealand over the line early. The resulting penalty cost Barker dearly - TNZ were nine seconds adrift at the first mark - and with no passing lanes in the light winds Oracle 4 controlled the race through to the line.

Barker won the start in the second race and rounded the first mark in the lead but was caught out by a wind shift on the left-hand side of the course on the first beat that favoured the Americans. The right side had been paying all day until that point.

"The rust finally caught up with us,'' Team New Zealand coach Rod Davis said. "Spithill and his team out-sailed us on the day. There's no way of spin-doctoring that. This time they were the polished act. For us it was a case of just too much rust to deal with in the time we had.''

Since the last regatta in Plymouth, Team New Zealand have been testing and developing ideas for the AC-72, now under construction, and didn't arrive into San Diego until the night before the first race.