Italy runs out of puff as clouds gather

ITALY bade arrivederci to an increasingly bitter America’s Cup in Auckland yesterday as holders Team New Zealand (TNZ) accused its challengers of cheating by copying a revolutionary boat design.

In a day to rival the most dramatic in the 152-year history of sport’s oldest trophy, with TNZ claiming other teams were copying its false-hull innovation, the Prada team’s challenge ran out of puff due to unfavourable weather conditions.

Three syndicates are left to compete for the Louis Vuitton Cup which gives the winner the right to take on TNZ for the America’s Cup in February.

Alinghi have already qualified for the Louis Vuitton finals next month while two US syndicates, OneWorld and Oracle, begin a repechage semi-final Friday.

The challenger series has already been hit by controversy with OneWorld narrowly escaping expulsion after being caught with sensitive design information about a rival sail team.

Prada skipper Francesco de Angelis sailed out to the Hauraki Gulf Tuesday morning knowing it had to win the two races on the card to survive for a sudden-death run-off Wednesday against OneWorld.

But the weather gods did not smile on the Italians and they waited on a millpond for nearly six hours before winning the first race but ran out of time for the second.

It was a tearful scene as watched by hundreds the Italians made a last return to the downtown Viaduct Basin, their home of nearly four years.

De Angelis said he would like another crack at the America’s Cup.

“I hope we have another chance, but we'll see,” de Angelis said, adding that he did not blame the weather for his team's exit.