The tactical skills of Torben Grael and John Kostecki cemented Prada and AmericaOne as firm favourites to battle for the right to become Team New Zealand’s challenger for the America’s Cup next month. AmericaOne now tops the leaderboard with their fourth win today after five races in the 10-race Louis Vuitton Cup semifinals. It is one point ahead of both Prada and Team Dennis Conner, who have a race in hand.

But while Conner’s Stars & Stripes has had a flying start to the semifinals, even its skipper Ken Read today admitted his crew were “trounced” in losing to AmericaOne by almost three minutes. Stars & Stripes dominated AmericaOne at the start of their crunch race here today, but while its tactical team elected to sail the left side of the course, forcing the Paul Cayard-skippered boat to the right, it proved to be the wrong decision. Luna Rossa skipper Francesco de Angelis also lost the start of his race today against Peter Gilmour on board Asura, but again the Japanese team went left and the Italians picked up the wind on the right to sail past on the first leg. AmericaOne tactician Kostecki said his team had not expected such a big win.