Kiwis cruise to solo victory

Emirates Team New Zealand recorded its fourth point in four Louis Vuitton challenger races, winning solo against Sweden's Artemis, whose new boat has yet to hit the water. Skipper Dean Barker and his crew sailed unopposed because Artemis is still putting the final touches on its boat. The Swedes hope to have the craft in the water by next weekend. The Kiwis sailed Sunday in ideal conditions with the red and black catamaran reaching a top speed of 40.6 knots (75.1 kph) The 22-meter long catamaran completed the course in 25 minutes and 56 seconds. On Saturday, the Kiwis confirmed their status as pre-event favorites, easily beating Italy's Luna Rossa by a margin of five minutes and 23 seconds. The Swedes AC72 boat was destroyed on May 9 when it capsized during an America's Cup practice run, killing crewman Andrew Simpson. The next race in the Louis Vuitton challenger series is Tuesday as Luna Rossa will run unopposed against Sweden. The final round of the Louis Vuitton Cup is scheduled for August 17-30. The America's Cup will be held September 7-21 in San Francisco Bay. From:AFP