First blood to Spithill

The opening repechage duels in the quarter-finals of the Louis Vuitton Cup began sensationally but ended predictably.

Both underdogs led in the early stages of their races in light northerly breezes on the Hauraki Gulf but the status quo was eventually restored with OneWorld and Prada scoring valuable victories in these best-of-seven matches.

James Spithill at the wheel of OneWorld won the start from Kenny Read in Stars & Stripes but the Team Dennis Conner helmsman opted to take the right-hand side of the course, where a breeze swinging slightly to the right helped Stars & Stripes ahead.

Spithill's task looked hopeless when Read began the next windward leg 55 seconds ahead but he closed to within 15sec, as the wind swung slightly to left, and then edged past to win by 1min 16sec.

Team Dennis Conner later lodged a protest based on an ongoing boat design dispute. The international jury will consider it only after completion of the repechage series.

In the other duel Rod Davis won the start for Prada before handing the wheel to Francesco De Angelis. Jesper Bank in the Swedish boat Orm got past on a wind shift but the Italians manoeuvred back to win by 1min 31sec.