Alinghi retained the America’s Cup with the closest finish in the Auld Mug’s 156-year history, as they nosed past Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ) on the line to win by one second. Alinghi’s fourth consecutive victory could scarcely have come in more dramatic circumstances, with ETNZ performing a penalty turn metres from the finish line, after a massive wind shift in the last 400 metres had allowed them to pass Alinghi, incredibly the fifth change of lead in the race.

It gave Alinghi, the Switzerland-based team, a 5-2 victory in the best-of-nine contest, making it the closest Cup since 1983, but even that match did not have as many twists and turns as this. It may be that the 2007 vintage will come to be seen as the best ever.

Alinghi were the first team to bring the Cup to Europe in 2003 and became only the fourth to defend it successfully. The Cup remains in Europe, almost definitely in Valencia in 2009, increasing the chances of a strong British challenge from Sir Keith Mills and his new syndicate, Team Origin. Mills has been a temporary resident in Valencia and celebrated last night. “The idea is to be in the top four in an America’s Cup in 2009, win it in 2011, host the best Olympic Games in history in 2012 and defend the America’s Cup in 2013, then die a happy man,” Mills said.

Most of the public were rooting for the underdogs, ETNZ, especially after Alinghi had managed to cast themselves as the bad guys, but this was the result every team (bar ETNZ) and sponsor wanted – even Emirates, the title sponsor of New Zealand.

For six New Zealanders in Alinghi’s 17-man crew, it was their fourth consecutive Cup win after they left Team New Zealand in 2000. Chief among them is Brad Butterworth, the Alinghi skipper, and it was his master match-racing that brought them victory.

Alinghi had the beating of ETNZ upwind in this race and the Kiwi boat was penalised near the top of the third leg, as it failed to give way – “if you’re on the right, you’re in the right”. Not only had they seen a 14-second lead become a 26-second deficit, but they also faced losing about 35 seconds in that wind, with only one three-kilometre downwind leg to complete.

But the wind gods, who had delayed this race from Sunday, had not finished. ETNZ sailed into a huge wind-shift in the final 400 metres as it veered more than 100 degrees. Alinghi panicked, dropped their spinnaker pole on the deck, and saw a 130-metre lead disappear. If ETNZ had tacked later before turning the boat through 270 degrees for the penalty, it might have been 4-3.

That New Zealand have contributed to such a fine Cup will be no consolation after they led 2-1 last week. Such was their disappointment that they are even considering their America’s Cup future. Grant Dalton, the team manager, said: “We’ve been focused on the now. We’ll need a bit of time to look at what happens next.”

When the schooner, America, passed the Royal Yacht in first position in the first race in 1851 after racing around the Isle of Wight, Queen Victoria asked one of her attendants to tell her who was in second place. “Your Majesty, there is no second,” the reply came. ETNZ would agree.

Results

Valencia (best-of-nine races)

Team Alinghi (Switz) beat Emirates Team New Zealand 5-2

First race: Team Alinghi won by 35sec.

Second race: Emirates Team New Zealand won by 28sec.

Third race: Emirates Team New Zealand won by 25sec.

Fourth race: Team Alinghi won by 40sec.

Fifth race: Team Alinghi won by 19sec.

Sixth race: Team Alinghi won by 28sec.

Seventh race: Team Alinghi won by 1sec.

Percy off to good start

Five years on from winning the Star class world title, Iain Percy, of Britain, made a strong start to his challenge for this year’s crown when he won the first race at the ISAF World Championships off Cascais, Portugal, yesterday. Sailing with Andrew Simpson, Percy took eighth place in the second race and the pair now lie fifth overall.