Team NZ off to good start

NZPA ©

Team New Zealand have won their opening race in the latest Louis Vuitton Trophy sailing event in France.

Team NZ, skippered by Dean Barker, got the best of the light conditions at the Cote d'Azur off Nice to score a one minute, 36 second win over French Spirit.

They took control on the first beat after getting a good shift in the left and were never really threatened.

Barker said the crew did well to read the conditions and we took control early on the first beat and extended all the "

Team NZ got the start they wanted on the left and got a good shift early on to build a 140m lead which was enough to hold off the French.

In the day's first race, Vritain's Team Origin beat Russia's Synergy by 59sec.

The third race of the day the Italian Azzurra team and American BMW Oracle was abandoned when the wind died.