VALENCIA, Spain (AP):EMIRATES TEAM New Zealand completed the first 5-0 sweep in the Louis Vuitton Cup final yesterday, beating Luna Rossa to set up a rematch with Alinghi in the America's Cup.
The Kiwis won by 22 seconds over the Italian boat in the fifth flight to become the first team to go undefeated in a best-of-nine series in the 24-year history of the Louis Vuitton Cup final.
Emirates Team New Zealand set up a rematch with Alinghi, which beat the Kiwis four years ago to become the first European team to win the Auld Mug.
Neither team made crew changes ahead of the race, though Luna Rossa was issued with a certificate from the measurement committee signalling it had made a modification to its ITA-94 yacht.
Emirates Team New Zealand took the decisive lead near the top of the first marker as it had throughout the series.
Luna Rossa helmsman James Spithill cut behind counterpart Dean Barker with a quarter of the race left as the Italians looked to harness the breeze and sail past the Kiwis on a higher course.
But the Kiwis had one last gybe to start the celebrating, with the crew dousing each other with champagne and waving to the trailing spectator boat before hoisting the New Zealand flag up the mast.
The best-of-nine America's Cup series begins on June 23.
Spithill guarded his starboard entry position for the first time all series as both teams got to the line at full pace on starboard tack, with the Kiwi boat starting tight to leeward.
The Italians were strong off the line for the third straight race as they looked to lead round the first marker for the first time in the series.
Both teams tacked to a port course looking for an edge as the wind shifted to the right. Halfway up, Luna Rossa moved first to keep from getting pushed out beyond the layline.
Spithill tacked back to the right as the Italians went out past the layline, with Barker just behind.
Both boats tacked back along the layline, with the Kiwis opening up the decisive lead - as it has in the past four races - as the marker approached.
