Auckland, March 21 NZPA - Team New Zealand completed a 2-0 victory over Italians Mascalzone Latino in a shortened final to win the Louis Vuitton Trophy yachting regatta off Auckland today.

Up 1-0 at the start of the day, skipper Dean Barker and his crew cruised to a 56sec win in race two.

Mascazone, skippered by New Zealander Gavin Brady, made it a close contest up the first beat, with the boats bow-to-bow approaching the top mark.

But Team NZ established an inside overlap allowing them to round ahead and from there they controlled proceedings.

The final, originally scheduled to be a best-of-seven, was reduced because of time constraints.

The result was a satisfying one for Team NZ, who went down to a surprise defeat to another Italian crew, Azzurra, in the final of the inaugural LV Trophy event in France last November.

It also marked the second year in a row that Team NZ had won an America's Cup-class regatta on home waters, having taken the one-off Louis Vuitton Pacific Series last year.