Emirates Team New Zealand win the America\u2019s Cup World Series, which concluded in Auckland this morning19\/12\/20 – Auckland (NZL)
\n36th America\u2019s Cup presented by Prada
\nRace Day 3
\nEmirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli TeamCan the Kiwis be beaten for the 36th America\u2019s Cup? They must be on short odds already, three months out from the main event, given the dominant performance of Emirates Team New Zealand to win the Auckland America\u2019s Cup World Series, which concluded this morning.
\nAfter 12 races, it came down to a final race decider between Challenger of Record Luna and the home Defenders for the PRADA America\u2019s Cup World Series Auckland trophy. With Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic on even points, a win against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli would give the Kiwis the point that they needed to take the trophy.
\nGoing into this morning, both the New York Yacht Club\u2019s American Magic and Emirates Team New Zealand had taken three wins apiece over the previous two days racing, with Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli winning two of four, and INEOS Team UK trailing with four losses.
\nThe opening race was yet another straight defeat for INEOS Team UK, who were left trailing by Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli\u00a0and finished almost two legs behind. It\u2019s been clear since the start of the America\u2019s Cup World Series that INEOS Team UK are struggling for boat speed in light airs as well as foil control, and the British boat lost valuable ground by coming off the foils at several points during the race.
\nToday\u2019s second contest was between Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic. The dark blue American boat has looked to be the closest to Emirates Team New Zealand\u2019s speed over the range of conditions we\u2019ve seen so far, and rather than engage in a close pre-start duel this race started with a speed-off-the-line contest. Emirates Team New Zealand were at the pin end while American Magic were at the committee boat end, both boats at speed and on starboard.
\n36th America\u2019s Cup presented by Prada,\u00a0Race Day 3: Emirates Team New Zealand v New York Yacht Club American Magic
\nWhen the pair came back together, after the Kiwis had tacked onto port, the Americans used the starboard tactical advantage to tack in front of Emirates Team New Zealand. Advantage American Magic. Eventually the Kiwis tacked away, unable and unwilling to live in the dirty air of the Americans, who were able to continue to work the right-hand side of the course handing them a slight further advantage, but the margin was still slim.
\nMeanwhile, Emirates Team New Zealand showed they are not invincible: mishandling a tack momentarily and splashing down off the foils, which helped to hand American Magic a few more metres. By the top gate on the first lap, American Magic led Emirates Team New Zealand by 12 seconds. But by the bottom mark Emirates Team New Zealand had hauled American Magic in to trail by just 3 seconds as they went through the leeward gate.
\nThe big race changing moment came at the top of the second beat when the Americans came off their foils through a tack and parked up just short of the windward gate. The mistake proved costly, handing the lead to the Kiwis who rounded the windward mark 54 seconds ahead. The black boat held on to win by 1min 19 seconds.
\nIn the day\u2019s penultimate race, American Magic beat\u00a0INEOS TEAM UK by a considerable margin of 5min 48 seconds. Although both teams picked up penalties \u2013 INEOS for being early into the start box, American Magic for slipping over the boundary, the delta between the two only expanded as the wind dropped, signing off what will be a very concerning ACWS for Ben Ainslie and the British crew.
\n36th America\u2019s Cup presented by Prada,\u00a0Race Day 3:\u00a0New York Yacht Club American Magic v Ineos Team UK
\nThis left the final race as the decider \u2013 if the Kiwis beat the Italians they would win the first contest for the AC75s overall. One of the surprises of this World Series has been how much pre-start engagement we have already seen from the skippers in this experimental new class, and plenty of that has already featured Luna Rossa. \u201cJimmy Spithill has always, always, got his elbows out,\u201d commentator and Olympian Shirley Robertson observed on the first day. This race was no exception: Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli showing their intent with a perfect port tack shortly after forcing Emirates Team New Zealand into the unfavoured corner of the start zone, nicknamed \u2018coffin corner\u2019 by the sailors. New Zealand\u2019s Peter Burling could only follow the Italians over the line, who were already over 200m ahead.
\nBy the first gate, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli were ahead by 32seconds, and when Emirates Team New Zealand pinched around the top mark only to come off their foils in the process that margin grew to 800m. But when Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli splashed down as well, the race became a match to see who could take-off and get back to full pace soonest.
\nEmirates Team New Zealand took flight first, doubling their speed over Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, 24 to 12 knots respectively. But the news for the Italians was about to get even worse as the Kiwis stayed with their breeze to sail at 29 knots, while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli struggled to break 15. This has been a repeating pattern over the World Series \u2013 the New Zealand team is not immune to mistakes, but they have consistently seemed able to recover, and get back up to full foiling pace, faster than their competitors.
\n36th America\u2019s Cup presented by Prada,\u00a0Race Day 3:\u00a0Emirates Team New Zealand v Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team
\nThe rest of the race was not flawless \u2013 again the Kiwis came off their foils during a slow tack, and around the last gate had just an 18 seconds lead. The pair split across the course, searching for uninterrupted speed rather than tactical gains, but when they came back together at the finish it was the Kiwis that had held their lead to finish 16 seconds ahead of the Italians and in doing so, Emirates Team New Zealand win the Prada America\u2019s Cup World Series.
\nEmirates Team New Zealand\u2019s foil controller Blair Tuke summed up after racing: \u201cIt was tough coming off the foils, so we were happy to get back up again, but a bit more happy when they came off foils! The wind got down to 6 knots at one point, so it was an awesome effort to get going by the lads and keep it going for the rest of the race \u2013 so all good.
\nPRADA ACWS Auckland 202,\u00a0Peter Burling holds the trophy as Emirates Team New Zealand wins the America\u2019s Cup World Series
\n\u201cIt has been an epic day\u2019s racing, American Magic and Luna Rossa are certainly going really well in these conditions \u2013 great to secure the win in front of a fantastic crowd out there.
\n\u201cThis is great for the team in general but there is plenty more work to do.\u201d
\nRacing continues with the single day \u2018Christmas Race\u2019 knockout series tomorrow, find out how you can watch here.<\/p>\n
Skippers quotes:
\nPeter Burling, Helmsman \u2013 Emirates Team New Zealand:
\n\u201cToday was at the bottom end of the wind range we agreed to sail on. We could really notice big gains and losses, which made it a tricky race. We had a pretty good race with Luna Rossa, even if we were seeing some pretty light numbers, so it made for a pretty tricky end of the race.
\n\u201cWe really enjoyed the challenge. We were blown away by how many kiwis showed up to see us here and seeing how many boats were around the racetrack.
\nJimmy Spithill, Helmsman \u2013 Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team
\n\u201cToday was a little bit patchy. At every start, the wind was at the correct speed to kick off the race, but there clearly were a couple of errors on the course, but the guys that did a better job of that won the race.
\n\u201cFrancesco and I get to discuss the [pres-start] strategy before the start. There is certain times where you are the helmsman and you make the decision, and the other guy is really doing the foil trimming, and every time you are the helmsman you have to make the decision. It\u2019s been a fun process: it\u2019s something completely new, never done before in the Cup, so it\u2019s been really cool experience. Felt good to come off the line well both times\u201d.
\nDean Barker, Helmsman \u2013 New York American Magic
\n\u201cWe were looking forward to having a good close race with Team NZ, it was nice to have a small advantage at the beginning, but when you drop off the foil it\u2019s sort of game over. These boats are challenging at the bottom wind range\u201d.
\nSir Ben Ainslie, Skipper \u2013 INEOS Team UK
\n\u201cTough day, particularly in lighter air we are struggling. There is certainly a lot for us to look at in terms of what went wrong. The other three teams are doing a much better job than we are, so we\u2019ve got to figure that out pretty quickly. All boats stopped, some more than others\u201d.
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\nThe post Emirates Team New Zealand win World Series in first clues for 36th America\u2019s Cup appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Emirates Team New Zealand win the America\u2019s Cup World Series, which concluded in Auckland this morning19\/12\/20 – Auckland (NZL) 36th America\u2019s Cup presented by Prada Race Day 3 Emirates Team New Zealand, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli TeamCan the Kiwis be … <\/p>\n