Team New Zealand wins 36th Americas Cup
All photos by Studio Borlenghi / Americas Cup Media. – Emirates Team New Zealand won yesterday the 36th Edition of the Americas Cup. It was a successful event, AC75s included. The Beasts demonstrated they could actually be super efficient and specially they provided a great never seen sight and development.
TNZ had a superior boat in terms of speed but it was not a walk in the Park as the Bermuda Final. Luna Rossa had their chances, and took most of them displaying a performance for the ages which pinnacle was Race 9.
We feel for Bruni & Spithill, looking crushed in photos above, but they need to feel at ease, this is they way you compete, new generations here in Argentina sometimes don’t get why many criticize an out of this World talent like Messi.
The answer is pretty simple, a fan “demands” mainly compromise, drive and full guts 100% beyond the final result, and those with Football knowledge might recall top blasting scorer Gabriel Batistuta, he never won a World Cup, but he left everything he had in every single game, and that is what Luna Rossa team did, they pushed hard till the very end. Thus they can feel proud even after losing such a big event like the Americas Cup.
In fact in the last race, Team New Zealand decided to stay away from Bruni & Spithill, they realized they’d better sail far from those two, seeking pressure and going for speed without the menace of having the Duo of Lions leading them tack by tack.
For the rest we already addressed the immense work the Italian team did here.
The Untouchables
Team New Zealand confirmed once more they are the best team on the Planet, being their sailors led by catsailor Glenn Ashby, current Top Guns Peter Burling & Blair Tuke or their Design and build teams.
Two Cups won for this young group which is building experience upon Cup wins, a rare scenario as you would expect them to lose some Cup finals to reach a performance peak.
But the superiority of the grouped talent across Team New Zealand is unmatched, thus no matter the challenge or the platform (Foiling Multi or Mono) being sailed, this group will Resolve and Deliver no matter what.
Official Media release by Americas Cup Media:
17th March 2021
EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND WIN THE 36TH AMERICA’S CUP
Once again Emirates Team New Zealand has entered the history books and won the America’s Cup for New Zealand for the fourth time.
On day 7 of the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA, the Kiwis scored the 7th point they needed to raise the Auld Mug in front of thousands of spectators .
A spectacular achievement for Emirates Team New Zealand and the yacht club they represent, the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. Another confirmation that – in sailing – the Southern hemisphere country of 5 million people can punch way above its weight.
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, fought until the last race and the team showed talent and experience throughout the whole event and their story is far from over.
Emirates Team New Zealand beat Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Race 10
Start: 1630
Port: ITA
Stbd: NZL
Course: A
Axis: 040
Length: 1.85nm
Current: 0.3 knots @ 352
Wind: 10 knots 065 degrees
Winner: Emirates Team New Zealand 0.46
With the home team just one win away from the 36th America’s Cup, if the sense of occasion wasn’t producing enough tension ahead of the seventh day of racing, the weather was adding extra pressure, teasing all as the sea breeze appeared reluctant to develop.
As start time drew closer there was little sign of the breeze, forcing a postponement. But then, as the clock counted down the breeze started to build and after a 30min delay Race 10 was underway.
Just as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli entered the pre-start area helmsman Jimmy Spithill talked about wanting the right-hand side of the course, a quick clip from the onboard comms that gave us a clue to the strategy and play that was about to unfold. Emirates Team New Zealand also wanted the right-hand side of the course and headed out to the right-hand side of the pre-start area and tacked just before the boundary to stay high.
As both came back towards the line Emirates Team New Zealand had started to windward of Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, coming in slightly late to the line and tacking off onto port straight away to take the right-hand side of the course. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli found themselves in a right-hand shift and were unable to tack across. The Kiwis were able to lock into the right-handed breeze and gained the early advantage.
As the pair came together the Kiwis tacked in front of Luna Rossa forcing the Italians to tack back onto starboard and allowing themselves to go back to the right-hand side of the course. A strong tactic following a solid and confident start.
As the pair came back together for the second time the Italians had made distance and ducked the Kiwis as they crossed. Luna Rossa were now able to get to the right-hand side of the course.
As the breeze fluctuated the key was to get into phase with the breeze.
Around gate 1 it was Emirates Team New Zealand that led by 7 seconds taking the right-hand mark while Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli took the left-hand mark. A split was what the Italians wanted if they were to find a passing lane on the downwind leg. The Kiwi task was to close down the opportunities. Downwind, having swapped sides the Kiwis were sailing at 41 knots to the Italians’ 39 knots but as the pair came into gate 2 the game was still close as Luna Rossa trailed by just 9 seconds.
Meanwhile, Emirates Team New Zealand headed out to the right-hand side of the course, protecting their position whenever required. But as the second beat unfolded the Kiwis started to stretch out their lead, increasing the distance to around 300m on the water.
By now they were free to choose the mark that they wanted at gate 2 taking the left-hand side and leading by 27seconds. Luna Rossa split once again taking the right-hand mark in an effort to find a different and quicker route down leg 4.
But even if they were to find more breeze, the Kiwis were sailing consistently quicker and had pulled the distance out to over 500 m. By gate 4 that had translated into a lead of 37 seconds as they rounded the left-hand mark to head out to the left-hand side of the course.
Behind them Luna Rossa took the right-hand mark and did the more difficult move to get out to the right-hand side of the course and continue to keep out of phase with their opponents. The third upwind leg offered little in the way of a comeback for the Italians. All they could hope for now was for their opponents to make a mistake.
Through the last gate, Emirates Team New Zealand took the right-hand mark rounding 49 seconds ahead as they headed off on the last leg of what would surely be the last race in the 36th America’s Cup.
A race and a win that would see them take the oldest sporting trophy in international sport. After 10 races and a score line of 7:3 the America’s Cup was New Zealand’s once again.
The Prizegiving will be held on the America’s Cup Village Main Stage (Te Wero Island) at 730pm NZT and will be streamed live on YouTube and americascup.com
Press Conference will be held about 30 minutes after the end of the Prizegiving.
At 8:00pm NZT to mark the final night of the 36th America’s Cup presented by PRADA there will also be a special thank you from the host to the city to Aucklanders to acknowledge their support of the event and to congratulate the winning team the Harbour Bridge, SkyTower and Auckland Museum are lit up in similar colours.
