America´s Cup 21017 @Bermuda, Finals Day 3: New Zealand 4 vs Oracle 1

Photos / Video: ACEA / Sander van der Borch / Gilles Martin-Raget –  More shots  & videos later. Update: Day 3 Vid Review sent by TNZ .
Report by Oracle Team USA  here.

Our view: Third day of racing for the 2017 America’s Cup Finals @Bermuda:
It was 1 – 1  today but is fair to say on performance boat to boat , TNZ continues to be superior. Specially in each single tack / gybe.  With a bit more wind that the previous two days (11kntos)  Oracle had good straight line speed, but there ended their good news.

Two penalties in thee first race, one for being early  on the start line and another on a dubious cross with rights for TNZ where they lost any chance to recover.

But it was hard to watch how Oracle struggled when wind dropped a bit or in their floating gybes, while New Zealand continued their flying carpet ride.

R2 – In the second race, again good pressure on the start allowed Spithill  being first to the reaching Mark. But later  another failed gybe to lose lead,  somehow they managed to recover towards first gate.

A good upwind leg followed for Oracle maintaining lead, but the second downwind was too much to bare. While Oracle was footing to get pressure and losing vmg badly, Burling & Ashby just headed straight line to the gate, it was too much difference in performance downwind, another game altogether, added to the Kiwis perfect gybes.

TNZ got the lead for last upwind but Burling decided once more to do a loose coverage, letting Slingby to dictate the favoured side of the course and putting Spithill where the pressure was , as TNZ left them alone,   Oracle managed to recover the lead on a tight cross near the last upwind mark and this time the gap was enough for Oracle to sustain the short downwind to the final gate and last reaching mark towards the finish line to score their first point.

It was a win for Oracle , with a great performance on their possibilities, but it was clear a race given away by New Zealand.

Performance R&D
I’ve been reading much titles on “secret”, “we have the details on the advantage no one has”…. and so on and on.
Today systems played a role and Ashby / Burling are putting their talent a step above thanks to the tech involved at hand,

But the major incidence factor on deciding this Cup performance is wide visible to all at any give time:

– Foil Design & foil selection – Do not look any further.
Later I will upload Oracle foils from today already posted in last weeks cads previews.
Oracle seemed to be using their all purpose longboards.
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