Luna Rossa hangs on. The Italian challenge is still tied (3-3) with the big favorite and America’s Cup title holder, Team New Zealand, after Saturday’s races under blue skies and light winds in the bay of Auckland.
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Like Friday, Jimmy Spithill’s sailboat even had the luxury of taking the lead, winning the fifth round in Auckland harbor before seeing the New Zealanders return after the sixth.
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A good approach to the start remains the key to a successful race. With perfect timing in the pre-start maneuvers, Luna Rossa passed the first gate 22 seconds ahead in the fifth heat. An advantage which did not prevent them from remaining constantly under threat from the Kiwis: despite their favorable position, Luna Rossa’s skippers only finished the race with a 27-second lead.
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“We still have a lot of work to do, it’s a close battle”
Blair Tuke, Team New Zealand teammate
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The New Zealanders responded in the next race, winning more clearly. A mistake by Luna Rossa gave them the advantage and passed the first gate with a 51-second lead. Peter Burling’s crew maneuvered without pressure to finish with 1’41 “of margin.
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“Happy to end like this another tight day”, commented Blair Tuke, teammate of Team New Zealand. “Obviously, the boat made the difference in terms of speed at the start, that’s nice. But we still have a lot of work to do, it’s a close battle ”, he added.
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The two crews remain side by side, as since the beginning of the prestigious regatta that will dedicate the first one to seven victories. An unexpected scenario as the three-time winning Kiwis (1995, 2000, 2017) seemed the big favorites against Luna Rossa who never won it.
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If they win, the Italians would be only the second European team to win the Silver Ewer, after Swiss union Alinghi in 2003 and 2007.
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