With their wings cut and gone at fault in the second regatta of the day in Auckland, the Italians of Luna Rossa see the New Zealanders making the break in the America’s Cup.
Team New Zealand leads 5-3 in the America’s Cup after two victories in Monday’s regattas, including the result of a spectacular comeback. Despite a less good start, the title holders won with 58 seconds in the first regatta against the Italian challenge Luna Rossa.
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But in the second race, as this fourth day seemed to be heading for a tie again, with a win on either side, fate struck Luna Rossa. The crew led by Jimmy Spithill were up to 4 minutes 27 ahead, with Team New Zealand unable to lift the hull of their sailboat, when the wind died down in Auckland harbor. Like the day before, when the weather forced the cancellation of today’s races.
“The most bizarre race I have ever seen”
Peter Burling
Luna Rossa then found herself in her turn with the hull in the water, deprived of the speed of her foils, while Peter Burling’s crew managed to make their boat take off again. To make matters worse, the Italian challenge missed a maneuver and was assessed a penalty for going out of race limits. And the Kiwis had only to catch up, to finally win with 3 minutes 55 in advance.
“It’s probably the most bizarre race I’ve ever seen,” said the skipper of Team New Zealand. “Going from four minutes late to win with four minutes early is pretty incredible. A sloppy maneuver from Luna Rossa and it was over. ” Leading 5-3, the New Zealanders can now be crowned on Tuesday, provided they win both races.
“We found ourselves stuck trying to recover enough pressure to take off again”
Jimmy Spithill
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“Nothing is ever won as you have seen. The conditions were tough. We fell from our foils and got stuck trying to recover enough pressure to take off again. We have done some good things. We need to improve others. But we know we can win regattas. We have been in a difficult position in the past. We will come back stronger tomorrow, ”commented a Jimmy Spithill hit but not sunk.
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