The New Zealand holder of the America’s Cup is only one round away from retaining the legendary Silver Ewer after another victory on Tuesday against the Italian challenge. But he will have to wait until Wednesday for a possible coronation.
On its Auckland waterway, Team New Zealand won on Tuesday in a particularly fierce regatta to extend its lead to 6-3 in the legendary event which is played out over seven winning heats.
A change of wind before the 10th round, however, convinced the organizers to postpone it until Wednesday.
“We will stay there for the day. The breeze has turned completely to the left and we will not be able to rearrange the course in time“, the race committee announced in a statement.
This postponement maintains the suspense for the tens of thousands of fans massed in the port of Auckland and who hoped that the match would be folded on Tuesday.
In the meantime, they were blessed with a spectacular brawl on Tuesday in volatile winds, with no less than five crew changes at the head of the race.
Luna Rossa, who had long led the debates, saw the victory take off due to an unfavorable wind rocker as the two monohulls were on opposite sides of the body of water.
The New Zealanders finally crossed the finish line 30 seconds ahead.
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“This sleeve has been tightenedNew Zealand coxswain Peter Burling said.We will have to navigate as well in the next“.
Luna Rossa’s co-helmsman Francesco Bruni made no secret of his disappointment, but refused to let himself down.
“Unfortunately, it’s painful, but you have to keep your head up and keep fighting“, said the Sicilian sailor.”We didn’t make all of our transfers and missed an opportunity.“
If the New Zealanders are within one title win, Luna Rossa must win the final four sets to lift the America’s Cup.
The Kiwis had started the competition in a position of favorites but the Italians gave them a hard time. The score was even 3-3 on Saturday, before the New Zealanders took off.
Team New Zealand would however be wrong to consider the victory acquired.
In 2013, when they were leading 8-1 against the Oracle Americans in San Francisco, the New Zealanders finally lost 9-8 in one of the most resounding comebacks in sports history.
The Oracle helmsman was then Australian Jimmy Spithill, who is none other than the co-helmsman of this year’s Italian challenge.
Team New Zealand has already won the America’s Cup three times (1995, 2000, 2017), while the Italians try to become the second European team to win the event, after the Swiss Alinghi in 2003 and 2007.
ns-jac / av
AFP
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