America's Cup - Rower not fazed by Emirates Team NZ's nosedive

by Richard Gladwell/Sail-World.com on 6 May 2017 Olympic gold medal winning rower, Joseph Sullivan, talks to the Daily Telegraph about Emirates Team New Zealand's nosedive after being caught by a errant gust as the team left the marina at the Royal Dockyard midway through last week's Practice Session when winds topped 25kts on the race course.

After suffering a hair-raising nosedive during a training run last week, Team New Zealand say the incident has proven that their new pedal operated boat does not endanger the safety of their crew.

The Kiwis were given a major scare last Thursday when their catamaran nose dived into the water as the team attempted a tight manoeuvre on Bermuda's Great Sound.

The incident was filmed by on-board cameras, which show the boat's port hull almost completely submerged under water.

Far from being unnerved by the incident, however, grinder Joe Sullivan, who was watching on from the chase boat when the episode occurred, says that the team's recovery has dispelled fears that their boat's new pedal-grinding system left them more vulnerable to losing crew overboard.

Team NZ have been making waves with their new pedal-powered boat, which generates energy using a system of cycle bikes, rather than the arm-powered winches that are used traditionally.

'It wasn't a very nice thing to see, but in some ways it was quite good for the old peace of mind because it can get quite dodgy and hairy out there,' said Sullivan.

'It definitely provided a good test that it is actually a lot more stable than anyone thought. With the normal pedestal grinding you're kind of only holding on with two hands. We're clipped in and sitting on a seat and holding on with our hands as well so we have five points of contact, which really helps keep you nice and stable.'

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