America's Cup World Series - Kiwis start historic haka before finish

by Richard Gladwell, Sail-World.com NZL on 8 May 2016 In the 30 years of its America's Cup history, Emirates Team New Zealand has never but never done so much as a private High Five before crossing the finish line on their way to a race win.

Today in New York at the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series that team dictate was broken as the entire crew broke into a haka of victory, complete with war whoops, as the red, black and white wingsailed catamaran foiled towards the finish line.

The spontaneity of the haka was as much about the Kiwi's retrieved self-belief, as it was about the victory in the Race, the Round and the extension of their overall points lead in the Series.

The Hudson River with its 3kt current and winds that varied from 0kts to 15kts of breeze was a stern dominatrix, with a heavy lash that favoured no team.

She was perhaps hardest on the Kiwis at the start of the third and final race, using the current just to edge them over the start line as she had done to several of the teams in the preceding two races.

Then while the they were still wincing from her sting of her punishment, Mistress Hudson quickly slapped the handcuffs on the Kiwis, attaching them to the starting mark, and then out came the whip again as they watched the other five boats in the fleet head off down the Hudson.

Crewman, Blair Tuke almost had to jump into the fast-flowing water of the Hudson to free the start mark anchorline from the rudder of the AC45. And then the forlorn Kiwis started their chase.

Unlike the other two races where one boat dominated much of the race, the third race restarted on the penultimate leg as Mistress Hudson really got into her work, giving the fleet shock treatment as she turned the breeze on and off, and at the same time using the current to smash some across the boundary line, where even the most reluctant Umpire had to give the penalties to the hapless teams.

Meanwhile in the middle of the course the Hudson River Sirens danced temptingly to a foiling breeze. That was where everyone wanted to be - but all lacked the means to make the short journey.

As so often happens, this was a case of the last shall be first and the first shall be last. Emirates Team New Zealand lay across the fast current, got a couple of sniffs of the Sirens' song - sufficient to ease them closer to the middle of the course, and soon they were foiling, while others watched - near becalmed.

The Kiwis ride lasted all the way to the leeward mark and beyond.

In the space of a couple of minutes, the Kiwis went from being on the receiving end of a real hiding, to being the series winner.

As a series, it was hard to take too much from the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series.

For sure the crowds would have been thrilled, and this was exhibition sailing at its best. But never forget that this ACWS does actually count for points in the Main Event, and to have these influenced by the fickle whim of the merciless Mistress Hudson could be scars that some may rue in 12 months time.