Please select your home edition
Edition
North Sails Loft 57 Podcast

America's Cup- Emirates Team NZ to be back on the water tomorrow

by Warren Douglas on 29 Jun 2012
a655A9637sm - AC World Series Newport RI Stephen Fasano

Emirates Team New Zealand plans to be back on the water tomorrow after a capsize in the first race of the quarter-final at Newport today.

Three elements of the wing were extensively damaged in the capsize. One will be repaired overnight, one has been bought from the event and one will be cannibalised from the Youth America’s Cup AC45.

Skipper Dean Barker vowed the team would be back on the water for the second day of the America’s Cup World Series final regatta for the 2011-12 season.

He said the wing extension – fitted to the top of the rig for better light-air performance – filled with water making it difficult to get the boat back upright.

'We were on our side for an hour. That’s when the damage was done.

'When we capsized in Auckland soon after we got the boat, we were upright in three to four minutes and damage was slight.

'As we went over I expected to be upright in a few minutes and ready to race for the second match that afternoon.'

The capsize occurred at the top mark during the first quarter-final race against Luna Rossa Piranha. Emirates Team New Zealand was comfortably ahead.

A problem with the leeward runner meant they could not ease the wing sheet as they rounded the mark. Able to go either up or down, the capsize was inevitable.

Today’s incident was the latest in a series since the team arrived at Newport.

Two AC45 crewmen have been sidelined by injury. Bowman Winston Macfarlane has - returned to Auckland after injuring a shoulder in practice and trimmer James Dagg’s head collided with tactician Ray Davie’s elbow. As a precaution, he’s being rested for a couple of days.

Sailing crew members Derek Saward and Jeremy Lomas, both heavily involved in past months with the AC72 build programme, were called in at short notice to fill in. Saward arrived at Newport on Sunday and Lomas only yesterday.

Coach Rod Davis, in a chase boat alongside the yacht, blogs his take on the incident.

The reason for the capsize was a problem with the leeward runner as we rounded the top mark. That meant that wing couldn't go out far enough and in any kind of a puff, the boat would roll over.

We had all kinds of trouble righting the boat because the wing extension filled with water, a problem no one has come across as we were the first to capsize with it on.

Rescue operations were going pretty much to plan, until we started breaking righting ropes. Then, when we got the boat up the first time, water/weight in the top of the wing made the boat roll back and sit with the bows pointing to the sky

So we had to re-capsize and start all over again. Three snapped tow lines and a pad eye later (the back of the chase boat looks like someone has beaten it with a chain) we had her back on her paws. And the boys sailed it home.

So what happens now? There are three flaps on the back of the wing. One is can be fixed overnight, one can be fixed but is not over night. And the last is totally destroyed.

The wing might look a little funny in the branding but we will be back on the water tomorrow.



Barton Marine Pipe GlandsPredictWind - Routing 728x90 BOTTOMHyde Sails One Design Sale 2025

Related Articles

All change in the Endeavour Trophy
A dramatic twist in the results after a request for redress was reopened by the Protest Committee The 64th Endeavour Trophy has seen a dramatic twist in the results after a request for redress was reopened by the Protest Committee when they realised that a significant error may have been made at the initial hearing.
Posted today at 2:37 pm
Manly 16s Club Championship Heat 3
Crazy doesn't begin to explain the finish Crazy doesn't begin to explain the finish to third heat of Manly's club championship on Saturday.
Posted today at 1:45 pm
Macif renews its commitment to ocean racing
A new IMOCA program 2027-2030 with Sam Goodchild as skipper Macif announces the continuation of its commitment to ocean racing with an ambitious project that will begin in 2027 and end in 2030. The IMOCA MACIF will be on the starting line of the Vendée Globe 2028-2029.
Posted today at 11:01 am
Belgium Ocean Racing breaks Class40 24hr record
452.22 nautical miles at an average speed of 18.84 knots At an average speed of 18.84 knots, a superb performance by the Jonas Gerckens Belgian team competing in the 2nd edition of the GLOBE40 with Benoit Hantzperg and Renaud Dehareng on board for this leg 2, covering 452.22 nautical miles in 24 hours.
Posted today at 5:37 am
America's Cupdate: October 10, 2025
Sailing Illustrated's Tom Ehman and Sail-World's Richard Gladwell dissect the America's Cup. Sailing Illustrated's Tom Ehman and Sail-World's NZ Editor, Richard Gladwell discussed the latest developments in the America's Cup, last Friday/Saturday (depending on your time zone) on sailing's only regular live video podcast.
Posted today at 5:23 am
Sydney - Auckland Ocean Race: Lucky wins
The USA registered pocket maxi Lucky, formerly Rambler 88, has taken line honours in the Sydney Auck The USA registered pocket maxi Lucky, formerly Rambler 88, has taken line honours in the Sydney Auckland Ocean Race - crossing the Tasman in in just 68hrs. Four yachts are still racing.
Posted today at 2:12 am
Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race Day 4
Lucky claims line honours but race still on Bryon Ehrhart's Lucky has claimed line honours and broken the race record in the Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race (S2A) earlier this morning, crossing the finish line at 9.20.27.26am AEDT finishing the race in 2d 20h 27 minutes 7 seconds.
Posted today at 1:28 am
Lucky joins PIC Coastal Classic
Lucky, the 88-foot Juan K-designed maxi has entered PIC Coastal Classic race. The New Zealand Multihull Yacht Club, organisers of the PIC Coastal Classic have welcomed the entry of Lucky, the 88-foot Juan K-designed maxi that has just set a race record for the the 2025 Sydney to Auckland Ocean Race.
Posted today at 12:56 am
12ft Skiff season ready to launch
With the 63rd Interdominion Championship between Australia and New Zealand opening the New Year The NSW 12 Foot Skiff sailing calendar has been announced and the program will be in full swing later this month, while the pot boiler 63rd Interdominion Championship between Australia and New Zealand, will open New Year's racing in January 2026.
Posted on 13 Oct
Abu Dhabi to host the GKA Kite World Tour
Top kiteboarders will take to Fahid Island's waters in a six-day spectacle of high-flying action Abu Dhabi will host the GKA Kite World Tour for the very first time, bringing back-to-back World Cups in Hydrofoil Big Air and Freestyle to Fahid Island, Abu Dhabi's newest coastal wellness destination and the world's first Fitwel-certified island.
Posted on 13 Oct