Please select your home edition
Edition
Armstrong 728x90 - Wing FG Board Range - TOP

Knife edge dance for Emirates Team New Zealand at PRADA ACWS Auckland

by Hamish Hooper, Emirates Team New Zealand 19 Dec 2020 00:01 PST 17-19 December 2020
Emirates Team New Zealand vs Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on day 3 of PRADA ACWS Auckland © COR36 / Studio Borlenghi

The crowds were out basking in the sun at Auckland's America's Cup Race Village, right outside the doorstep of the Emirates Team New Zealand base to soak up the building atmosphere in anticipation for the final day of racing for the PRADA ACWS Auckland.

Like any good final day of a regatta, the PRADA ACWS Auckland was wide open for most teams to sail their way onto the winner's stage, with a clean couple of races and maximum points getting them onto the podium. One of many hurdles for the teams to overcome was the light and tricky breeze, which forced a late shift of the racecourse further up the Rangitoto Channel to get the best from the 7-13 knots northerly wind.

After suffering a very close loss to American Magic in the first-round robin and tied on 3 wins apiece, the result of this race would have a significant effect on the overall outcome of the regatta, and so Emirates Team New Zealand's focus was on cleaning up their mistakes to secure that vital point.

RACE 10: Emirates Team New Zealand vs American Magic

After a delay in the days start procedure, Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic were flying into the start box at over 30 knots in just 9 knots of wind speed.

Emirates Team New Zealand decided to stay high and wide in the box, turning back down the line early, with the Americans looking slightly late. The end result had both boats starting at the extreme ends of the line at the gun, bow to bow, and heading out on starboard tack.

The first cross as the kiwis came back on port saw American Magic helmsman Dean Barker and tactician Terry Hutchinson tack in the face of Peter Burling, who managed to maintain speed and live on the hip of American Magic before eventually having to tack away to the left again - it was all on.

American Magic protected the right but the kiwis kept it close rounding the first mark 0:12 behind. On the downwind run both were doing over 30 knots in just 10 knots of wind, with Barker maintaining his lead, just rounding the mark only 0:03 ahead of Te Rehutai, with the kiwis opting to head out on opposite tacks, to keep out of phase with Patriot.

American Magic on starboard crossed ahead of Emirates Team New Zealand but chose not to tack on their face, allowing the kiwis to extend out to the righthand lay line who were still 100m behind - this new class demanding even faster decision making than ever before, with massive losses if you choose to cover an opponents move even seconds too late.

It was the opportunity Burling and crew were looking for at the next convergence, and when American Magic on port were forced to dip the kiwis, they grabbed a narrow lead as they headed out to the starboard boundary for their final tack into the top mark.

However, it was that tack that proved to be the costly mistake that would effectively hand the race to Emirates Team New Zealand as American Magic struggled through a bad one, labouring to get back on the foils and eventually rounding 0:54 astern of Te Rehutai.

Emirates Team New Zealand free to sail their own race and extend their lead around the remainder of the course to take another vital point.

Blair Tuke's reaction as they extended their lead, "All good."

RACE 12: Luna Rossa vs Emirates Team New Zealand

The last race of the schedule and the regatta result was on the line.

The stakes; if Emirates Team New Zealand win they take the regatta, if Luna Rossa win it would be a three way tie with American Magic and the Italians.

Both boats stayed apart in a relatively quiet pre-start, the wind fading to just 8-9 knots, meaning the key the objective was to keep on the foils. In the final twenty seconds before the gun, a left-hand shift meant Emirates Team New Zealand could not lay the pin and were forced to tack to port, Luna Rossa hitting start line, pulling out to a 150-metre lead over Emirates Team New Zealand - in a now familiar position behind with plenty of work to do.

All the way up the first leg, Luna Rossa simply matched the kiwis, maintaining a comfortable lead rounding the top mark 0:32 ahead as the wind dropped to just 6 knots. Not enough for Emirates Team New Zealand to pop back up on the foils as Luna Rossa flew off down the run before also dropping back off their foils in a low speed gybe, turning the race into a sprint get back into flight mode.

It was slow and stressful but Peter Burling and crew used a boundary to boundary run to gain maximum advantage, popping up on the foils and abruptly turning a remarkable 800 metre deficit into a 500 metre lead before Luna Rossa were up and foiling again.

The remainder of the race saw a knife edge dance for both boats to maintain speed on the foils, each knowing a single mistake would be costly. Emirates Team New Zealand did a bad tack off the foils, and in that slow speed build allowed Luna Rossa to within 100 metres up the run until the final top mark, the kiwis 0:18 seconds ahead, causing supporters of both teams to hold their breath.

Peter Burling and his crew eased Te Rehutai down the final run to cross the finish line and win the Prada ACWS Auckland by just 0:16 in a light wind slugfest, that saw technique and smart tactics secure the win.

Foil Controller Blair Tuke: "It was tough coming off the foils, so we were happy to get back up again, but a bit more happy when they came off foils! The wind got down to 6 knots at one point, so it was an awesome effort to get going by the lads and keep it going for the rest of the race - so all good. It has been an epic days racing, American Magic & Luna Rossa are certainly going really well in these conditions - great to secure the win in front of a fantastic crowd out there."

"This is great for the team in general but there is plenty more work to do", was Tuke's summary as he took off for the Official Mumm Champagne moment.

Related Articles

America's Cup: Luna Rossa's Challenge accepted
According to local media the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted by the Kiwis. Leading America's Cup journalist, Fabio Pozzo, reports that the Italian team, Luna Rossa has had its Challenge accepted for the 2027 Cup in Naples. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: ETNZ's design boss on new AC75 Rule
Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on recycled AC75 hulls, electric power and other rule changes. Kiwi design chief, Dan Bernasconi on the use of recycled AC75 hulls, the switch to full electric power, and other changes. He claims there is plenty of performance gain left in the AC75 for the designer teams. Posted on 12 Sep
America's Cup: Class Rule and Tech Regs out
The America's Cup Class Rule and Technical Regulations for the Naples Match have been published With the clock ticking down to the start of the Louis Vuitton 38th America's Cup in Naples in 2027, the AC75 Class Rules and Technical Regulations have been issued to all teams and published with a focus on cost containment. Posted on 11 Sep
America's Cup: Running silent and deep, again.
A look at the flotsam that has surfaced as the Cup teams again go into deep and silent negotiation. A look at the state of the Cup - given the three weeks of silence since the hasty final Protocol signing. Previously a long deep dive by the teams has indicated that a lot of negotiation is underway. Here's what we've seen floating on the surface. Posted on 10 Sep
From The Other Side - The State of the Sport
The editors of Sail-World New Zealand and Inside Great Lakes Sailing discuss the state of sailing. The Editors of Inside Great Lakes Sailing and Sail-World New Zealand got together last week to shoot the breeze in an unscripted video discussion, without any pre-arranged "talking points" about various aspects of the sport. Posted on 5 Sep
Youth America's Cup set to continue in Naples
The Youth America's Cup is a sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Since its inaugural event in 2013, the Youth America's Cup, designed as a competition for sailors under the age of 25, has always been the most remarkable sign-post to the future direction of the America's Cup itself. Posted on 4 Sep
America's Cup: Carlo's insights 1983-2024
Leading Italian lensman Carlo Borlenghi has been shooting the America's Cups for 41 years Carlo Borlenghi is the go-to photographer for many of the world's top sailing events and has covered every America's Cup since 1983 when he was assigned to the Azzurra team for Italy's first challenge. Posted on 30 Aug
America's Cup: A seismic shift for sailing
For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s This week's announcement from the America's Cup felt momentous. For the first time in its 174-year history, female sailors will be mandated onboard AC75s at the pinnacle of our sport. Posted on 15 Aug
America's Cup: The Brave, New Protocol
The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations and a few fish hooks The just announced Protocol for the America's Cup has many innovations, and maybe a few unintended consequences around the mandatory re-use of 2024 vintage AC75 hulls. Updated with a look at how the new Cup structure could work. Posted on 12 Aug
America's Cup: A "ground breaking" partnership
An innovative Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between RNZYS and RYS An innovative 11th hour Protocol for the 2027 America's Cup has been agreed between the Challenger of Record and the Defender. It creates a commercial framework for the current and future Cups, eases nationality rules, and has a quota for female sailors. Posted on 12 Aug
RS Sailing 2021 - FOOTERSelden 2020 - FOOTERZhik 2024 December