TWO WINS FOR EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND ON DAY ONE OF THE LOUIS VUITTON AMERICA’S CUP MATCH

The excitement was high for everyone at Emirates Team New Zealand as they were joined by over 300 family members at the Barcelona base to cheer off the sailing team at a midday dock-out time.

Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei added to the occasion with a powerful haka as the Emirates Team New Zealand AC75, ‘Taihoro,’ left the dock to be led out to the racecourse by ‘Te Kawau,’ a traditional Māori waka (canoe).

The stage was set for the long-awaited start after a slight delay, waiting for the breeze to build over the minimum 6.5-knot wind limit, before Mel Roberts declared from the Race Committee boat, 'We have reached the wind limit. This America’s Cup is now live!”

AMERICA’S CUP RACE REPORT

RACE 1

The clouds are clearing, the wind sampling is complete and the first race of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match is underway. Coming in from the port end, Emirates Team New Zealand dial in at 2 minutes 10 seconds whilst the INEOS Britannia are late having being off the foils and are forced to tack at the right boundary to come into the start.

Emirates Team New Zealand tack underneath IB and lead them into the box with just over a minute to go to the start. Emirates Team New Zealand lead out to the right boundary and tack around. INEOS Britannia go longer and then tack back for the line. Emirates Team New Zealand aim for the port end of the line and nail it. INEOS Britannia up to windward and it’s a drag race to the left boundary. Emirates Team New Zealand first to tack and look like making the cross so INEOS Britannia tack beneath and sit in disturbed air.

Drag race now to the right side and Emirates Team New Zealand gaining here. INEOS Britannia first to tack before the right boundary, Emirates Team New Zealand carry on a little further and then tack back. Both boats head to mid-course on starboard before INEOS Britannia tacks and gets face-planted by Emirates Team New Zealand who are heading over to the starboard layline.

At the first gate, Emirates Team New Zealand take the port marker and bear away with a 24 second lead. INEOS Britannia follow and gybe immediately, covered by Emirates Team New Zealand who tack on the right boundary. INEOS Britannia click into good breeze left and close the distance before gybing on the left boundary. INEOS Britannia look rapid down this run and have already gained 100 metres. Emirates Team New Zealand gybe cover on INEOS Britannia’s line on starboard gybe, and then cover again as INEOS Britannia gybe back to the left boundary. Emirates Team New Zealand cover and cover again to set up on the port layline into the leeward gate. Ahead of the marker, Emirates Team New Zealand gybes and takes the port marker to round up with a delta down to 15 seconds.

INEOS Britannia tack immediately around the leeward gate, covered by Emirates Team New Zealand who are defending the right side of the course. Drag race up the course on starboard tack before INEOS Britannia tacks back to the right and are covered by Emirates Team New Zealand closely. Long port tack to the right boundary and Emirates Team New Zealand stepping out. INEOS Britannia forced to tack away and again covered by Emirates Team New Zealand. Long starboard tack now, following INEOS Britannia to the left boundary. INEOS Britannia tacks, covered by Emirates Team New Zealand with the second gate now in sight.

Emirates Team New Zealand bears-away at the port marker as the Race Committee lengthens the legs to 1.85 nautical miles with a lead now out to 36 seconds. INEOS Britannia come in on the port layline to bear away at the starboard marker and split tactics downwind initially. Emirates Team New Zealand gybe cover early and then bounce off the left boundary. Lead out to more than 600 metres with two legs left to run after the next leeward gate.

Emirates Team New Zealand gybe on the puffs down the course and come into the leeward gate, gybing onto the port layline and rounding the starboard marker (looking downwind) to head up with a lead at 40 seconds. Spotting that INEOS Britannia has taken the port marker to head right, Emirates Team New Zealand tack early to cover and then cover again at the right boundary and cover INEOS Britannia to the left boundary. Classic match-racing, Emirates Team New Zealand not allowing INEOS Britannia to get any leverage.

Very even upwind here, no-one stepping out but it’s boundary to boundary to boundary and Emirates Team New Zealand just covering INEOS Britannia’s every move. At the final windward gate, the wind goes light and both boats come in from the port layline with Emirates Team New Zealand bearing away for the run home at the starboard marker with a lead of 56 seconds. Very light now and both teams need to join up the puffs down the course. Eyeing INEOS Britannia’s rounding at the starboard marker, Emirates Team New Zealand gybe cover immediately and power down the course on starboard gybe.

Emirates Team New Zealand survive some downrange gybes to come into the finish line off the starboard layline having played the puffs down the right side of the course, to come in flat and record the opening win of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. Finishing delta was timed at 41 seconds.

Ater crossing the finish line Helmsman Nathan Outteridge said:

“It was quite a dynamic race so we learned a lot about how you sail the boat in these conditions. For us it was nice to get a clear start and get ahead on that first cross and control the race. There will be a lot more learning going on over the next few days but we are very happy to get the win in the first race.

“This is what we have been working for three years for now, it’s been a long time of preparation and watching everyone else racing so it was great to get a  fantastic start and now we keep our eyes focus forward and just keep working on the next race and all the rest will come after that.”

RACE 2

At 2 minutes 10, INEOS Britannia drives in hard and goes for the cross. Emirates Team New Zealand come in bang on time and gybe round to follow INEOS Britannia who tack around and then follow Emirates Team New Zealand but Emirates Team New Zealand come back at INEOS Britannia aggressively on starboard tack before trailing INEOS Britannia down to the right boundary. Emirates Team New Zealand tack around high on the line with 20 seconds to go and then come in aggressively on INEOS Britannia’s line. Emirates Team New Zealand starts at the starboard end and tack away immediately to the right side. INEOS Britannia started much faster there and hold the advantage.

IB head on to the left boundary and tack and with Emirates Team New Zealand tacking out right, at the first cross INEOS Britannia are forced to duck. INEOS Britannia now head right whilst Emirates Team New Zealand carries on left before tacking back. At the tack back, INEOS Britannia are on starboard but Emirates Team New Zealand click into a lift and make the cross. Very close racing here.

At the top gate, Emirates Team New Zealand nail the starboard layline and round the port marker with a lead of 11 seconds as I INEOS Britannia splits tactics and rounds at the starboard marker. Emirates Team New Zealand gybe cover as they see INEOS Britannia picking up pace down the left and IB takes the lead with the starboard advantage, crossing ahead. INEOS Britannia looks fast downwind. Split tactics as both boats go boundary to boundary and on the gybe back, Emirates Team New Zealand holds the starboard advantage and re-take the lead.

Into the first leeward gate both boats go for the starboard marker with Emirates Team New Zealand rounding after a downspeed gybe followed by INEOS Britannia who come round and tack immediately away. Emirates Team New Zealand head left to the boundary before tacking and follow INEOS Britannia across the course. INEOS Britannia tack on the right boundary and Emirates Team New Zealand are crossing but decide to go for a leebow tack which forces INEOS Britannia to tack immediately away to the right. This is all about picking the puffs.

Emirates Team New Zealand go far left before tacking as INEOS Britannia goes right and tacks. At the cross INEOS Britannia have gained but Emirates Team New Zealand just ahead and head right. At the second windward mark, Emirates Team New Zealand opts to come in on the starboard layline and tacks around the starboard marker to go left down the run. INEOS Britannia tacks around the port marker and splits the tactics going right down the run. Emirates Team New Zealand spot the move and gybe cover immediately, the wind is building to the right and INEOS Britannia are into it first. A gybe at the boundary from INEOS Britannia brings INEOS Britannia onto the transom of Emirates Team New Zealand who cross and go right for the breeze.

Emirates Team New Zealand gybes at the right boundary whilst IB have sailed to the left of the course and as they come back together Emirates Team New Zealand have gained and gybe on INEOS Britannia’s bow. Into the leeward gate there’s nothing in it as ETNZ round up on the starboard marker as INEOS Britannia gybes away to the port marker and it’s a 10 second delta.

Emirates Team New Zealand bears away at the port marker with a lead out to 28 seconds as INEOS Britannia heads left down the run to split the tactics. Emirates Team New Zealand gybes on the right boundary to cover the INEOS Britannia bear-away and come across on good breeze with the lead now out to over 450 metres. Legs now down to 1.1nm and two legs left.

Emirates Team New Zealand go left up the third beat initially and then tack to cover INEOS Britannia out right and as they come back, Emirates Team New Zealand have gained and tack on INEOS Britannia’s bow, forcing them away to the right which looks unfavoured. INEOS Britannia sail hard right and pick up new breeze as Emirates Team New Zealand covers the move and comes right with the lead out to 250 metres as the windward gate approaches and the Race Committee shorten the legs to 1.2 nautical miles.

Emirates Team New Zealand rounds the leeward gate fast on one board at the starboard marker and tacks immediately as INEOS Britannia rounds at the port marker 32 seconds behind. Classic match-race move from Emirates Team New Zealand they are offering no leverage here and cover smartly as INEOS Britannia tacks back to mid course. INEOS Britannia tack back to the right but Emirates Team New Zealand are well in command here on leg 7 and round the final windward gate, coming off the starboard layline, to bear away at the port marker for the run to the finish with a lead of 33 seconds.

INEOS Britannia round the starboard marker to split tactics and as they do, Emirates Team New Zealand gybe off the right boundary to cover and come onto INEOS Britannia’s line and gybe for a long starboard down to the starboard layline before one final gybe to the finish. It’s 2-0 to Emirates Team New Zealand in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match. Final delta is 27 seconds.

Emirates Team New Zealand Skipper Peter Burling was pleased with the opening day in what were very tough and shifty conditions,“It was super shifty especially with these clouds around which made it really hard to see what the breeze was going to do. But we did a great job as a crew just talking through it and take it smart options. It was definitely pretty tight in that last one so it is great to get another one on the board”