BACK-TO-BACK IN AUCKLAND
Celebrating the five-year anniversary of Emirates Team New Zealand’s 36th America’s Cup defence: Today marks exactly five years since the Waitematā Harbour bore witness to yet another memorable chapter in America’s Cup history. On March 17, 2021, Emirates Team New Zealand completed a hard fought defence of the 36th America’s Cup, a victory that transcended sport and became a symbol of national resilience during a time of worldwide uncertainty—in the midst of a global Covid-19 pandemic.
The back-to-back victory set Emirates Team New Zealand on the trajectory to eventually achieve the unprecedented three-peat in Barcelona in 2024.
The 2021 Match for the 36th America's Cup remains etched in the minds of sailing fans for its heart-stopping intensity. Facing a formidable Challenger of Record in Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the Kiwis found themselves in a deadlocked 3-3 tie after the opening three days of racing.
The pressure compounding daily, it wasn’t until the 4th day that the deadlock was broken and, Emirates Team New Zealand pulled away to win four straight races on Te Rehutai, ultimately securing the 7-3 victory and ensuring the "Auld Mug" remained on Kiwi shores.
Suspensful racing: After a 3-3 on the third day, Emirates Team New Zealand eventually broke the tie.
The 36th America’s Cup was the grand debut of the AC75: a revolutionary class of foiling monohulls that many feared would sacrifice tactical "match racing" for pure speed. Those doubts were silenced the moment the boats took to the water. The AC75s delivered revolutionary performance with unprecedented upwind foiling speeds that defied traditional physics while the action packed starts and close-quarters manoeuvring and lead changes that proved high-tech foiling and traditional match racing tactics could coexist spectacularly.
Te Rehutai. The first generation of AC75s delivered spectacular racing.
Looking back from 2026, the achievement feels even more significant given the context of the era. The event was held at the height of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Despite closed international borders and strict local health restrictions, New Zealand successfully hosted a world-class sporting spectacle. It served as a rare moment of global connection and celebration during a period of isolation.
On home waters: Despite the global COVID-19 pandemic, New Zealand managed to go ahead with, what was probably the only, major sporting event in the world at that time.
The images of that day remain iconic: tens of thousands of fans lining the Auckland waterfront, a sea of supporters cheering as Te Rehutai returned to base. The celebrations culminated in a packed-out Viaduct Harbour, where the legendary voice of Peter Montgomery delivered the line that has since become part of New Zealand's sporting folklore: "The America's Cup remains New Zealand's Cup."
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RE-WATCH ALL THE RACES OF THE 36TH AMERICA'S CUP MATCH.