- A family affair and a proud heritage
- The "All Blacks" of sailing
- Difficult start in light winds?
- Different boats with "fairly similar speed"
- Duel for the America's Cup: the last race counts
- Fascinating America's Cup final ahead
- The role models: John Bertrand, Sir Peter Blake and Russell Coutts
- America's Cup live on the screens
The 37th America's Cup match begins on Saturday. The grand opening ceremony the evening before had turned Barcelona into the "beacon" of the sporting world. The show, which was broadcast worldwide, featured visual effects, a spectacular music and drone show, laser light shows, avatars and seas of light, which attracted almost 1,000 spectators around the stage at the Race Village along Port Vell and took around 60,000 people on the surrounding promenades and beaches on an emotional Cup journey.
A family affair and a proud heritage
The morning after, the helmsmen of both teams gathered around the America's Cup enthroned in its own Louis Vuitton case. Earlier, the trophy, which was made by jeweller Garrard & Co. in 1848, was escorted into the hall by Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei - followed by a rousing haka, with which the New Zealanders announced their readiness for the duel with Ineos Britannia.
The stage then belonged to the four helmsmen of the two teams at the last press conference before the highly anticipated match kick-off in Barcelona's World Trade Centre on Friday: New Zealand's "Taihoro" co-pilots Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge as well as "Britannia's" Ben Ainslie and Dylan Fletcher answered the questions of the international journalists in front of a full house.
After two consecutive Cup victories, New Zealand defenceman Peter Burling said: "I like the pressure of competing on a big stage. The America's Cup is obviously a different thing. You have just over 100 people in your team on the same journey. This team grows very close towards the end, almost like a family. We're very excited to finally start racing. That's what we're here for."
Louis Vuitton Cup winner Ben Ainslie described the mood in his team as a "proud moment for us as proud Brits". Ainslie said: "We have a very proud sporting and maritime heritage in the UK. The America's Cup has always been the trophy that has been missing from our trophy cabinet. This is an incredible opportunity for our team."
We know that: This is the ultimate challenge." Ben Ainslie
At the same time, four-time Olympic champion Ben Ainslie referred to "incredible defenders who are aiming for their third win in a row". Ainslie said: "In a way, we have nothing to lose and everything to gain. We're ready for that and looking forward to it." Ainslie himself has already won the America's Cup in 2013 with Oracle Team USA. "But not for Great Britain," he emphasised once again.
The "All Blacks" of sailing
Ben Ainslie indirectly confirmed that "Taihoro" is ahead with the international betting providers: "It will be a tough battle against Emirates Team New Zealand. They are the 'All Blacks' of sailing, but we are ready for the challenge. Whilst the Kiwis have had more time to prepare, we are definitely battle-hardened after the challenger series. We are the underdogs and New Zealand are the favourites, but I think they are definitely beatable."
As expected, both teams are still keeping a low profile when it comes to detailed sporting predictions or even forecasts. Peter Burling's co-skipper Nathan Outteridge, a 49er Olympic champion, Moth world champion, SailGP pilot and "wind whisperer" and an authority in international sailing, said: "There were fantastic battles in the pre-starts and on the course. In the Louis Vuitton Cup we have been watching pretty closely what Ben, Dylan and the team are up to. We tried to study and understand their movements. And I'm pretty sure they've also been trying to anticipate what we're going to do when tomorrow comes."
Nathan Outteridge went on to say that he expects "incredibly close performances from the boats" and that the starts will be "really crucial". Outteridge's assumption: "Both teams will put a lot of effort into executing their starts." In fact, the starts were one of the few noticeable weaknesses of the Kiwis in the races they took part in during the early stages of the Cup.
Difficult start in light winds?
The expected wind conditions on Barcelona's America's Cup course were also a topic of discussion. The forecasts 24 hours before the first starting signal in the 37th America's Cup match pointed to rather light winds at the start of the duel between New Zealand and Great Britain. The choice of sails for both teams will once again be of great importance. Nathan Outteridge said: "As I'm sure everyone has learnt by now, there are quite a few configuration options for the sails: large headsails, small headsails, medium headsails. There are also options for changing the mainsails."
For October so far, we have learnt that the winds can be very variable, says Outteridge. "We've had some windy days this week, a bit of light winds today. And the forecast for the next few days is also a bit light. Outteridge explained, "That final 10, 15 minutes before a start is the time when the weather team is working very hard to forecast what it's going to be like during the 20 minutes or so of racing. They work to make sure we have the right sails and nail the thing."
According to Outteridge, he can talk about it quite relaxed right now. He smiled and continued: "But wait until just before the start when it comes to crunching the numbers and we try to make the right sailing decisions." Whether the wrong choice can make or break a race? "If you choose sails that are too small and the wind dies, it can certainly define a race. We've already seen that here."
Different boats with "fairly similar speed"
The 38-year-old Nathan Outteridge sees another factor as even more important: "Ultimately, however, it will be the starts that define a race more. If you don't get it perfect, having control of the race... That's definitely more important." As expected, the sailors did not reveal whether the light winds forecast for the first match weekend will favour "Taihoro" or "Britannia".
"That's the fascinating thing about the America's Cup, isn't it? You never really know until you go out there for the first start," said a relaxed Peter Burling.
The youngest of the quartet of drivers in this duel for the "Auld Mug" at the age of 33 confirmed: "We are really happy with the package we have put together. I'm sure the Brits are really happy with their package too. They are obviously two different looking boats, but they will probably be travelling at pretty similar speeds."
I don't think we could have wished for a better final to prepare for." Dylan Fletcher
Will the Brits have the advantage of having to battle through the Louis Vuitton Cup while the Kiwis have been training on the same course, studying their opponents and quietly optimising their boat? Dylan Fletcher said: "The series we've had so far has been fantastic. The final with 'Luna Rossa' in particular was a bit tiring, but just what we needed to get us ready for the Kiwis."
Duel for the America's Cup: the last race counts
Peter Burling takes a realistic view of the long break from racing for his team since the end of the Round Robin series on 9 September: "That was always the plan. We have been planning for about three and a half years since the announcement. Of course, our programme included the development of the boat. The benefit for us was that we didn't have to go through any measurement processes during this time. The disadvantage is that we didn't do any races. We always tried to put the pedal to the metal and make sure the racing skills were honed in-house."
When asked how much faster "Taihoro" will return to racing with new sails, new foils and new appendages, Peter Burling laughed. Then he said: "Certainly faster. But I'm sure it will be the same for Ben and Ineos Britannia compared to our last encounter. They will definitely be faster too."
Burling once again pointed out that the America's Cup is one of the few sporting events where you have to win the last race. Alluding to the 8:1 lead in the 2013 America's Cup, which was lost 8:9 against Oracle Team USA after a historic comeback by the Americans, Peter Burling said: "You have to win the last race. Our team knows that only too well. So we are looking forward to continuing to develop our boat right to the end."
I admire the designers of these boats." Ben Ainslie
According to Ben Ainslie, this development is "never finished". "Both teams," said Ainslie, "will be faster at the end than at the beginning." The most experienced helmsman also admitted: "Mother Nature will have an influence on the result. I'm sure of that. But the teams have known the wind range for three years now. And the designers. I have to say that I always admire the designers of these boats. In the Louis Vuitton Cup final, we had to deal directly with the wind limit (editor's note: 21 knots before the start). And the boats went to their limits."
Fascinating America's Cup final ahead
They had to deal with marginal conditions and effects such as foil cavitation, but "in most cases the boats held up," says Ainslie. You can't give the designers enough credit. Ainslie is certain: "It's going to be a fascinating final just looking at the weather. And what role it will play."
In response to the YACHT question of whether New Zealand with the two skiff and foiling "supermen" Peter Burling (Olympic champion and 6 x world champion in the 49er) and Nathan Outteridge (Olympic champion and 4 x world champion in the 49er, Moth World Champion) or Great Britain with the mix of the Laser and Finn Olympic Champion, match race duel ace and America's Cup chaser Ben Ainslie and his co-pilot Dylan Fletcher (49er Olympic Champion, Moth World Champion) have the more powerful duo, laughed Peter Burling.
Then the man nicknamed "Pistol Pete" said: "I think we need to find out. Give us a week and we'll have a pretty good answer."
The role models: John Bertrand, Sir Peter Blake and Russell Coutts
When asked about the skipper they most admire in the history of the America's Cup, Ben Ainslie said: "I have to say it's John Bertrand. He was also a mentor in my early years. What an amazing achievement it was by his team to beat the Americans." Ainslie is referring to the 1983 Cup year in which Betrand's Australian team stopped the 132-year winning streak of US teams in the America's Cup and brought the jug back Down Under.
Peter Burling said: "I'm going with the first time we won the Cup in 1995 with Russell Coutts and Sir Peter Blake. That really defined the team I stand for." New Zealand's sailors won the America's Cup for the first time in 1995, followed by three more victories in 2000, 2017 and 2021.
Will it stay that way? Ben Ainslie said: "Team New Zealand has certainly had three weeks to look closely at the configuration of their boat. And to get the data on the competing boats. If there's one team here that really knows the line-up of the competition, it's Team New Zealand. Not us. That's what we're up against. But we got through this incredible final. And now we have another final. This is the game."
America's Cup live on the screens
How could the British beat the favoured New Zealanders? Dylan Fletcher put it in a nutshell, albeit not an easy one: "I think we have to have the faster boat and start better." However, Emirates Team New Zealand will be first into the starting box in the first race on Saturday. The coin toss by America's Cup presenter Jesse Tuke on Friday morning resulted in "Port Entry" for "Taihoro".
The Louis Vuitton 37th America's Cup Barcelona - the official title - begins on 12 October. Click here for the live link to the broadcast. The programme starts at 2 pm.
"Hearts Broken. Heroes Made. History Written" - here's a look back at the final at the Louis Vuitton, in which Ineos Britannia beat the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli team to win the America's Cup:
Could the momentum be on the side of the Brits, who are cautiously labelling themselves as outsiders? In the team's own "Inside Track Show", Ben Ainslie and his team-mates provide insights in an interview:
Never won because never earned? Youtuber "Mozzy Sails" regularly entertains Cup fans with tech analyses and his very own insights into the America's Cup world. This time it's all about the history of the Cup and what is likely to be a very exciting duel on the water:
