The Australian betting provider TopSport is clear: 1.50 Australian dollars for a dollar bet on the New Zealand America's Cup defenders. Anyone betting on challenger Ineos Britannia can - as of 6 October - expect odds of 2.50 on a British victory. The Australians favour Emirates Team New Zealand in the battle for the oldest active international sports trophy.
"Taihoro" is the bookmakers' favourite
At the British online betting provider Nicer Odds, the odds were last at 1.75 for New Zealand's "Taihoro" and 3.80 for "Britannia". Here, too, the Kiwis are clearly ahead. At Winamax, the odds were 1.50 for the Kiwis and 2.40 for Great Britain's Cup chasers around a week before the first starting signal in the 37th America's Cup match. The bookmakers' favourite is obviously Emirates Team New Zealand.
If you ask around in Barcelona at the moment, the mood signals a somewhat more balanced picture than the betting odds suggest. Because many experts see "Taihoro's" design in the overall package as being closer to the "Luna Rossa", which was narrowly beaten in the Louis Vuitton Cup final, the British are certainly given a chance in the duel for the most important silver jug in sailing.
However, unlike the challengers who are busy and under heavy pressure in the Louis Vuitton Cup, the New Zealanders have had almost five weeks without racing after winning the double round robin round of the Louis Vuitton Cup on 9 September until the first starting shot for the duel with the "Challenger of Record" is fired on 12 October. Plenty of time for a lot of optimisation.
Intensive monitoring of the competition
Although the New Zealanders were unable to gain any racing experience for so long, they were able to keep a close eye on the competition, optimise their own boat without the pressure of actively taking part in regattas and train in a targeted manner. While the British and Italians fought a thrilling duel for the Louis Vuitton Cup on the "Britannia" and "Luna Rossa", the Kiwis regularly completed their well-planned test and training sessions in the Cup area.
The countdown to the Cup match is on. Both racing teams are preparing intensively in all areas for the sailing duel of the year. Co-driver Nathan Outteridge told New Zealand's online magazine Stuff: "I can't say too much about the upgrades, but we've got a few new sails and made a few changes. Just the normal little upgrades that we didn't have time to do before the round robin rounds started." Both teams are reluctant to be more specific in these final countdown days before the Cup.
Observing the opposition was also an important part of the Kiwi preparation programme. Kevin Shoebridge, COO for Emirates Team New Zealand, told the Stuff team in Barcelona: "We obviously watched the races out here on the water very closely with our mobile phones. As soon as we get back on land, we'll watch it all on replay. We analyse them really thoroughly." It can be assumed that the Brits have also been very diligent in observing their upcoming rivals.
Two questions dominate the America's Cup harbour
When asked by the Stuff team whether "Taihoro" will start the match as the faster boat, skipper Peter Burling said just one word: "Yes." The two most important questions currently dominating the lively America's Cup action in Barcelona are these: How much faster will "Taihoro" be when she gets out of the starting blocks again? And: How successfully could Ineos Britannia use the short time after winning the Louis Vuitton Cup on 4 October to get "Britannia" into final shape?
The answers will be available from next weekend. The 37th America's Cup match will be held from 12 October in the same format as the final of the Louis Vuitton Cup: whoever achieves seven victories first wins the "Auld Mug".
What senior members of Emirates Team New Zealand said about the state of preparations for the 37th America's Cup match:
