This Monday was not a good day for the Swedish team Artemis Racing. The first of what could be several races on the final day of the Challenger Playoffs began with a scary lull and a race crawl with Emirates Team New Zealand towards the finish line. Fortunately, the time limit put a merciful end to the pitiful scramble, in which the Swedes had incurred two penalties with a narrow early start and another mistake: cancellation by the race committee. It was only after a long wait that the seventh meeting between the Swedes and the New Zealanders could be started at 9.25 pm German time in very light but sailable winds of 7 or 8 knots. Artemis Racing would certainly have liked to have done without it. Because it has long been clear that the "Magic Blue" is not the rocket in light winds that she was in more pressure in the previous regattas and also in this challenger round.
Artemis skipper Nathan Outteridge and tactician Iain Percy bid farewell to the Cup stage with interesting analyses and insights. New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling and skipper Glenn Ashby risked a look ahead to the eagerly awaited duel against the American Cup defenders
And indeed, the New Zealanders dominated the Swedes in this final duel of the Challenger Playoffs without any ifs or buts. As in the cancelled slow-motion race in the afternoon, Peter Burling once again got off to a good start. He gave his team the lead at the first critical turning point. The Kiwis had secured the inside position and even luffed the Swedes up and slowed them down in the best match race style just before the gate, just as Artemis had done with the Kiwis in previous races. It seemed as if Burling had learnt his lessons and successfully worked on his only small weakness - the starts.
From this point onwards, the New Zealanders overtook the Swedes at an enviable pace. Artemis Racing simply had nothing to counter their superior opponents in these wind conditions. No good positioning helped, nor did the good nose of helmsman Nathan Outteridge and tactician Iain Percy for Böenfelder. The Kiwis' "track bike foursome" and their afterguard sailed the course flawlessly and reached the finish line well ahead of the clearly beaten Swedes. Shortly after the Cup exit, Nathan Outteridge said: "We are obviously very disappointed. But we congratulate the New Zealanders. We had some great battles, but they were simply faster. We have really grown together as a team and hope that we can also be part of the 36th America's Cup. We will be talking about this as a team in the coming days."
So now the rematch of the 2013 duel is perfect: the Kiwis get their chance for revenge against Larry Ellison's Oracle Team USA, which they defeated so cruelly in 2013. Back then, the New Zealanders had already led 8:1 and earned an incredible eight match points. Victory seemed to be out of their grasp. But then the Americans added a technical touch, provoked them psychologically and finally won the Cup 9:8 in one of the greatest comebacks in the history of the sport. "You never get over it," New Zealand's head of sport Grant Dalton had said honestly before this 35th edition of the Cup. But it was he who dethroned Dean Barker as helmsman and skipper and opted for the young star Burling, whom he embraced like a proud father on Monday evening.
Perhaps the Kiwis will now succeed in beating the team that was too strong in the final sprint four years ago. Emirates Team New Zealand is going for the jug with its new helmsman and Olympic champion Peter Burling. The talent of the century, already decorated with Olympic gold and silver in the 49er at the age of 26 and also Moth World Champion and foil wizard, appears in his calm, reserved manner like the stark human antithesis to the brash and extremely aggressive Jimmy Spithill, who is aiming for his third Cup triumph in a row under the American flag.
Cheered on by the New Zealanders, the Swedes bid farewell to Bermuda as fair losers on Monday's cloudy and even rainy Cup stage. The likeable team with their Australian helmsman Nathan Outteridge, their British tactician and team manager Iain Percy and the crew, who suffered such a heavy blow with the accidental death of their mate and best friend Andrew "Bart" Simpson in 2013, have thrilled the fans in recent weeks. It was great to see that Nathan Outteridge was still able to laugh after his involuntary departure from the boat in a pre-decisive race. It was marvellous to hear Outteridge and Percy being so fair to their rivals and paying tribute to good performances. It would be a win for the America's Cup if this Swedish team could set their sights on a third Cup cycle. The decision has yet to be made.
At the Swedes' final press conference of the evening, there was huge applause for Outteridge and Percy as they took their places on the podium. Outteridge said: "We gave it our all out there. We roared round the course side by side with the Kiwis and it's all a good reward for our team and the years of hard work we've put into this campaign." Percy said: "As an athlete I'm disappointed because I felt we were ready for the final this time. At the same time, we're proud of what we've achieved. Those two feelings are wrestling inside me right now." Despite this, double Olympic champion Percy said goodbye with joy: his girlfriend Alex is expecting their first child together in England. "The due date was today," revealed a beaming Percy in Hamilton, who was about to leave, "you'll understand that I'm under a bit of pressure now..." However, a core team from Artemis Racing will remain in Bermuda to observe the races until the end of the Cup. The 35th America's Cup match between Emirates Team New Zealand and Oracle Team USA begins on 17 June.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
