A week and a half before the start of the Cup, the potential for aggression among the teams is on the rise. In a crash during the controversial pre-start phase of a training duel between Emirates Team New Zealand and Sir Ben Ainslie's Team Land Rover BAR, the New Zealand boat was damaged at the rear. Ainslie was quick to play down the failed manoeuvre afterwards, apologising for the consequences and saying via Twitter: "That was a loving nudge while we were having a tough duel with Emirates Team Zealand. Sorry guys! Hope you're back on the water soon."
New Zealand team boss Grant Dalton was far less relaxed about the situation, saying that the Cup would be starting soon and his team could not afford a setback like this. Dalton said: "We know Ben well and he's a good lad. But obviously the frustration is getting to him and he saw red." The Kiwis initially expected him to miss several days of training. New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling, who is usually very verbally reserved, also described the incident as "unnecessary", saying: "It's a bit of a shame in the week before the start of the Cup. We're all here to learn. But what can you do?" One of the bow tips of the British catamaran was also damaged in the incident.
Dean Barker, skipper and helmsman of SoftBank Team Japan, was surprised in an interview with the "New Zealand Herald" despite all his experience and said: "One surprise of the last few days is how aggressive the training races have become. This has now been clearly demonstrated by a fairly violent collision between two boats." One observer summarised the situation metaphorically: "First Burling nailed the start, then Ainslie nailed Burling." The Brits had to put up with some mockery as a result of the collision, as they had involuntarily rammed their dock while mooring just a few weeks ago. Typical America's Cup: when the opportunity arises to shoot little psychological poison darts at the competition, they are usually gladly taken.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
