New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling and Artemis helmsman Nathan Outteridge were not in complete agreement when analysing their encounter after their first three encounters in the final of the challenger round for the 35th America's Cup. Outteridge, who had gone overboard in race three but had survived the mishap unscathed, said after the race: "If I hadn't slipped away and gone overboard in that last race due to the centrifugal forces, I think it would be 2:1 in our favour now." Peter Burling, on the other hand, was of the opinion that his Emirates Team New Zealand had been in the process of successfully attacking the Swedes anyway and would probably have scored the point even without Outteridge's bad luck.
Nathan Outterdige reports on the situation in which he went overboard. And of the anxious moments afterwards, because not everyone involved immediately realised that the Swedes' helmsman was in the water...
The discussion about this remains theoretical, as the Swedish team was unable to tame its "Magic Blue" with five men after the involuntary departure of Otteridge. However, the different interpretations show how important it is for both helmsmen to make their team look good in the battle for a place in the Cup match. Outteridge was able to joke again in the evening: "We want to see how we can handle a situation like this better in the future. But next time, the main character better stay on board."
Nathan Outteridge reports on how he went overboard. You can also see that the Swedes got off to a strong start in the final
The first three meetings between the favourite Kiwis and the surprisingly strong Swedes ended with the New Zealanders taking a 2:1 lead. In the first race, they benefited from the fact that Artemis Racing did not position themselves well after winning the start and botched a few manoeuvres. "Unfortunately, we didn't sail well in this first race, although our configuration was very good according to the accurate forecast of our weather people." This was especially true for the first light wind duel. The Swedes had started the races with their large light wind foils, the Kiwis with smaller boards, which are more favourable in medium to stronger winds. Nevertheless, the Kiwis won the first race with a 47-second lead at the finish. The second race went to Artemis Racing. The Swedes crossed the finish line with a 15-second lead and equalised the score at 1:1 after a hard-fought battle in which they came out on top after the start with the better match race performance. Nathan Outteridge gave the Kiwis the 2-1 lead in the evening with his slip, as a result of which the Scandinavians gave up after the New Zealanders had crossed the finish line.
Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge report on the first final day of the Challenger Playoffs with two surprises: The Swedes were able to hold their own, their starts were outstanding. But they also gave away a point because Outteridge went overboard
"It was a complicated day for the weather people too, with a fairly light-winded first race and two windier races," said Peter Burling in the evening, "obviously we struggled with our starts today. But we were very pleased with how the boat performed in all conditions. And also with how well we fought our way back in the third race before Nathan went overboard." Artemis Racing's Swedish grinder Andreas Axelsson drew a conclusion that surprised many experts on the day: "I think we showed the Kiwis that we are serious players in the ring. And that we are here to win."
The final of the Challenger Playoffs will continue on Sunday evening from 7pm and will be shown live on both Servus TV and Sky Sport. The final could be decided as early as Sunday if the New Zealanders manage three wins in a row. Five points are needed to win the final in the challenger round. The New Zealanders already have two.
Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
