The near capsize of the New Zealanders
The challenger final for the Louis Vuitton Cup has begun as the preliminary round ended: Team New Zealand dominated the Italian Luna Rossa in the opening duel and claimed the first victory point. The second race had to be postponed in strong winds and will be held tonight.
The Kiwis demonstrated just how superior they still are after their near capsize, which fortunately came to a gentle end, although two crew members were thrown into the water when the boat stopped abruptly from 40 to 13 knots and had to be rescued by the support boat. The New Zealanders completed the majority of the duel alone on the course and took a 1:0 lead in the best-of-13 series.
While the Italians had to abandon the match with technical problems, the New Zealanders were undeterred by their botched manoeuvre in a strong gust and the involuntary dipping of the two bow tips of their hulls. Nor did the fact that Rob Waddell and Chris Ward went overboard.
For a few anxious minutes, the course of the New Zealand "Nosedive" was reminiscent of the devastating training accident involving the Swedish team Artemis Racing, in which the British Olympic champion Andrew Simpson lost his life. However, the Kiwis escaped with a scare and were able to continue sailing afterwards. "We're grateful that the two boys are okay," said Dean Barker after the race. "We're all a bit upset, but that's racing. This kind of sailing pushes you to the limit."
The challenger final ends on 30 August at the latest. The 34th duel for the America's Cup against defending champions Oracle Team USA will begin on 7 September after the four-day premiere of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup from 1 to 4 September with the German team All in Racing skippered by Philipp Buhl.
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Tatjana Pokorny
Sports reporter
