Emirates Team New Zealand runner up in Cagliari
Emirates Team New Zealand finished runner up at the Louis Vuitton 38th America’s Cup Preliminary Regatta Sardinia, behind Luna Rossa on their home waters and in front of their passionate home crowd in Cagliari. It was a tight three-way battle to qualify for the final match race between Emirates Team New Zealand and the two Luna Rossa teams after eight fleet races, with just two points separating 1st to 3rd. Nathan Outteridge and the team progressed through to the match race final against Luna Rossa, who won the pre-start and sailed the course with textbook match race tactics to take the win.
Like any great regatta coming into the final day of racing, it was all to sail for with any number of scenarios possible to unfold with two remaining fleet races that would define the top two teams to compete in the single match race final. These situations are what sailors love, and fans relish keeping track of the fluctuating points across the races. Every place and every point will count.
Emirates Team New Zealand went into the day in second place on 47 points, 8 points behind Luna Rossa Women & Youth and the Emirates Team New Zealand Women & Youth team in 4th place with 39 points. The goal was clear: reaching the match race final, where points no longer matter, and it all comes down to simply winning against a single opponent.
Wind conditions were a steady 10-12 knot southerly seabreeze with perfectly flat water, with far more controlled conditions and lower risk of mistakes making getting in front all the more powerful. The critical moment of the first race of the day, Race 7, was the disqualification of the Luna Rossa Women & Youth team after being OSC, starting early and not taking their penalties despite repeated umpire requests, finishing the race with no additional points.
Emirates Team New Zealand crews battled away mid-fleet in 4th and 5th positions, the objective was finishing as close as possible to Luna Rossa’s senior team who ended up gaining two points meaning the race for the final two places was separated by just 2 points between Luna Rossa Women & Youth on 55 points, Emirates Team New Zealand at 54 points, and Luna Rossa on 53 points, setting up a huge final fleet race.
The start of Race 8 was a regatta-defining start for the Luna Rossa Women & Youth team, who started on port with a hard-charging fleet on starboard, getting stung with a restart penalty and starting again at the back of the fleet. Emirates Team New Zealand resumed battle up the first leg with Luna Rossa just metres between the leading boats, but a tight port cross had the kiwis dip behind Tudor Team Alinghi which drew them back into the traffic of the fleet, such are the fine margins on the racecourse. From there, Luna Rossa got their nose into clear air in front and sailed into the final. For Emirates Team New Zealand, it was all about finishing ahead of the Luna Rossa Women & Youth team to progress through.They crossed the line in 5th with the Emirates Women & Youth team in 6th place, ahead of Luna Rossa Women & Youth who missed the final by a single point setting up a heavyweight final match race. With these results, Emirates Team New Zealand made it into the final match race by the narrowest of margins, while the Women & Youth team skippered by Jake Pye and with Erica Dawson on co-helm as well as Josh Armit and Serena Woodall finished in overall 5th position.
A gear change to match racing and Nathan Outteridge went head to head with his old friend and adversary Peter Burling in the pre-start, both boats early with action hard pressed against the pin. In an attempt to kill time and squeeze inside the pin, Emirates Team New Zealand crashed off the foils and handed a 100 metre advantage to Luna Rossa off the start line. The crew on the Kiwi boat, skipper Nathan Outteridge, Seb Menzies, Andy Maloney, and Iain Jensen battled hard, but with textbook match racing from Luna Rossa, they couldn't find a way around.
Luna Rossa won the regatta in front of a frenzied home crowd. Congratulations to Luna Rossa.
