The America’s Cup is at a critical juncture. Ineos Britannia must defeat Emirates Team New Zealand in all five remaining races to secure the prestigious ‘auld mug’ for Great Britain. Following the fifth day of racing, they are trailing 6-2 in the best-of-13 series. If the New Zealanders win just one more race, with two scheduled for Saturday, the competition will conclude.
Ineos Britannia’s skipper, Ben Ainslie, has faced greater odds before, but it would take a bold prediction to back him now, given New Zealand’s commanding performance. “It’s not over yet,” Ainslie stated, “so we’ll continue to fight.” The momentum gained by winning the fifth and sixth races on Wednesday lasted only the first 10 seconds of the seventh race. Emirates Team New Zealand surged ahead as the wind strengthened on the right side of the course. By the end of the first leg, they had a 12-second lead, which expanded to almost a minute by the start of the final leg.
“That was a challenging race for us,” Ainslie commented. “We appeared to be in good shape on the line, but the wind shifted to the right, and they defended it well.” The conditions had altered once more; the sea was calm, the wind offshore and unpredictable. The New Zealanders, fueled by their frustration over Wednesday’s performance, navigated these conditions expertly. Their maneuvers were precise, their course certain, and their boat steady and swift.
By the time they passed Ineos Britannia on the final leg of the seventh race, they were already a kilometer ahead. The eighth race was not much closer, and by the end of the day, the atmosphere on the British boat was somber. A full report will follow shortly…
Source link: https://www.theguardian.com
