67
Cup in January.
But dig deep they did and the boat that entered the starting box on the first race of that next series, was like a new machine. Sir Ben, with Giles Scott (also an Olympic Gold medallist) at his side gave a joint master class in tactics; the manoeuvres were slick thanks to the efforts of the lads controlling the flight and at the handles below deck and it culminated in an epic race win against the Italians to take the series unbeaten and claim a ticket into the Prada Cup final. I was lucky enough to watch that final round robin race aboard a beautiful old wooden yacht out in the Hauraki Gulf and after they crossed the line, the boys did us a victory fly-by. That feeling of elation, the sun, the wind (and of course, the glass of Nyetimber in my hand) will stay etched in my mind as a wonderful memory. The next week or so was focused on doing some upgrades to the
boat and meanwhile, Luna Rossa was doing the same. Even though the round robin had appeared to be a bit of a walk-over, Nick admitted to me that they were wary as a team of the Italian boat – it seemed quicker, especially in the lighter conditions – and if sailed well, it would be a real challenge for us to beat. A snatched day off here and there; mainly spent sleeping for Nick, with the odd bit of swimming, train-play, skate-park-visiting thrown in for good measure to keep the children exhausted, the Italians unsurprisingly beat the Americans (who had rebuilt their boat after a monumental capsize, which almost saw it at the bottom of the ocean – worth a google if you’ve got 10 minutes) in the semis and we headed into February looking at a rematch with Luna Rossa in order to determine who would take the challenger series and the Prada Cup. I’ve told you what happened next – it wasn’t to be. The upgrades
made by Luna Rossa were superior to our own and sadly for us, Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni (the Sir Ben and Giles equivalents on the Italian side) had finally worked out how to work together. Their boat flew higher and manoeuvred more easily than Britannia in the light wind conditions and heading into day three of the series, we were 0-4 down, out of a first to 7 wins battle. A glimmer of hope on day four, where we managed to secure the second race victory, but hopes and dreams were quashed on day five (yesterday) where the gentle sea breeze once more did us no favours and Luna Rossa won both races. We cheered the boys back into the harbour with our Union Jacks flying and the kids running riot along the pier; families hugged, men cried, women re-did their mascara and then we all got drunk. The bar at the base is aptly named “The Grinder’s Arms” – I don’t think it’s a going concern though, as all the drinks are free.
So what now for it all? Well, we have to
wait a month or so to see what happens in the AC itself. Racing starts on 6th March and could run for up to two weeks. Whoever wins the 36th America’s Cup will then determine who becomes the official challenger for the next one and the design rules for the boats in which it is contested. They will also decide upon the venue and the date and then it will be for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his pals at Ineos to consider whether they’d like to stump up a further few hundred million in sponsorship to make another British Challenge happen. We would love it if they did – the way in which the team has grown this time around, in both skill and experience, we really feel like next time could be the one. One thing that is for sure is that we’ll be
coming home at the end of March and we cannot wait. New Zealand is a beautiful country and we’ve certainly had a magical time here, but it’s got nothing on Devon and the people that we hold so dear. Nick then flies off to Bermuda early April
to compete in the Sail GP regatta – for team Australia this time around. “The traitor!” I hear you cry; but with Covid ruining everyone’s fun at the moment, needs must I’m afraid. Philippa
You can follow Nick Hutton on Instagram at “nickgbr”
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