Impenetrable
Grant Dalton called it the strongest New Zealand team ever. We’d add that it looked like the most cohesive America’s Cup team ever, of any nationality. Contrary to some, we would argue that Emirates Team New Zealand were not always the absolute fastest on the water – unlike three years ago – but the quality of their sailing, inch-perfect accuracy and virtually flawless manoeuvring meant that an opponent would have needed a very big speed advantage to cause them any serious concern. And that was – and is – never going to happen. Ivor Wilkins reports
Whichever way the results played out in fickle autumnal winds at the Mediter- ranean city of Barcelona, the 37th America’s Cup Match was destined to produce a result that was nothing short of momentous. A successful defence by Emirates Team New Zealand would cement its place as a powerhouse in the long history of the contest with the first modern-era hat-trick by a single team, following back-to-back wins in 2017 and 2021. A win by Challenger of Record Ineos
44 SEAHORSE
Britannia would end 173 years of hurt and humiliation and restore the ‘Auld Mug’ to the Royal Yacht Squadron, which back in 1851 ceded the trophy to the black schooner America – setting in motion a saga that has ever since continued to enthral fans and inspire enormous effort in its quest. In the event it was the defender that
prevailed, carving out a compelling 7-2 victory in a campaign that combined excellence in all the essential elements – design, technology, sailing, management, teamwork – to produce a devastatingly effective package. Seconds after trailing the Kiwi yacht
across the finish line for the final time, British skipper Sir Ben Ainslie doffed his cap in acknowledgement. ‘A huge well done to Team NZ,’ he said, ‘in my view the best team ever in the America’s Cup.’ Grant Dalton, who rebuilt the New
Zealand team following an embarrassing 5-0 capitulation to Swiss debutantes Alinghi two decades ago, reflected on the journey to victory in Barcelona. ‘This isn’t a job. It is a vocation, a passion, a life,’ he said. In a later interview he described victory in perhaps more human terms as a relief over not losing… This Cup, like others that have gone
before, will be picked over and analysed for the smallest details that influenced the result one way or another, but the old adage always prevails: the fastest boat always wins. ETNZ’s weapon of choice, Taihoro, may not have been the fastest in every condition, or even the fastest in a straight line. But, in the October time- frame set for the Match and within the rectangular confines of the approximately 1.2nm2 course, Taihoro’s design was unquestionably faster around the track. Which is exactly the goal the design team
set itself as soon as Barcelona was confirmed as the venue. Hints of New Zealand’s all- round performance profile emerged back when Taihoro was first launched in Auck- land. Describing the surprising disparity across the second-generation AC75 fleet, ETNZ Design Chief Dan Bernasconi said the differences indicated a range of design choices. ‘It depends on what you are opti- mising for,’ he said. ‘Are you optimising for early take-off in light winds, highest top speeds in a straight line, or lowest lap time in 12kt of breeze? All the trade-offs have to be considered.’ The clear indications were that lowest lap times in light-to-medium breezes were the Kiwi target. On the last day of racing ETNZ clinched
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