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The New Zealand team faces Luna Rossa during the second day of official America’s Cup practice.
The impressive first performances of the New Zealand team’s new boat, Te Rehutai, cause some nerves to appear in Italy.
With Luna Rossa as the record challenger for Auckland 2021 and looking to break a 21-year drought in the America’s Cup, hopes are high in Italy, especially with the hiring of the ruthless Jimmy Spithill and growing confidence in his union.
But that took its toll on Thursday when they were cleaned up in practice by Peter Burling and the New Zealand team with decent breezes on Course E at Bucklands Beach.
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Iain Murray is on the lookout for next week’s races, although there isn’t much to do at the moment.
The reaction of the Italian media reflected that as they analyzed the second day of boat-to-boat action.
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“Once again it is Te Rehutai who impresses in the evidence against Luna Rossa”, was the report in Do it.
“The kiwis showed control and speed even in these stronger than average wind conditions on the first day of practice … always fluid.”
Chris McKeen / Stuff
The top positions of the Luna Rossa crew corps in the America’s Cup aerodynamics game have some concerns in the Italian media.
The development of the Team New Zealand boat has also been observed with a much more aggressive approach towards Te Rehutai than that taken by Luna Rossa with its second AC75, which features very subtle hull changes.
“One of the biggest differences can be seen in the much more recessed position of the Kiwi crew, whose helmets barely come off the deck, compared to Luna Rossa’s men. Everything to improve the aerodynamics of the surface ”. Do it reported.
Similarly, there is anxiety in Britain after INEOS Team UK failed to sail a second time, having missed the opening practice session on Tuesday after sustaining damage.
“Nervous times for the British fans as the two missed practice days seem to indicate unresolved problems for the Ineos team,” Gerald New wrote on the British website. Sailweb.
“This was the second day lost for the British, who retired with a broken main halyard on the first day, but as that would have been a simple solution, the reason for their no-show on Thursday is unknown.”
They felt that the New Zealand team “continues to look like the best prepared team at this stage.”
Chris McKeen / Stuff
Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa continued to battle each other on the second official training day of the America’s Cup.
American Magic was also absent Thursday for unknown reasons, though it also appeared to have a problem with its ship late Tuesday.
“Perhaps the two teams have more pressing problems to sort out before the first proper race,” he speculated. Sailweb.
There is no obligation to participate in these practices and there are suggestions that both the British and the Americans could be absent from Friday’s session, which is scheduled to involve full races.
Luna Rossa can also take time to make adjustments as the small fleet works on its own schedules for next week’s world series and the Christmas Cup regatta that begins Thursday.
Chris McKeen / Stuff
Te Rehutai of the New Zealand team has been getting a lot of attention.
In preview of the world series event, the latest edition of Nautical World features an in-depth look at the four-ship fleet of Matthew Sheahan, who is one of the few foreign yacht reporters allowed to enter New Zealand to cover the America’s Cup under Covid restrictions.
Addressing his ruler on Te Rehutai, he noted that Team New Zealand “has set the frustrated agenda since 2012 … being the architects of the new rule provided another opportunity to move further.”
Chris McKeen / Stuff
The New Zealand team handled the harshest conditions of Thursday’s Copa America practices.
He believes the Te Rehutai design reflects that with an “aggressive, muscular approach” and the Kiwis have “come off swinging” with their first sailing efforts on the new ship “putting a powerful marker.”
Shehan was also very appreciative of the Team New Zealand champion team.
“There are few sailing associations as successful and seemingly as telepathic as Pete Burling and Blair Tuke,” Sheahan wrote in Nautical World.
“Multiple 49er world champions and America’s Cup holders have an uncanny ability to bring out the best in every ship they step on, so it’s no wonder that while Burling rules the AC75, Tuke will be the flight controller.
“The rest of the team reads like a who’s who of sailing, from CEO Grant Dalton to a design team that includes Guillaume Verdier, not least sailors like Glenn Ashby and Ray Davies.”
