34th America's Cup - Day 14
by 34th America's Cup media 25 Sep 2013 08:32 BST
23 September 2013
ORACLE TEAM USA, Emirates Team New Zealand in winner-take-all race for the 34th America's Cup
After staging an improbable comeback from 7 points behind and with no margin for error, ORACLE TEAM USA has forced a winner-take-all race tomorrow for the 34th America's Cup after sweeping both races today.
ORACLE TEAM USA won Race 17 by 27 seconds and Race 18 by 54 seconds and now
stands even with Emirates Team New Zealand on the scoreboard with 8 points each. Only
twice before in the 162-year history of the America's Cup has there been a winner-take-all
final race, in 1920 and 1983. In 1920 the defender won and in '83 the challenger won.
The Kiwis have been on match point since last Wednesday, Sept. 18, but now face the
possibility of watching the defender stage perhaps the most historic comeback in sport.
Already ORACLE TEAM USA has won 10 races, but has 8 points because of a penalty
imposed by the International Jury.
"We do believe we can win, we've known we can win this thing for a long time," said
Emirates Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker. "It's one thing to talk about it and
another thing to do it. We have to do everything right and sail as well as we can. We're going to prepare as we have been and we have confidence we can win this. No one's slightly head down or lacking in confidence. We know if we put the pieces together we'll be successful."
ORACLE TEAM USA has been staring down the barrel of defeat with the slightest of slipups
for the past week. Skipper Jimmy Spithill has played the underdog role since the Kiwis got to
match point, and he's still playing that theme in the hopes of a successful defense.
"I think we are the underdog, and I'm going to keep running with that and use that energy for
tomorrow," said Spithill, who at 30 years old in 2010 became the youngest to skipper an
America's Cup winner. "The exciting thing for me is seeing how this team has gelled
together. Sometimes you need to face that barrel of the gun to come together. You can get
wobbly in the knees or you can look into the barrel. Every day we've managed to step it up
more."
The Kiwis let a great opportunity at victory slip through their hands in Race 18. Barker
fended off Spithill in the prestart, gaining a leeward position off the start line, and led at the first turning mark by 5 seconds with both boats blasting along on the verge of control. In fact, Emirates Team New Zealand set the outright speed record for the Summer of Racing at 47.57 knots (55 mph, 88 kph, 80 feet/second) at the mark rounding.
Barker increased his lead to 7 seconds at the leeward gate, but on the upwind leg ORACLE
TEAM USA showed the blazing speed that makes it look at times unbeatable. Spithill guided
his AC72 onto its hydrofoils and sailed over the top of the Kiwis and into the lead.
Once in the lead the defender sped away, foiling at more than 30 knots, and turned the 7-
second deficit into a 49-second lead at the windward gate, averaging more than 1 knot faster
on the 3-nautical-mile upwind leg.
"It's clear to see they were going pretty damn well," said Barker. "It was the first time that we recognized there was a condition where maybe we aren't as strong as we need to be. It's tough. We're doing all we can, the guys never gave up, but clearly the Oracle guys were
going well in that stuff."
It was Spithill who got the better of Barker in Race 17. Spithill got a late hook on Barker and luffed his competitor. Barker was required to keep clear but the two yachts collided three times, with ORACLE TEAM USA's starboard hull bouncing off of Emirates Team New Zealand's port hull. The umpires penalized Emirates Team New Zealand twice, which allowed the defender to open a lead it would not relinquish.
"We saw an opportunity there at the start and it was great to be able to put it together," said Spithill. "It was a really physical race and the boys really dug in."
"That start was an absolute shocker," said Barker. "We tried to mix it up a bit but really put ourselves in a bad, bad spot. We tried to bring them down the line, but we were just way too early; 40 seconds before the start we knew we had a bit on."
Race 19, the race of the 21st century, is scheduled to start tomorrow at 1:15 p.m. PT. In the
U.S., the America's Cup Finals will be broadcast live on the NBC Sports Network. Replays
will be available on the America's Cup YouTube channel.
Internationally, the America's Cup Final can be viewed in more than 170 territories. All racing is also live on America's Cup YouTube channel (subject to territorial restrictions) which you can view on the YachtsandYachting.com homepage at 9pm BST.
You can also follow racing with America's Cup App for android and iOS devices.
34th America's Cup Standings: (first to 9 points wins)
- ORACLE TEAM USA – 8 (10 wins; ORACLE TEAM USA was penalized its first two
victories by the International Jury)
- Emirates Team New Zealand – 8
Race 17 Performance Data:
- Course: 5 Legs/10.11 nautical miles
- Elapsed Time: OTUSA – 24:04, ETNZ – 24:31
- Delta: OTUSA +:27
- Total distance sailed: OTUSA – 11.8 NM, ETNZ – 11.6 NM
- Average Speed: OTUSA – 29.62 knots (34 mph), ETNZ – 28.63 knots (33 mph)
- Top Speed: OTUSA – 44.02 knots (51 mph), ETNZ – 46.33 knots (53 mph)
- Windspeed: Average – 16.8 knots, Peak – 20.0 knots
- Number of Tacks/Jibes: OTUSA – 8/6, ETNZ – 7/5
Race 18 Performance Data:
- Course: 5 Legs/10.11 nautical miles
- Elapsed Time: OTUSA – 22:01, ETNZ – 22:55
- Delta: OTUSA +:54
- Total distance sailed: OTUSA – 11.7 NM, ETNZ – 11.9 NM
- Average Speed: OTUSA – 31.92 knots (37 mph), ETNZ – 31.23 knots (36 mph)
- Top Speed: OTUSA – 45.79 knots (53 mph), ETNZ – 47.57 knots (55 mph)
- Windspeed: Average – 19.3 knots, Peak – 21.8 knots
- Number of Tacks/Jibes: OTUSA – 7/7, ETNZ – 10/6
ORACLE TEAM USA evens score with two wins as America's Cup comes down to final race (from ORACLE TEAM USA)
ORACLE TEAM USA continued its streak, winning two races on Tuesday to tie the score in the 34th America's Cup in San Francisco. ORACLE TEAM USA and Emirates Team New Zealand have eight points apiece, and the winner of the trophy will be determined with Wednesday's final race.
"It's not over. We've got to finish it off," said skipper Jimmy Spithill. "We've worked very, very hard to come back from where we were. And, the guys want it. You can sense it onboard and you can sense it around the base – the whole team just wants it. There's this huge wave of momentum we've been riding for the past few days and it just build and builds and builds, and we're going to carry that in to tomorrow."
Race 17 began with a double penalty off the line for Emirates Team New Zealand for not keeping clear as the windward boat. ORACLE TEAM USA was able to pull ahead and round the first mark 17 seconds in front. The team defended their position and held on to cross the line 27 seconds ahead of Team New Zealand.
In Race 18, Team New Zealand got the early jump, and ORACLE TEAM USA rounded the second mark 7 seconds back. After splitting the gates, Spithill and crew began to close in on New Zealand on the third leg and rolled past mid-way down. ORACLE TEAM USA maintained the lead and began to widen the gap, eventually winning by 54 seconds.
ORACLE TEAM USA has recorded seven consecutive wins, and trailed 8-1 in points before tying the score on Tuesday. The team leads Emirates Team New Zealand 10-8 overall in wins.
The final race of the 34th America's Cup – Race 19 – is scheduled for 1:15 pm PT on Wednesday.
"You just have to approach it like every other race," said tactician Ben Ainslie regarding the winner-take-all final race. "You really have to go out and go through the same preparations with the boat, the maintenance, in the morning meetings, and with the pre-start warm-up. And of course, like every other race, the guys will give it everything all the way to the finish."
Down to the wire (from Emirates Team New Zealand)
Tomorrow is the day. The last day of the 34th America's Cup.
After 18 races the two teams are on eight points and tomorrow will race on San Francisco Bay for the 9th point – the one that will win them the America's Cup.
It has been an epic regatta. It started with Oracle struggling to find both boat speed and form. Emirates Team New Zealand swept to lead the points table 8-1.
That was last week. Then Oracle stopped the charge, making an impressive comeback. They started the climb up the leader board and today drew level with Emirates Team New Zealand.
Tomorrow the 34th America's Cup comes down to the wire. The winner of race 19 takes all.
A finish to the match that was unimaginable when it started on September 7.
www.americascup.com