Please select your home edition
Edition
Noble Marine 2022 YY - LEADERBOARD

As cool as cucumbers

by Mark Jardine 10 Mar 2021 05:07 GMT 10-17 March 2021
Peter Burling lines up for the start of Race 2 in the America's Cup match © ACE / Studio Borlenghi

You'd have thought that Peter Burling and co. at Emirates Team New Zealand would be a little rusty after three months without a race, but there was no such luck for the Italian challengers in race one of the 36th America's Cup.

The pre-start, where we all talked up Jimmy Spithill's match-racing prowess, saw the Italians pulling the trigger to head up to the line just a second too late, handing the advantage to the defenders from the off. Glenn Ashby and Peter Burling's time on distance was spot on and they were up and away, holding the windward advantage over Luna Rossa.

With both boats on starboard, heading towards the left hand boundary, Jimmy Spithill luffed aggressively, but the home team were clear and the umpires were quick to call no penalty. In that one move the Italians lost their speed and handed Emirates Team New Zealand a 250 metre advantage.

Those critical VMG (velocity made good) figures showed the Kiwi advantage, constantly a knot faster, which even at the eye-watering speeds these AC75 reach, is a massive margin to overcome.

The second upwind leg saw the afterguard of Glenn Ashby and Peter Burling get it all wrong, completely out of phase with the wind shifts, but the Italians only gained a couple of seconds on their opponent.

To add insult to injury, Emirates Team New Zealand completed fewer manoeuvres during the race than Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, so the grinding team would have felt fresher as well.

So, it was what we all feared. Kiwi dominance and a one-sided America's Cup match... The Italians had different ideas.

Race two saw the Luna Rossa gain the advantage in the pre-start, with both teams tacking on to port early, and then they camped on Emirates Team New Zealand upwind and held their own downwind.

It wasn't until the final lap that Burling broke cover for any prolonged period of time, flying down the final downwind leg to close the gap to just 7 seconds at the finish, but the Italians took the all-important win to level the series at 1-1.

An elated Jimmy Spithill said at the finish, "It's great to be competitive and we're looking forward to the next race... bring it on."

Burling responded that maybe he was a little bit race rusty after all.

We've learned (again) that starts are critical, the Kiwis are fast in a straight line and the Italians are quick through the manoeuvres. The great news for sailing fans worldwide is that we have an America's Cup match on our hands.

Related Articles

Project FEAR is in the final few days
Charity circumnavigation almost over, in record time, with a record total raised Jazz Turner is expected to reach home (Brighton Marina) on Monday 30th June or Tuesday 1st July. She has sailed round the British Isles - all round Ireland and the Shetland Islands - without any assistance in 27 days so far. Posted on 28 Jun
Funding for clubs transforms sailing opportunities
During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from UK clubs about their experiences During the latest RYA Participation Webinar we heard from a range of UK clubs, walking through their case studies, and then heard from experts in finance who talked us through the opportunities and pitfalls of acquiring funds. Posted on 26 Jun
A brief history of marine instrument networks
Hugh Agnew has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge One man who has been involved since the outset, and continues to develop at the cutting edge, is Hugh Agnew, the Cambridge-educated mathematician who is one of the founders of A+T Instruments in Lymington, so I spoke to him to find out more... Posted on 25 Jun
Project FEAR turns southwards
Charity circumnavigation progress report from the Shetland Islands Last month I didn't even know that Muckle Flugga existed. Yet today, the very name of the island brought tears of emotion to my eyes, as I heard Jazz Turner scream it out in victory, in a video she took when passing the lighthouse. Posted on 22 Jun
The Big Bash
Every summer the tournament rolls into town. A short format of the game. Fun and excitement abound. Every summer the tournament rolls into town. Local and international players. A short format of the game, run over a relatively compact six-week season. Posted on 15 Jun
The oldest video footage of Kiel Week
A look back into our video archive at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s In our series of articles looking back in time through our video archive, we visit Germany. Kiel Week is been a crucial event on the world circuit, and here we look back at the Kieler Woche of the 60s and early 70s. Posted on 15 Jun
Jazz Turner's fundraising target is smashed
Already £30k raised for Sailability, so it's time to up the ante Jazz Turner has now passed the northern-most tip of Ireland and is on her way to the Shetland Islands, and at the same time her fundraising total of £30,000 has been smashed! Posted on 15 Jun
The X-Yachts Gold Cup Experience
A celebration of sailing, of X-Yachts and, most importantly of all, people Having just returned from Haderslev, Denmark - which is the home of X-Yachts and played host to the X-Yachts Gold Cup 2025 - I was left wondering if this was a racing event, a rally or a social celebration amongst close friends. Posted on 10 Jun
Jazz Turner is now nearing Ireland
Fundraising circumnavigation almost hits the £30k target after just 8 days afloat As at the 10th June Jazz is 8 days out from Brighton, and starting to near Ireland. Jazz had hoped to be further along than this, but the winds have been forcing her to stay close-hauled ever since she started. Posted on 10 Jun
The evolving world of sailing fabrics
The sport of sailing is evolving, and the clothing we wear is changing with it The sport of sailing is evolving, and the clothing we wear is changing with it. We see features such as impact protection becoming more commonplace, but there is a more subtle change happening with the fabric of the garments themselves. Posted on 4 Jun