Kiwis Pull Off America’s Cup Hat Trick

As quickly as INEOS Britannia’s AC75 foiling monohull improved against ETNZ, it was of little consequence, as they weren’t able to land much of a punch. The Kiwis lifted the Cup for a third time in a row to complete the Three-Peat, or is it a Three-Pete (Burling)? Just like being in Barcelona with its historic, recognizable sights and landmarks, the 37th America’s Cup and each of the races seemed to be over as soon as they began, as Emirates Team New Zealand defended the America’s Cup for the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron 7-2 over INEOS Britannia. Barcelona was a perfect host city, and the odds seem to be in their favor to play that role again! The Royal Yacht Squadron will return as Challenger of Record and a new Protocol will be on the way in the coming days.

The final race was set in motion after a slight delay by regatta director Iain Murray, when Melanie Robert’s voice rang out, announcing, “We have met the wind limit and this race is live.” With 7–11 knots and a flat sea state, INEOS was aggressive in the pre-start, hitting the line at speed. But to no avail as Taihoro picked up pressure almost immediately and the lead multiplied from there to a comfortable but insurmountable margin.

The Brits brought it back to nip at the Kiwis’ heels, but passing lanes were nonexistent as ETNZ controlled the course, covering when necessary and sailing for speed when needed, as they flew away with the Auld Mug once again.

For INEOS Britannia, the writing looked to be on the wall, but the never-say-die attitude that has been carefully cultivated within the team came to the fore, and on the second windward leg, a rare miscalculation on the pressure from the Kiwis opened the door for the British to stage a comeback.

A dead-heat rounding set up a potentially fascinating downwind, as it was neck and neck at the final gate as the teams split in a final act of desperation by the British, but the Kiwis quickly jibed off the right boundary to fly down the course before a final jibe on a port layline to angle into the finish line and the history books.

After ETNZ crossed the finish line 37 seconds ahead of INEOS, the New Zealand flag was hoisted above a banner in Catalan, “Moltes Gràcies Barcelona.”

Louis Vuitton leadership was welcomed onboard Taihoro as the Kiwis showered them and themselves in celebration with Moët & Chandon champagne.

It was madness as hundreds of spectator boats of all shapes and sizes surrounded the ETNZ base while Taihoro was towed back to Port Vell, where the Māori Ngāti Whātua Ōrākei once again greeted the arrival of the emerald-green and ocean-blue AC 75 at the dock.

“It’s a pretty surreal feeling; it’s still definitely sinking in. In the America’s Cup you’re all ready for a long battle, but to be able to get it done today, in just beautiful sailing conditions with a little bit of shift in it and just so many people cheering us on, was amazing,” ETNZ co-helm Peter Burling said.

“Just incredibly proud of what we’ve accomplished. The America’s Cup has got to be one of the hardest sporting trophies in the world to win,” Burling continued. “You’ve got to have so many parts come together to make it all work, and now having done that three times in a row, it’s incredibly special.

“All credit to Ben and INEOS Britannia; I think they put together an incredible challenge. They pushed us the whole way,” Burling said. “Mixed emotions of course. First of all I’ve got to say credit to ETNZ, an amazing achievement for that organization, and for our team to get into the America’s Cup itself was a huge achievement, and we’ve been on quite a journey for the last 10 years, and especially the last three years,”

“Ultimately to fall short at the final hurdle is always tough, but we know that we’ve been up against one of the best, if not the best, teams in the history of the Cup,” said Sir Ben Ainslie, CEO and skipper of INEOS. “We have to take that on the chin, and I think that the team have done a brilliant job to develop through this campaign, through this series, and as one very plucky Brit said, it’s the courage to continue that counts, so that’s what we’re up for.”

Conventional wisdom says we are looking at a short cycle for the 38th AC, possibly in 2027 and hopefully back in Barcelona, but Valencia has been whispered to be in the mix. We’ll see!