Both New Zealand and Italy win one round
sYou don’t give yourself anything. Even after the second day of the Copa America is still a draw. As on the first day of the race, both Italians and New Zealanders won a tour on Friday. So after four races, it’s two or two – whoever wins seven races first wins the 36th America’s Cup. The advantage now is the kiwi: They made a big comeback on Friday afternoon.
Christoph Heine
Business reporter for South Asia / Pacific based in Singapore.
If the Italians finish the first day of the race with a win and continue their winning streak in the first race on Friday, the New Zealanders will retaliate in the second race on Friday afternoon before Auckland. The serious debate between the two races was followed by an impressive 700-meter victory over Luna Rossa. After a foul by Luna Rossa, the Kiwi already had its biggest lead yet during this regatta in the last obsessed buoy by 63 seconds.
“Bad luck after a good day,” said Italian captain Jimmy Spethel, summarizing the two races in the second race after losing the second round. In both races on Friday, the first round after the start was decisive: in the first race, the New Zealanders around the helmsman Peter Burling had no chance, and in the second, they secured their superiority over Spithill and his Italian team. Then Luna Rossa as well as T. Riotai safely brought their races across the line.
The first cross in each case did not lack any drama: in the first stroke of the first race, the New Zealanders drove the Italians a few meters, reaching the left side of the virtual boat racing circuit, and thus the right to turn. Italians should also kill her. In fact, the Kiwi should now expand their leadership position.
Instead, Luna Rossa lifts defenders of the trophy and stands facing the wind higher than she does for a second. Burling, the six-time world champion, had no choice but to let T Riotai fall behind the back of the Italians and then turn her over. After that, Spithill not only finished the first cross pass by ten seconds ahead, but also with aplomb.
Burling and Spithill with strong nerves
Light winds and beautiful weather presented sailors with special challenges in the third round of the Cup off Auckland. On the other hand, because it was not clear if the first race of the day could start on Friday afternoon. When the time came, two of the hundreds of spectator boats that had towed it into the water were lying on the track and forced to delay the start.
At that point, the New Zealand national team looked in good shape, only to deal with a bitter defeat half an hour later. In the end, the Italians sailed more effectively in the first round: they saved nearly 1 km of sailing distance on the track compared to the New Zealanders. Francesco Bruni, assistant captain of Luna Rossa, summed it up after the first round: “We just led a clean race.”
In the second start the same image begins, but this time Perling and his men are doing everything right. Driving in a leeward safe position, they force the Italians to turn on the right side of the track. There the Challengers win by 50 meters, but they can’t hold it until the first meeting between the AC75s.
The now cold, awakened Berling extends its lead on the second blow to 120 meters and traverses the Italians’ arch without a right of way. In a windward barrel, the kiwi is nine seconds ahead. Also, the fact that 34 seconds had already passed into the space leaf cycle was due to a vulva failure on the part of the Europeans – who so far had shined with excellent maneuvers. At the end of the second round, the New Zealanders were advancing 800 meters over Luna Rossa on a course of about 25 kilometers.
After a total of four races, the differences between opponents appear in the struggle for the world’s oldest sports trophy: so far, Luna Rossa over Kreuz has advantages over Te Rehutai in the light winds. It looks a little faster. But most importantly, it sails a little higher at the crucial moment. But before the wind, the kiwis were on the record – each time they narrowed the gap for Europeans or greatly expanded their leadership.
Teams also show differences: as a rule, the Italians have better maneuvers, and everything looks smoother and more coordinated. This may be due to their great racing experience during qualifying. Burling, who fell even in the first race on Wednesday when he changed ranks, said the New Zealanders in his presence may have been “a little rusty”.
However, the two helm captains, Burling and Spethyl, have yet to give each other anything regarding their nervous strength. He’ll count on her and the last few seconds before starting this Saturday, as two more rounds have been scheduled.
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