Team New Zealand One Point From Glory After Win Over Oracle

“Helmsman Peter Burling and his underdog Emirates Team New Zealand won two races on Sunday to reach match point in the America’s Cup against Jimmy Spithill and two-time defending champion Oracle Team USA,” as reported in an article for The Guardian.

“Burling, who at 26 could become the youngest helmsman to hoist sailing’s greatest prize, steered his red-and-black, 50-foot foiling catamaran to victories of 12 seconds in Race 7 and 30 seconds in Race 8 on the Great Sound. His team moved to 6-1 in the first-to-seven match. Team New Zealand has won seven races but began with a negative point because Oracle won the qualifiers. The clincher could come on Monday, when two races are scheduled.”

“Burling has won Olympic gold and silver medals, along with Team New Zealand crewman Blair Tuke. Now he’s closing in on adding his name to a list of America’s Cup winners that includes Dennis Conner, fellow New Zealander Russell Coutts and Ted Turne,” as reported in The Guardian.

“In Race 7, Spithill turned up just a little bit as the catamarans approached the starting line, perhaps fearful of being early across the line as he was in Races 1 and 5, both losses. He said those mistakes were due to a software glitch on the boat. That’s all Burling needed to put his cat ahead for good, winning by 12 seconds.”

Article Source: The Guardian, June 25, 2017

Image Source: Twitter – EmiratesTeamNZ