BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — A mistake before the start cost American Magic a point on the opening day of the 37th America’s Cup off the coast of Barcelona on Thursday, while defending champion New Zealand had its boat lowered by a crane after sailing out.
Emirates Team New Zealand suffered a mishap when a crane lifting the AC75 Taihoro onto its cradle malfunctioned, causing the boat to “land hard in the water.” The team said they needed to assess the damage but would not be able to set sail on Friday. No crew members were injured in the incident.
American Magic, representing the New York Yacht Club, lost her foils in light wind conditions before the start of the race against INEOS Britannia, and by the time the monohull regained speed the British boat had already crossed the start line and built a 700-metre lead.
Although the Briton took the winning points, captain Ben Ainslie was dejected to see the Americans take away most of the big lead that had given his boat, with American Magic finishing just 12 seconds behind Ineos.
“American Magic had some problems at the start but came back in the race and kept it close and got back on a good pace so in the end it was a great race,” Ineos captain Ben Ainslie told The Associated Press. “So it’s really mixed emotions for us. We’re very happy to get some points but we need to improve on our straight-line performance and maneuverability.”
Americans were left to regret what might have been.
“We need to improve our starts and our approach,” American Magic manager Paul Goodison told The Associated Press, “but there are a lot of good lessons to be learned.”
French team Orient Racing Express overtook Switzerland’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing midway through the six-stage race to win.
Two-time defending champions New Zealand narrowly beat Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, but the points were void as the Cup defenders are already guaranteed a place in the final.
Italy bounced back, beating Orient Express by about a minute and a half.
The America’s Cup kicks off with a double round-robin tournament in which the weakest of the five teams will be eliminated by September 8th.
All teams will play each other head-to-head twice, with New Zealand taking part in this phase before being eliminated from a two-round playoff to await the survivors in the final in October.
New Zealand is seeking its third consecutive Cup victory, following victories in Bermuda in 2017 and Auckland in 2021. New Zealand brought the Cup to Barcelona, citing the need to ensure their teams’ financial stability and a tournament that would attract enough sponsors. Fashion and luxury goods designer Louis Vuitton returns as an official sponsor of the race, and the trophy will be kept safe in a custom Louis Vuitton case during transport.
The America’s Cup is the world’s oldest international sporting trophy. Only four countries have ever won it: the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Switzerland.
King Felipe VI of Spain, who competed in sailing at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, was also in attendance on the opening day.
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