Team New Zealand scored another crucial point against Ineos Britannia on Sunday in the 37th America’s Cup match in Barcelona, moving rapidly closer to a third consecutive title.
After two successes on Saturday, the Kiwis lead three points to zero against the British, winners last week of the Louis Vuitton Cup, and they only have four rounds to win to lift the oldest sporting trophy in the world.
During the pre-start of the first regatta of the day, Ben Ainslie’s men received a penalty after being pushed into error by New Zealand, who narrowly benefited from priority during a crossing.
“It didn’t go far, I thought it was good, but the referees had a different opinion”commented Ainslie after the defeat. “Our boats were so close that I was a little scared”said Kiwi skipper Peter Burling for his part.
Starting 75 meters behind the New Zealand AC75, the British never managed to close the gap. “You just have to stay optimistic and keep moving forward”explained Ben Ainslie.
At the finish, Team New Zealand was 52 seconds ahead of its opponent and continued its flawless journey towards an incredible hat-trick: the first since the United States in 1987, 1988 and 1992.
A second regatta was to take place on Sunday, but it was ultimately postponed due to lack of wind until Monday, from 2:00 p.m. (GMT+2).
The British have not appeared in the final since 1964 and have never won the silver ewer. The Kiwis have dominated the competition since 2017 and their big victory (7-1) against the Americans Oracle.
