Press Release – America’s Cup Media
Photo credit: COR36 / Studio Borlenghi
No winner in Auckland today for the PRADA Christmas Race as the breeze dropped away after the start of race 1 and there was not enough to complete the 4 races scheduled for the day.
Race 1 between Emirates Team New Zealand and INEOS TEAM UK – respectively the winner and fourth placed in the PRADA ACWS Auckland – started on time at 1512. Emirates Team New Zealand sailed fast around the course until during the second downwind lap when the breeze dropped and the Kiwis remained unable to foil downwind. The clock counted down, the wind remained around 6 knots and the Defenders missed taking victory by around 1min as the clock ran out and the race was terminated.
AMERICA S CUP
Ineos Team UK skipper, Sir Ben Ainslie, lost all six races inn the America s Cup World Series in Auckland. SIR Ben Ainslie s chances of winning the 36th America s Cup were dented after his Ineos Team UK crew failed to register a point in its vital qualifying event in New Zealand. Ineos Team UK finished winless after six races in the America’s Cup World Series, with the British team getting off to the worst possible start in Auckland. Ainslie, who skippers Ineos, had a torrid time throughout the opening day on Thursday plagued by technical issues, losing their opening race and being forced to withdraw from the second race.
Winner Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
As the race boats headed out to the course there were questions about how the weather would play out. With a forecast for light breezes and the race area positioned to the leeward of Rangitoto, the concern was that the breeze would prove fickle in the lee of the island.
The pre-start saw both boats enter on time and at speed but there was no tactical engagement between the two.
Instead, as the clock counted down to the start Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (ITA) and INEOS TEAM UK (GBR) both chose to line up on starboard for a perfectly timed start.
Press Release – PRADA ACWS AUCKLAND
As if written into the script, the final race was the one that mattered when it came to who would take the PRADA America’s Cup World Series Auckland trophy. With Emirates Team New Zealand and American Magic on even points, a win against Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli would give the Kiwis the point that they needed to take the trophy.
And that’s what happened. Emirates Team New Zealand won the last race by 0:16 seconds over Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and opened the bottle of G.H. Mumm Champagne on the Race Village main stage in front of their fans.