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Fast starts again proved decisive on Friday,
with Luna Rossa winning the opener by 37 seconds before defender
TNZ hit back with a 63-second victory, the most dominant margin
of the best-of-13 series so far.
All four races have now produced wins by the yacht starting from
the port side, with three of them blowout victories, but both
teams were adamant the pattern could be broken if more variable
winds blow over the weekend.
"Personally I feel like it’s a bit more of coincidence than an
extra strength," TNZ skipper Peter Burling told reporters.
"Obviously your life is a little bit easier if you’re the port
boat ... You still have to choose a good time and make life hard
for the other team.
"A lot of the starts could have been anyone’s start coming into
the final 30 seconds."
The series is set up nicely for a big weekend, with crowds able
to pack the foreshore in the centre of Auckland following the
easing of COVID-19 restrictions.
Luna Rossa were seen as the faster boat in lighter winds in the
leadup to the event, and it looked that way as they dominated
the upwind legs to claim the first race in 27 minutes and 18
seconds.
But TNZ dented that perception with a sparkling comeback in the
second race, though they were helped by a poor Luna Rossa jibe
that allowed the New Zealanders to coast to victory in 29:53.
"Quite a few little things didn’t go our way but then to bounce
back in the second one and get a nice, good start and be strong
throughout was really pleasing for us as a group," said Burling.
A flotilla of spectator boats bobbed by Course E in the Hauraki
Gulf and one breached the boundary moments before the start of
the first race, forcing an eight-minute delay.
After resetting, Luna Rossa edged the start in 9-knot winds and
quickly blew out the lead on the way to a comfortable win.
Shaded at the start of race two, the Italians were in the hunt
for most of the first two legs before it all went awry on a jibe
bearing down on the second gate.
The hull dipped into the water as their foils dragged, allowing
TNZ to roar ahead and shift the pressure back onto the Italians
ahead of day three on Saturday.
Luna Rossa co-helmsman Francesco Bruni admitted he had "missed
the button" in lowering a board on the AC75 yacht.
"It was just a very bad manoeuvre," he said.
"Lucky we were behind at that moment ... It’s not going to
happen again."
The Italians were swept 5-0 the last time they took on the New
Zealanders for the America's Cup in Auckland 21 years ago, so
they should be well pleased with their position ahead of day
three.
"I truly believe we’re the underdogs but as we’ve shown we can
win races," said Australian co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill.
"Looking at the scoreline it’s great news for the event, for
fans of both teams. But you’re taking on Team New Zealand at
home and they’re the favourites."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Additional reporting by
Shrivathsa Sridhar in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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