One of three teams to take the opportunity to enter a second boat for their women’s and youth sailors, Team NZ’s second crew also had another decent showing after finishing the opening day third on the ladder. However, a close call with Switzerland’s Tudor Team Alinghi at the starting line of race two, and an early-start penalty in race three limited their scoring ability. The second Kiwi crew finished third, sixth and fifth in the day’s three races.
Emirates Team New Zealand have two boats in the preliminary America’s Cup regatta in Cagliari. Photo / America’s Cup
Alinghi became the second crew in this regatta to put their boat on its side, capsizing midway through the day’s second race.
As was the case for Great Britain’s women and youth team, Athena Pathway, on day one, the capsize did not prevent them from competing in the final race of the day.
The British again only saw one of their two entries take to the starting line on day two, with their primary GB1 team unable to sail due to a hydraulic issue with their AC40.
A shake-up in the standings looked likely early in the day as Luna Rossa’s women and youth entry, who dominated day one to hold a nine-point lead at the top of the table, struggled to get on their foils and began at the back of the seven-boat fleet.
The primary crews from Team NZ and Luna Rossa found their way into the front early and, after breaking away from the rest of the fleet, engaged in a thrilling match race with the Kiwis getting the better of it.
In a busy starting box, Team NZ’s second crew did a great job of avoiding Alinghi as they crossed the line to begin the second race proper, but were forced into a splashdown.
While Alinghi were penalised for not giving the Kiwi team room, it ended their race before it began.
The primary Team NZ again battled at the front of the fleet in a much more hotly contested race and it was Athena Pathway who took the win in race two.
The final race of the day turned into a two-boat race at the front again, with the top Kiwi crew and Luna Rossa’s women and youth team duelling for the win.
Ultimately, the Kiwis couldn’t find a way to get in front of the impressive Italian outfit.
The two boats occupied the top spots on the leaderboard after the day’s racing, with Luna Rossa’s women and youth crew on 55 points and Team NZ on 47. Luna Rossa’s primary crew were third on 44, with the second Team NZ boat on 39 points in fourth.
The regatta will conclude on Monday morning (NZT) with up to two fleet races before a match race between the top two crews.
Standings after six fleet races
Luna Rossa youth and women (Italy) – 55
Team NZ – 47
Luna Rossa (Italy) – 44
Team NZ youth and women – 39
La Roche Posay Racing Team (France) – 38
Athena Pathway (Great Britain) – 30
Alinghi (Switzerland) – 29
GB1 (Great Britain) – 9
Christopher Reive joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.