Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Play-off Finals

Race 7 re-run: Emirates Team New Zealand beat Artemis Racing by 0:56

It was a duelling blast reach off the start, and the Kiwis took the leeward position. They drove Artemis up to weather, so they could peel off and get a good lead at the first mark. New Zealand had a massive gain on the right side of the course doing 32 knots while Artemis were at 25 knots. New Zealand had a 19-second lead at the leeward gate.

New Zealand built their upwind gap to a huge lead of 35 seconds at the weather mark.

There was a large right-hand wind shift making it a reach downwind and extra pressure for the Kiwis, too. New Zealand led at the next turn by 44 seconds.

Going upwind on Leg five the Kiwis led by up to 350 metres. New Zealand were doing 30 knots plus and Artemis at 26 again. New Zealand made the turn onto leg six with a 58-second lead. This was the last chance for Artemis, but not much of one. They were just looking for a breakdown to save them.

New Zealand made the final gybe onto the finish leg and blasted to the finish close to the wall in front of the America’s Cup Village grandstand 56 seconds ahead of the Swedes to give them a 5-2 win.

Now Emirates Team New Zealand are the Challengers for the 35th America’s Cup and will face Defender Oracle Team USA in the Match starting on Saturday, a repeat of America’s Cup 34. Can the team redeem?

Race 7: Emirates Team New Zealand v Artemis Racing — abandoned, time

At the start, the wind at Morgan’s Point was seven knots at 233 degrees; at Commissioner’s House in Dockyard, it was ten knots at 243 degrees; and at Pearl Island, it was nine knots at 232 degrees.

The boats went to the line and seemed to be running on time and distance to start. Artemis was over early, according to the digital starting line measurement. They were over by just a metre going fast.

New Zealand stayed out of trouble in the start and timed their run perfectly. They flew across the line as the clock ticked down to zero. This was the first time New Zealand had led around the first mark in the series.

New Zealand took an extra tack approaching the downwind gate to the left mark to get the wind advantage on the right-hand side upwind.

Team New Zealand hit a big lull going upwind and could not even foil, so Artemis caught up and, as they crossed, there was a dial-down and a dip. Both boats were struggling to get to shifts and puffs, just struggling to get up the course.

The boats came into the left-hand mark both on starboard tack. New Zealand had the right of way inside the zone and to leeward. The Kiwis came up in a luff and Artemis didn’t keep clear, and were penalised for it. The boats were going so slow downwind that Artemis had trouble dropping back two boat lengths to wipe off the penalty.

The course was shortened to finish at the next mark if the boats could even make it in time. The boats had five minutes to get 1,200 metres to the new finish line or the race would be abandoned and resailed. They had 900 metres to go within just over a minute. Neither boat could reach the finish in that time.

Iain Murray, race director, announced that the race was abandoned and instructed the boats to return to the starting area to try to resail it when the breeze kicks back in. The rain squalls have sucked up the wind. When they pass, the breeze should fill back in.

Average wind speed fell to about a half-knot.

Murray said: “We have absolutely no breeze. We just have to wait and see what happens.”