The defender’s two race wins mean they now hold a 5-3 win in the first-to-seven series and have a chance to win the Auld Mug on Tuesday; races, will continue live on Sky Sports Mix from 3am on Tuesday
With Emma Thurston
Last updated: 15/03/21 8:12 am
After securing the seventh race, the New Zealand Emirates Team made an amazing comeback to take the eighth race (Image Credit – ACE | Studio Borlenghi)
The New Zealand Emirates team won back races in stunning fashion to break the stop in the 36th American Cup Game and move 5-3 up in the first-to-seven series.
After both an unexpected rest day for the defender and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on Sunday, due to the action being postponed after a lack of wind, they attacked racing on Monday with reason and had to struggle to light and uncertain winds.
In the opening race the Italian opponents saw the upper hand before the defenders hit back and regained control.
The second race of the day was spectacular as New Zealand’s Emirates Team were able to turn a four-minute and eight-second deficit, finishing with a distance of nearly 2km, to a three-minute and 55-second victory.
With the Kiwi outfit now holding a 5-3 win, they have a chance to win the Auld Mug with two wins Tuesday. For Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the pressure goes up a lot because they know they need to get at least one race win to stay in the fight.
The defenders stress him
2:31 The New Zealand Emirates Team returned from an unorganized rest day on Sunday to secure race seven
In the first race of the day, the New Zealand Emirates Team showed the awakening to bring their Italian rivals back in and set the tone for the rest of the day.
Peter Burling and his outfit went out without Luna Rossa being able to create a 150m lead after just 90 seconds, and they stayed focused on wasting their time and making the move.
At the start of the third leg, nerves were visible off course for the first time and it was the Italians who allowed their opponents to regain control with a focused race line.
Once the Kiwis gained this breathing room, they unleashed the power of Te Rehutai, and overall, they seemed to have less of a jib choice as a tactical master as well.
36th American Cup – Live on Sky Sports from 3am per race day
| Tuesday, March 15th | Races nine and ten |
| Wednesday, March 16th | Races 11 and 12 |
| Thursday, March 17th | Race 13 |
New Zealand is making an amazing comeback
2:40 A stunning victory from the New Zealand Emirates Team gave them a 5-3 victory in this seven to seven winning competition.
After a left turn in windy weather at the end of race seven, the race leader picked up all the signals and turned the axis of the course between races to match that movement.
In the words of David ‘Freddie’ Carr ‘s pundit, it meant that “some great movements were running down the course” and that it would be a fan’ s dream.
Carr, who was a grinder for the INEOS TEAM UK campaign, had been right and the action became as invisible as these wind movements.
36th American Cup Match – Standings
| Winners | Call | Total | |
| Emirates New Zealand team | 5 | 3 | 5 |
| Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli | 3 | 5 | 3 |
After enjoying a 16-second steering through gate one, the Italians put the weather out on a heavy kick and found themselves making 34 nautical miles to the and Kiwis ’14.
The difference in speed resulted in Luna Rossa nearly 2km in distance and over four minutes on the clock. However, their progress came to a sudden halt when the wind blew and all of a sudden, they were off their publications and crawled around the course at the start of leg four.
In contrast, New Zealand’s Te Rehutai ship remained high on their publications and came back on track.
As Luna Rossa was pushed out of bounds to try to get back on their publications, the New Zealand Emirates Team flew to the front. Despite the shifting conditions, they kept their work clean and accelerated away from the Italians who were struggling to get another crucial race win.
Watch every minute of the American Cup challenge, live on Sky Sports. Coverage will continue with the sixth race day of the 36th American Cup Match on Sunday from 3am.