America’s Cup: Big dance is finally here

by Duncan Johnstone, STUFF
The interminable wait for the America’s Cup match appears to be finally over. As if a light racing schedule over the summer hadn’t already tested the patience of the yachting faithful, COVID-19 intervened reappeared to stretch the nerves even tighter.

Now it’s all systems go for a March 10 start with two races scheduled from 4:00 pm (NZDT). Defender Team New Zealand and Italian challenger Luna Rossa will then have the following day off to make any necessary adjustments before resuming on March 12 in Auckland.

The quest for the seven wins to claim the Auld Mug will then become a daily grind, weather permitting. The additional wait has only heightened the hype and there has been plenty of talk from both camps and no lack of bold predictions by yachting pundits.

Some of the chatter has been a bit much for the fans back in Italy where the media have accused Kiwis of “arrogance and disrespect” towards Luna Rossa, such is the open expectation of a comfortable win to Team New Zealand. There’s no lack of respect for Luna Rossa from the actual defender though. Team New Zealand coach Ray Davies has talked up the Italians and is bracing for “a ding-dong battle”.

Much of Luna Rossa’s psyche heading into The Match is about the Italian crew being racing ready after their Prada Cup challenger success, while the Kiwis have had to train alone. But Team New Zealand aces Peter Burling and Glenn Ashby are quite comfortable with their position and believe they have a crew whose success is built around continuity and familiarity over the last eight years.

Interestingly though, it seems Team New Zealand have been doing a bit of imitation work with Luna Rossa’s effective dual-helmsmen approach. There’s even talk the defenders might try this in the frantic two minutes of pre-start action, while there have been hints during training that it could extend up the race course, where a lack of crew movement helps disguise the timing of looming turns.

That will be one of the fascinations of the opening day on March 10. Will Team New Zealand really make a major last-minute adjustment to counter Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni’s increasingly cohesive partnership on the wheels of Luna Rossa? The biggest question to be answered though will be: Who has the fastest boat?

It’s finally upon us. Keep following the action here with us at Stuff.

More information:
• America’s Cup format, standings, and how to watch: click here.
• Complete America’s Cup coverage: click here
• Additional America’s Cup information: click here