After Emirates Team New Zealand defeated Artemis Racing in a photo finish, the Kiwis get a rematch with Oracle Team USA in the America’s Cup Match. Will the team avenge its loss in San Francisco four years ago?
Emirates Team New Zealand defeated Land Rover BAR in the Challenger semi-final 5-2, an impressive recovery after a terrifying capsize. The team then went on to finish the finals with another 5-2 win over the Swedes.
New Zealand’s skipper Glenn Ashby believes this year’s team is a very strong competitor for the U.S. team. He states the passion for innovative design is what helps team New Zealand stay ahead of the pack in the Challengers races.
“Having not done a lot of racing against any other AC50s, um, you know, the battle that we had going against Artemis over the last few days has certainly been a very, very valuable experience for us,” Ashby said during a post-race press conference. “We’ve been very aggressive from day one… with our design… obviously, you know, the cycling side of things, you know, is just one part of the whole program.”
“We didn’t need much on our side last time to be successful, and I think we’re in that same position now where we don’t need a lot to go our way to definitely be on the hunt.”
Glenn Ashby
The first AC35 finals’ race between Emirates Team New Zealand and Oracle Team USA is on June 17.
Find all of Yachting‘s coverage of the 35th America’s Cup here!
