Sailing

New Zealand beats Ineos again, the Americas Cup is his

The Kiwis win the Match for the third consecutive time: in 2017 they won it in Bermuda, in 2021 they defended it in Auckland, in 2024 in Barcelona

19 October 2024

Aggiungi Il Sole 24 Ore
ai preferiti su Google

3' min read

The Louis Vuitton America's Cup came to a close with the clear victory of the best. Emirates Team New Zealand in its defence left no room for its opponents, demonstrating overwhelming superiority.

There is no subterfuge, no conspiracy: they won on the water, they were the strongest. Emirates Team New Zealand showed a solid combination that combined the best boat with the best men: team principal Matteo de Nora, the undisputed leader of the team ashore and on the water always alert on the chase boat Gran Dalton, helmsmen Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge, trimmers Blair Tuke and Andy Maloney.

There is also another extraordinary man in the team, chief designer Dan Bernasconi who assembled a team of 'nerds' who, without the help of Formula One teams, aeronautical industries, space engineers ready to go to Mars, designed an unbeatable boat. And then 140 other Kiwis, builders, shore teams, employees dedicated to the result.

The Kiwis win the Match for the third consecutive time: in 2017 they won it in Bermuda, in 2021 they defended it in Auckland, in 2024 in Barcelona.

Peter Burling, after being the youngest helmsman to win, is now also the one with the most wins in individual Cup races. "It's nice, but I don't want to take anything away from the legends of the past who had shorter series.

True, once upon a time the Match was run at the best of three or five races, not seven. Peter, with his bare feet and his engineering degree, continues to be the magic guy who turns everything he touches into gold.

In the confrontation between champions, he beat Ben Ainslie and his Ineos Britannia. For the Englishman, a period of great reflection is opening up, as it seems clear that he will not be at the helm but only manager on the next occasion due to his age limit, and there remains some doubt about the support of Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Britain's richest entrepreneur.

The New Zealanders won well, on their way some natural, small, uncertainties, but they delivered a formidable package that allows the New Zealand team to "retain", or rather successfully defend, sailing's most coveted trophy in the hall of the New Zealand Yacht Squadron in Auckland, founded in 1871. The glass case that holds it dominates the club's great hall where it all happens: black tie parties, sailing school.

The New Zealand victory leaves many disappointed, the Barcelona Cup is for many a kind of Waterloo, their troops found themselves in the mud under enemy fire unable to move forward, many believed that their opponents were out of their depth, but the reasons for the defeats must be found within: in the method of arriving at victory, in the value of the champions, of the men. Only Stephan Kandler and Bruno Dubois' Orient Express arrived in Spain knowing that they would soon be out of the game.

The results and the money spent did not live up to expectations for Alinghi Red Bull Racing, American Magic, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. For all the ambitions were quite different: Luna Rossa wanted, had to, win. American Magic at least got to the Louis Vuitton Cup final, Alingh Red Bull not to stop at a few victories on errors and failures of opponents.

New Zealand has something more: removed from the hint of Maori magic and pride that propels them towards their destiny and the race every morning is the great skill in designing the boat and steering it. Technique on land and in the water, details well worked out to create that small but decisive difference in speed. Beating them in a few years time, no one knows yet what the intentions are for the next edition, will still be difficult.

New Zealand's economic crisis will not be enough to stop them, if they manage to keep these teams cohesive and not demolished, as happened after 2000. It is the tycoons of the other teams who want them, it will be the Memorandum of Understanding with the Challenger of Record with its rules for nationality that will prevent them from escaping.