Favourable reviews for the opening Act of the 32nd America's Cup
In Marseille, Emirates Team New Zealand gauged success by being in the top four. Twelve hours after the final race of Act 1, success was to be judged on whether they would even compete at the next event, let alone finish with the leaders, so serious was the damage to their boat. Flying their spare boat up from New Zealand and working ludicrously long hours at both ends of the trip to make sure they could compete has paid off and seen the Kiwis win their first major America's Cup event since 2000 when they successfully defended the Cup. Their first major win in four years, what more reason for celebration could you ask for?
Yet shortly after stepping ashore following the final day of racing Tuesday, two of the key figures aboard Emirates Team New Zealand were treating their victory in a modest fashion.
"Absolutely delighted is probably an exaggeration, I'm pleased," said Grant Dalton. "Success in this event is a building block for us. It says we've got a good team and good ingredients, now we've got to bake a good cake.
"You can't read too much into it, the roles could be completely reversed when it comes to the fleet racing in a couple of days time.”
But even though the boss was being modest, the crew had other ideas and moments later Dalton had been thrown into the water in front of thousands of spectators at the official prize giving ceremony.
Helmsman Dean Barker expressed a little more satisfaction, but was equally modest. "We couldn't hope for any better than we've had here. We've had a lot of races that have gone our way and I'm thrilled with the way the guys have sailed.”
Although absent at Marseille, Luna Rossa delivered when it counted and turned in a second position in the final standings, the slight irony being that the last time they squared up to a winning Kiwi team they had also finished second.
"It’s always tough, but we really should have won our race yesterday against ETNZ," said Luna Rossa's helmsman James Spithill. "It was tough conditions, but they did a better job”.
Meanwhile, the team that has dominated the Cup season this year failed to shine in this series. Clear winners of Act 1, BMW ORACLE’s final position in third was a slot that few would have had them down for as the event began.
"They got the win, they deserve to win," said Oracle BMW's skipper Chris Dickson of Emirates Team New Zealand. "The difference between first and third was not very much at all, but having said that we didn't deserve to win this week.
Perhaps the biggest surprise is the fall from the previously dominant position for Cup holders Alinghi. To see them finish fourth must be the biggest surprise of all for many. Has the team fallen apart?
Not according to sport manager Jochen Schuemann.
"When you are a winner in your sport you may have great wins and great victories but there will have been plenty of losses where you have learned what not to do through experience," he said.
"In Auckland we went out and practiced more times than just about any other team. This time we haven't practiced, but we will come back strong."
So what of the others, what could they take from the week?
LE DEFI showed that they are the top boat in the second group while the second French team, K-Challenge, threatened the leading boats at various times over the week.
The Italian +39 team have climbed a steep learning curve and is quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with while the South Africans have demonstrated their aptitude for America's Cup racing and how close they can get to toppling a big team in a race.
But one thing that the skippers all agree on is that the fleet racing in Act 3 could change everything, whilst providing a spectacular end to the 2004 America’s Cup racing calendar.
- Matthew Sheahan
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