MORNING BRIEFING DAY 5
Although Day 4 of the 36th America’s Cup didn’t deliver, the prospects for a return to racing today look much better. With the wind looking set to return, so does the pressure as both teams try to break an extraordinary deadlock.
Not since 1983 have we seen the score sit at 3:3 and even then it had taken six days of racing to get to that stage. Admittedly, there was only one a race a day back then but, in a Cup that went on to make history by breaking the longest winning streak in sporting history with the New York Yacht Club losing after 132 years, Australia II mounted a comeback after losing the first three of four races.
This time the story has been one of level pegging throughout the three days that racing has taken place, making it easy to argue that in 170 years of America’s Cup racing, this event has now created a milestone in the history books even before the trophy has been won.
And when it comes to casting an eye back over the history of the world’s oldest international sporting trophy it’s intriguing to see how matches have played out in the past.
From the 36 America’s Cup matches since 1851, 25 of them have been clean sweeps with just six where the loser has scored a single race win leaving just four where the losing score has been two or greater. With such tiny margins between winning and losing in the 36th America’s Cup it is of little surprise that teams will be looking at the weather forecast even more keenly for any signs of details that they can exploit later today.
Monday’s overall weather picture starts with the Southern Ocean weather system that has slowly been tracking its way to the east and is now pulling in an easterly gradient breeze over the Auckland region. As the land heats up the result is expected to be a northeasterly breeze of 11-13 knots that remains steady in strength throughout the afternoon.
“I am expecting to set the course up on 025 degrees but I wouldn’t be surprised if the direction moved around further to the left through the day,” said regatta director Iain Murray. So, when it comes to pressure, there’s plenty of it today as Emirates Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli head back out onto the race course which today will be area E, better known locally as the ‘back paddock’.
And while the conditions look solid for the afternoon, from what we have seen so far this wind speed is also in the range where both boats are evenly matched suggesting that another day of close racing is in store. The pressure looks set to return as the challenge to break the deadlock continues.