Team New Zealand has won the America’s Cup again, defeating Luna Rossa, seven races to three, in the waters off Aukland, New Zealand. The victory was the second in a row for a syndicate representing the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron, and the fourth win in the finals since 1995 for a team from New Zealand.
In the America’s Cup of twenty years ago, New Zealand had a 5-0 win over Luna Rossa. This round of races started out closely matched with the first six races ending in three victories for each team. This week, however, New Zealand triumphed in light and flukey winds, racking up more four victories to retain the cup.
This year’s races, the 36th series for sailing’s oldest trophy, were sailed on 75-foot long foiling monohulls, capable of speeds approaching 50 knots. The two boats were slightly different in design and configuration. As reported by the New York Times:
The Kiwis had emphasized speed in their racing boat’s design, with a flatter hull and smaller foils that minimized drag as its cut through the water. Luna Rossa’s larger foils offered advantages in stability and maneuverability, and the Italians used weeks of challenger races to hone the tactics they put to use several times in the finals. But speed proved to be the difference, and Team New Zealand simply had more of it.