New Zealand's luxurious yacht, Taihoro, experiences a 20-foot plunge.
Unfortunate Turn for America's Cup Defenders New Zealand: Vessel Plummets Six Metres During Crane Blunder. The Degree of Ruin is Yet to be Estimated. Team Leader Worries: "This will undoubtedly keep us away from the competition for a while."
The sailing craft of the incumbent champions New Zealand in the 37th America's Cup experienced a mishap. On Thursday, following the commencement of the challenger round in Barcelona, the "Taihoro" was to be hoisted out of the water. However, the hoist apparatus failed, causing the AC75-type yacht to plummet six metres onto its cradle, which could barely withstand the impact. Team leader Grant Dalton described the incident as, "It sounded like an explosion went off." Fortunately, no crew members were harmed during the incident.
The examination of the damage, including the intricate electronics, extended until Friday night. Nonetheless, Dalton expressed his concern, "This will undoubtedly keep us away from the competition for a while. Miraculously, the mast remained intact." As a cost-saving measure, only a single new yacht per team is permitted in the 37th America's Cup. Consequently, the New Zealanders can't initially proceed with their initial phase of the challenger round participation.
Although this doesn't immediately impact the sporting factor, since New Zealand cannot accumulate points in the challenger round and automatically qualifies for the final as the defending champion, the other five competitors will now race individually for a place in the semifinals among the top four teams. The initial competitor will be eliminated on September 8. The initial of up to 13 final races for the America's Cup will commence on October 12.
Triumphant Day for Three Teams
Meanwhile, three teams shine after the first day. Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy), Ineos Britannia, and Orient Express Racing (France) each secured a victory point. The first day's light winds in Barcelona sprang some unforeseen outcomes. In the opening race, France's Orient Express outperformed the Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing, achieving a superior start, faster vessel, and the inaugural victory point. During the second encounter, Italy's favored challengers, Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, exerted substantial pressure on the defending champions, New Zealand, during the starting phase. However, the Italian team succumbed to the tactically superior Kiwis in the end. This happened prior to the crane incident. In the third clash, the US boat Patriot became entangled in the calm before the start, while Ineos Britannia thrust forward. In the breathless finale, the Americans struggled against the clock despite their impressive speed. In the fourth skirmish of the day, the French lost to the unstoppable Italians. The challenger round will continue on Friday with four more of the total 30 skirmishes in the double round-robin round, in which each team faces every other team twice.
The mishap with the New Zealand's AC75-type yacht in the America's Cup, resulting from a crane blunder, has disrupted their sports preparations significantly. Dalton and his team now need to focus on repairing their sailing craft, as the incident has put a hold on their participation in the challenger round.
Despite the incident in the New Zealand team, the America's Cup competition continues with other teams, such as Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, Ineos Britannia, and Orient Express Racing, showcasing their skills in Barcelona.
