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Team NZ beat Luna Rossa in nailbiting race to win World Series regatta

December 19, 2020

There was no shortage of drama as Team NZ won, with both teams giving up huge leads in fickle winds.

Team NZ has beaten Luna Rossa in a nailbiting race featuring multiple touchdowns, meaning the hosts win the America's Cup World Series regatta.

A textbook start by Jimmy Spithill and Luna Rose forcing Team NZ to play catch up, but just like the races prior, this was no issue for Peter Burling and Team NZ.

The most exciting race of the three-day regatta had everything you'd want in match racing.

Both teams had their opportunities to grab the race with both hands, but the light winds made that even harder.

Luna Rossa flew out to a 32-second lead at the first gate, before extending that lead when the Kiwis fell off the foils heading around gate one. The Italians would extend their lead to over 800m.

It wouldn’t be long until the Italian outfit suffered the same fate, finding themselves off their own foils and floating helplessly in the Waitematā Harbour.

 Much to the delight of Kiwi fans, fortunes were reversed as Team NZ raced past a helpless Luna Rossa to gain the lead heading into the second gate. 

Due to the delay of over an hour today due to spectator boats being on the course, the final race was shortened from six legs to just four.

Burling almost gave victory away with a poor tack in the last leg, but the 18-second gap at the last gate was enough for the Kiwis to hold and win by 16 seconds.

The win saw Team NZ wrap up the World Series title after only dropping the one race to American Magic on day one.

 

Thankfully we do it all again tomorrow for the America’s Cup Christmas Cup.

 

With the first semi being Luna Ross v American Magic and Team NZ facing the helpless Ineos Team Uk in the other semi.

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