New Zealand’s America’s Cup adventure

198687 Fremantle The country’s first bid for sailing’s biggest prize and the ‘‘plastic fantastic’’ KZ7, skippered by Chris Dickson, makes the challengers’ final, before losing to eventual cup winner Dennis Conner and Star and Stripes 41.

1988 San Diego New Zealand syndicate boss Michael Fay launches a oneonone ‘‘deed of gift’’ challenge, building a giant monohull. Conner responds with a catamaran, winning a farcical showdown 20.

1992 San Diego In Fay’s last tilt, New Zealand makes the challengers’ final and reaches match point at 41, but Italy’s Il Moro di Venezia successfully protest against NZL20’s bowsprit. The Kiwis are docked a point, lose the next four races and exit the regatta.

1995 San Diego Two NZ syndicates feature: Tag Heuer Challenge and Team New Zealand. Tag Heuer, skippered by Dickson, reaches the challengers’ semifinals. Team NZ, led by Peter Blake wearing his lucky red socks and skippered by Russell Coutts, goes all the way. In the cup match, it sweeps Conner’s Stars and Stripes 50, sparking huge celebrations at home.

2000 Auckland Now the defender, Team NZ whitewashes Italy’s Luna Rossa 50 to retain the cup.

2003 Auckland Alinghi, having hired Coutts and other Team NZ sailors, wrests the Auld Mug from New Zealand with a 50 win. 2007 Valencia Headed by Grant Dalton and with Dean Barker as skipper, Team NZ defeats Luna Rossa — helmed by Australian James Spithill — 50 in the challengers’ final, but falls to Alinghi 52 in the cup match.

2013 San Francisco Team NZ races off against defender Oracle and holds match point at 81, before the unbelievable happens and the Spithillskippered Americans take the next eight races.

2017 Bermuda Team NZ again gets to match point against Team USA at 61, but this time there is no mistake as rookie cup helmsman Peter Burling and his crewmates claim victory.