TNZ capsize not sign of weakness — rival

YACHTING

AUCKLAND: American Magic is taking no solace from Team New Zealand’s troubles in practice this week.

Te Rehutai suffered a spectacular capsize in racing against Ineos Team UK on Monday while Peter Burling again struggled in the start box, soundly beaten by Ben Ainslie.

The boat was quickly righted after it was dumped in the water at an estimated 35 knots but was towed back to base.

It was a continuation of the theme before Christmas in the America’s Cup World Series regatta when the cup defender struggled in the prestart but had the boat speed to make amends around the course.

The Americans were the only challenger to notch up a win against TNZ in that regatta but American Magic flight controller Andrew Campbell insists TNZ’s latest dramas are not signs of weakness.

‘‘Watching them capsize yesterday shows how hard they are pushing the boat so you know we need to go out and push it as hard or harder to make the gains we are making,’’ Campbell said.

‘‘To see the work still being done over there shows how hard we have to work.’’

The Americans’ immediate focus are rival challengers Luna Rossa and Ineos Team UK.

Much was made of the British team’s struggles in the preChristmas regatta, particularly in the lighter wind conditions, but Campbell senses the gap has closed somewhat before the Prada Cup.

‘‘We never wrote them off,’’ he said.

‘‘Those guys are a strong team and have a lot of good sailors and smart people in their shed so you can never write them off.

‘‘I said it before the Christmas Cup — everybody in this regatta is going to win races and I know they are going to be really tough.’’

TNZ’s own video of Monday evening’s incident, which it posted on social media, heightened the drama and made it clear just how dangerous and thrilling racing in the AC75 class can be.

TNZ initially downplayed the crash a little, tweeting: ‘‘Nothing like a bit of drama on the Waitemata, the first swim for Te Rehutai’’.

Skipper Peter Burling admitted the capsize would have blown previous boats to pieces.

The yacht had got ‘‘a bit too high in the jibe and stopped pretty quick’’, he said.

‘‘It’s a pretty big load on the bow when it hits. We just wanted to do some checks, but everything functionally was working pretty well on the boat — so we just towed in on the foil,’’ he said.

‘‘But it’s a fantastic opportunity to push ourselves and push the boat hard against an opponent.

‘‘Ben and the British guys did a fantastic job today. They started extremely well and they were excellent opponents for us around the track.

‘‘So hats off to those guys . . . pretty exciting yachting and one of those ones that at the end of the day, everyone is enjoying the practice.’’

TNZ was about 50m ahead of Ineos when the crash occurred.

The boat nosedived as it leaned leeward and the opposite foil came out of the water.

Coach Ray Davies said the boat ‘‘leant over a lot more than normal and over she went’’.

‘‘I don’t know if we had a control problem or exactly what happened,’’ he said. — The New Zealand Herald

❛ To see the work still being done over there shows how hard we

have to work