How Burling managed to pull a fast one on Spithill

Team New Zealand ace Peter Burling was under orders to bluff his abilities in the starting box before his demolition of Jimmy Spithill in the America’s Cup match.

It proved a masterstroke. Burling’s apparent rapid development in this key area was central to Team New Zealand’s 7-1 win over Oracle Team USA to win back the Auld Mug in Bermuda.

Spithill’s aggression and reputation as the best starter in the business always loomed as a worry for the Kiwis heading into the match, especially given Burling’s patchy starting form during the round-robin phase of the regatta.

There were signs of improvement from the 26-year-old Burling in the Challengers final against Sweden’s Artemis Racing but nothing like the dominance he suddenly displayed to destroy Spithill at his own game.

Burling won the starts 7-2 this as an area to concentrate on for Burling, whose match-racing experience was virtually nonexistent before heading to Bermuda with his stunning Olympic success based on fleet racing in the 49er skiffs.

The gifted Burling showed his ability to learn quickly as he mastered the arts of the cat-andmouse plays in the two minutes leading up to the starting gun in Cup races.

Burling’s coup de grace of Spithill came in the penultimate race when he brilliantly overlapped and hooked the double-Cup winner, leaving the American boat stalled as ‘‘Pistol’’ Pete pulled the trigger and accelerated off for an incredible 14s advantage over the start line.

A bit like the neverending updates of the remarkable Kiwi boat, it was a case of keeping a sailing trick up their sleeve for the money moment of the Cup final.