British boat set for ‘defining day’ after high winds delay racing
Land Rover BAR must shake off the disappointment of yesterday’s race programme being postponed and prepare for a “campaign-defining day” today, according to grinder Freddie Carr.
The British team, who trail 3-1, have to win at least two of their three races with New Zealand in today’s packed schedule to remain in contention at this America’s Cup. Lose more than one and they will be going home. Win two or more and the racing will go into tomorrow in the best-ofnine contest.
Carr said that despite New Zealand being given more time to recover from Tuesday’s spectacular capsize, due to gusts of 30-35 knots on Bermuda’s Great Sound yesterday, he was still confident the British team could turn around the deficit.
“Yes, it’s bought them another 24 hours to tickle up their boat,” he said of the postponement, which allowed New Zealand the chance to repair damage and recover their nerves after three of their sailors were thrown overboard on Tuesday. “There’s no doubt another 24 hours in the shed will benefit them. But it sets up two campaign-defining days for us. We’ve got three races tomorrow. We’d like to win all three. We know we’ve got to win two.”
New Zealand’s young helmsman Peter Burling, 26, and trimmer Blair Tuke, 27, could not help but have been shaken up by the capsize, Carr said. Tuke narrowly avoided hitting the boat’s daggerboard as he was thrown from the vessel.
“They are a bunch of tough professional sailors and they are used to sailing round at high speeds and capsizing and having crashes,” Carr said. “But I couldn’t recall a situation where they have had as big an incident as yesterday. It would have been hard for them to go out and race in similar conditions.
“Hand on heart, If that had happened to us, you’d have it in the back of your mind.”
Carr said that conditions today could still be hazardous, with winds in the range of 12-16 knots, although he acknowledged the Kiwis would be much more comfortable.
“The way they sail their boat with the helmsman not doing the raking and someone else doing the rake on the boat, you can get a little out of whack in [very dramatic conditions],” he said. “But we’re pleased with our boat speed in the 12-16 knot range. So, ultimately, we’re happy to go and race in that stuff tomorrow.”