Time running out America’s Cup

American Magic coach James Lyne has outlined the pressures America’s Cup teams are going to be under as they arrive in Auckland with time running out on next year’s regatta.

The New York Yacht Club’s wealthy syndicate and British challenger INEOS UK have been granted exemptions to enter New Zealand amid the global coronavirus pandemic to start their final buildup to yachting’s biggest spectacle, set to run from late December to March.

In a Cup cycle hit hard by unexpected problems, most notably the global health crisis, Lyne emphasised the hurdles all the teams were now facing.

‘‘For better or worse, all the teams are in a position where they haven’t done enough sailing yet because of the one-design foil arms delays, the pandemic, shipping around the world, and their own unique issues,’’ Lyne said on the team’s website in an article revealing the depth of his role.

‘‘Nobody’s been able to execute their campaign just as they have wanted to. It’s just how we deal with it from here, and how we execute from the moment we get to Auckland.

‘‘From whenever we start sailing in Auckland, there’s going to be a path to winning the Cup that fits within the number of days we have left.

‘‘How we choose that path is the main determiner of our success. The longer we’re unable to sail, the harder and narrower our path becomes.’’

Lyne, an Englishman who has been a long-time resident of Vermont and coached sailors and teams to multiple world titles, said American Magic now faced a tricky juggling act.

‘‘It’s going to be a continuing internal struggle, this Cup, because you’ve got to have enough design power that you’re fast enough. But we’ve still got to be able to sail the boat well enough around the course to extract that potential.

‘‘So what’s the coach’s role? I’ve been around long enough, and been a part of enough winning regattas, that it comes down to leveraging the individual strengths of your people,’’ Lyne said, pointing to the success of ‘juggernaut’’ big boat teams Bella Mente and Quantum Racing which have been the origins of American Magic.

American Magic’s boat is due to arrive in Auckland next week. They are still building the second boat in Rhode Island that will be used for racing in Auckland.