Team NZ’s close calls in the battle to win the America’s Cup

Monday, 21 October 2024

Peter Burling says they were fortunate their America's Cup boat didn't suffer more damage after falling from a crane.

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There was a moment, a deafening moment, when Team New Zealand’s victory in the 37th America’s Cup may have been over before it started.

After a hard-fought win over Italy’s Luna Rossa as the challenger round robin series began, the defender’s boat Taihoro fell seven metres onto its cradle in a crane accident.

Skipper Peter Burling remembered the moment well, talking to Stuff from the post-race media area. Others heard a “mighty bang”.

“I think I was standing about here, when it actually happened,” he said. While walking back to the base he got an odd phone call.

“Ray (Davies, Team NZ’s coach) was calling me, which is pretty unusual because I was kind of walking to a meeting that he would have been in.

“He said, ‘Massive incident under the crane and I’m sure you’ll be getting asked some questions,’” said Burling.

“So I was quite glad I’d got away from you lot before it before it unfolded.”

Team NZ’s Taihoro heads for repairs after being dropped in a crane accident

A power failure on the crane had let the cable unravel.

“We're out for a while - it’s hard to assess it at the moment - it’s not good,” was the frank line from CEO Grant Dalton.

After a section of hull was replaced, and other repairs done, Taihoro was back racing with just one day out of the water. It was an effort that brought tears to the eyes of shore crew manager Sean Regan.

Lightning hit the fifth day of the America's Cup challenger series in Barcelona.

“I think we got about as lucky as we could, to be honest, with the damage,” said Burling.

It wasn’t the only heart-stopping moment on the way to Team New Zealand securing its third America’s Cup victory.

“Holy shit,” exclaimed Burling via the race telecast, as a lightning strike hit the race course near Taihoro, just five days later.

A direct strike on the carbon fibre mast, described as a “lightning magnet”, could have destroyed the carbon fibre boat, packed with electronics.

Team New Zealand and Britannia almost collide before the start of race three in the America's Cup match.

“It’s not worth it,” said Burling as he swung the boat out of the race course, and headed for a nearby superyacht with a taller mast, and equipped with lightning strike resistors.

It was another six weeks until Taihoro’s third near disaster moment.

“Jesus Christ,” swore INEOS Britannia helmsman Dylan Fletcher as the two boats swung in the same direction after being on a 50 knot collision course in the start box.

Alinghi Red Bull Racing's AC75 after its capsize during unofficial sailing in Barcelona

Both swung in the same direction at the last second, and race graphics showed their foils had overlapped, in a move the umpires penalised the British for.

“The boats got a lot closer than I was hoping,” Burling told Stuff after returning to base at the end of the day. “I'm glad the boat's still in one piece. It was a little bit close for comfort.”

INEOS Britannia lost the race, to go 3-0 down - but they never accepted the umpires’ ruling on the penalty.

The consequences of foil arms tangling at speed, and perhaps being torn from a boat had been demonstrated a fortnight earlier when eliminated challenger Alinghi Red Bull Racing capsized after a foil-arm breakage while on a practice run.

The incidents were a reminder of how fine the line can be between triumph and disaster, despite years of planning, designing and sailing with the campaigns each spending more than $150 million.