24 hours on the water is a long time. As sea conditions changed off the coast of Barcelona on Tuesday, so did the balance of the 37th America's Cup. Ineos Britannia, who trailed 4-0 to Emirates Team New Zealand in the best-of-13 series, suddenly found themselves back in contention. The America's Cup is a competition for yacht builders as well as sailors, and subtle design differences between the two AC75 yachts gave the British team an advantage in adverse weather conditions. They quickly pulled the score back to 4-2.
One of the main reasons New Zealand had the advantage in calm waters on the first day of the regatta was because the New Zealand design team chose to optimize the boat's performance in flat water. Their boat, the Tahoro, features a “dry bulb” in the foil arm to ensure the foil meets the specified weight while minimizing submerged surface area. It works well when the waves are flat, but when the waves are rising it becomes a design disadvantage.
“Certainly, that's part of the difference in performance,” Ainslie said. “But there's more to it than that.” He and his crew needed to put themselves in the right position to make a difference in performance rewards. In the sixth race, which he won by seven seconds, he used the strategies he had practiced the day before to surprise New Zealand and surpass them before the start. The New Zealanders spent their preliminary days on the coast as they felt the sea was choppy.
That was a mistake. Not only did it mean that the British army was more accustomed to the new situation, but it also meant that they were convinced that they were working harder than their opponents. That's exactly the kind of thinking Ainsley wants.
Seven days ago, Ainsley was asked which America's Cup captain he most admired. Rival captain Peter Burling selected one of his compatriots, Russell Coutts, who had won the Cup for New Zealand for the first time in 1995, but Ainsley chose Australian John Bertrand. Bertrand captained Australia II to victory in 1983. Australia II came from a 3-1 deficit in that series to win 4-3, ending America's 132-year winning streak in this tournament. It was remembered as the “race of the century.”
“The hairs on the back of my neck still stand up,” Ainsley said. He has many victories under his belt and loves playing the underdog. That's why he spent this entire regatta cheering on the opposition.
If Bertrand's 1983 win was the race of the last century, Ainsley himself has already become a star in this race. He joined Oracle Team USA midway through the 34th America's Cup in San Francisco in 2013. The team lost 4-0 just before he took over as tactician, then lost 8-1 soon after, but with his help they climbed back up the table. We win 9-8. He is a man who knows from intimate experience how to deal with adversity. Ahead of races seven and eight on Friday afternoon, the next question is whether he can do the same in the evening race.
