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New Zealand bury the demons of San Francisco in crushing America's Cup victory over the USA

Emirates Team New Zealand celebrate victory in the America's Cup after beating the USA 7-1 in the final match in Bermuda - Getty Images North America
Emirates Team New Zealand celebrate victory in the America's Cup after beating the USA 7-1 in the final match in Bermuda - Getty Images North America

Four years ago the America’s Cup gave us one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history as Oracle Team USA, with Sir Ben Ainslie on board, bounced back from 8-1 down to secure an incredible 9-8 triumph against the Kiwis in San Francisco.

This time there was to be no fairy-tale comeback. Not even the merest hint of one. Like the All Blacks toying with Lion cubs, this was about as one-sided as sport gets.

Emirates Team New Zealand, powered by their posse of pedalling sailors, claimed the 35th America’s Cup in emphatic fashion in Bermuda on Monday. Leading 6-1 overnight and needing just one more race win to secure the Auld Mug for a third time in the nation’s history, after their successes in San Diego in 1995 and again in Auckland five years later, the Kiwis did it at the first time of asking, dominating the USA as they had done all the way through the final series. The Cup is heading back to Auckland, although quite when and in what format remains to be seen.

There was a lot at stake in Monday’s final given New Zealand’s role as conscientious objectors to the new protocols agreed by the five other teams. Now they have the Cup, they hold the keys to its future. Suffice to say, there was plenty of frantic negotiating going on in Bermuda on Monday night.

This was exactly what Larry Ellison, Oracle’s billionaire owner, feared might happen. Not even in his worst nightmares, though, could he have imagined such a one-sided final. New Zealand even started the final series on -1 as the USA won the round robin qualifiers. But they never looked like losing, winning eight of the next nine races.

The New Zealand crew celebrate in front of the grandstand after completing their America's Cup victory over the USA in Bermuda - Credit: Getty
The New Zealand crew celebrate in front of the grandstand after completing their America's Cup victory over the USA in Bermuda Credit: Getty

Jimmy Spithill, the Australian skipper of the American boat, could not even blame a poor start in yesterday’s final humiliation. He had been outgunned and outmanoeuvred for most of the final series but yesterday, finally, he managed to get his boat to the first mark in the lead.

It took New Zealand all of 10 seconds to reassert their authority, Pete Burling getting the first gybe in and getting the Kiwi boat’s nose in front. Thereafter it was, quite literally, plain sailing. Or rather, plain cycling. The other teams had all said in the lead-up to this America’s Cup that they were not that worried by the Kiwis’ radical design, which they had developed in secret back in Auckland and which featured four grinders  – or ‘cyclors’ as they dubbed their grinders on static bikes.

By the end, though, it was becoming apparent just how much of an advantage it was giving them; an extra 30 per cent in hydraulic pressure, according to Land Rover BAR grinder Freddie Carr. It was what they did with that power which was so impressive, though. The Kiwis’ aggressive boat design and radical control system, which allowed Burling to concentrate on driving the boat as Glenn Ashby and Blair Tuke – with whom Burling won Olympic 49er gold last summer – trimmed the foils and wing, paid off in spades. The Kiwis’ ambition and innovation absolutely deserved the ultimate reward.

Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill, 37, was outgunned by his younger rival Peter Burling who became the youngest ever helmsman to win the America's Cup at the age of 26 - Credit: AP
Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill (left), 37, was outgunned by his younger rival Peter Burling who became the youngest ever helmsman to win the America's Cup at the age of 26 Credit: AP

So Burling becomes the youngest helm in America’s Cup history by a country mile. At 26 years old he is four years younger than Spithill was when he won the Cup for the first time. All the talk beforehand had been of how Spithill – nicknamed Pitbull – was going to put the frighteners on his opposite man. Burling was so laidback the finish you have expected America’s Cup organisers to send a medic on board to check he still had a pulse. Only once in this America’s Cup, when he made the mistake that led to the Kiwis’ spectacular capsize against the GB boat, has he looked rattled.

The way New Zealand bounced back from that setback was hugely impressive and, ultimately, explains why the America’s Cup is heading back to Auckland.

7:46PM

Thank you, and goodbye

As New Zealand lift the trophy, the curtain comes down on the 35th America's Cup. There will be heavy drinking and sore heads for a day or so, but then the politicking for the 36th Cup will begin in earnest.

This is not the result many wanted to see. It means we're back to the drawing board as far as the future of the competition is concerned. For the neutral, however, it's a heartening victory by a relative underdog against the mighty Americans (/Australians). Innovation triumphed over wealth, but above all, the best team won.

Stay tuned for Tom Cary's race report. But for now it's time for me to dock. Thank you to those die hard fans who have followed the Telegraph's blind dive into this strangest of sports. I hope you have enjoyed it.

7:30PM

Someone sack the DJ

His set list is truly dreadful.

The presentation man is still talking. Something, something Louis Vuitton. Who?

This is a more protracted finale than the closing scenes of Lord of the Rings.

7:27PM

The America's Cup loves melodrama

A man in white gloves and dark sunglasses brings out the Auld Mug to the sound of electric violins.

Now Team New Zealand take the stage to the sound of some kind of hip-hop/grime/pump-up malarkey.

7:25PM

Oracle Team USA accept their runners-up medals

Jimmy Spithill makes a point of thanking Larry Ellison in his podium speech. He also does the usual rounds, thanking family, teammates and the hosts Bermuda.

7:19PM

Presentation ceremony coming up

Peter Burling is about to get his mits on the Auld Mug

7:10PM

More from Jimmy Spithill

It's been a great journey when we started out as part of Oracle Team USA. I'm very proud of the boys. They fought all the way. The shore guys put a lot of blood sweat and tears and gave us the guys the best opportunity to win it.

Let's face facts. What an incredible job by Team New Zealand. They were just a class above.

7:06PM

It's all a bit much more some

Cheer up, fella. You've got a nice bottle of bubbly there.

The emotion overwhelms a member of the New Zealand crew - Credit: Getty
The emotion overwhelms a member of the New Zealand crew Credit: Getty

7:01PM

Who will be the next Challenger?

This is fun. Deals are already being made with the Kiwis. President of the yacht club that Land Rover BAR is hanging around with document in hand. Rumour is that an Italian challenge has already been made.

This is all so bizarre and clandestine. You've got to love it.

6:59PM

"This is a great redemption"

New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby

It's been an amazing journey for us as a team. Personally that feeling of relief at the moment, and of satisfaction that as a team we've been able to pull off the unbelievable. Against all the odds, from a few years ago, then arriving here late and scrambling to get things ready.

We knew with this format that we had to be extremely innovative and aggressive with our design philosophy. We recognised as a group where the bar would eventually be with this sport and we tried to fast track that. Our setup was a risk, but it paid off. 

We had a huge amount of debating over those difficult decisions but together we threw it out there and we all had to believe it was the right way forwards. I feel honoured to be involved with a group of open-minded individuals who were prepared to take those tough decisions.

Four years ago it was absolutely brutal for the team and it was a bitter pill to swallow. This is a great redemption. We've righted the wrongs of the previous campaign.

6:54PM

Larry Ellison looks sad

Hey ho, I'm sure he'll cheer up soon enough when he remembers he is absolutely loaded.

Oracle Team USA CEO Larry Ellison - Credit: EPA
Oracle Team USA CEO Larry Ellison Credit: EPA

6:49PM

New Zealand celebrate

New Zealand celebrate - Credit: Getty
New Zealand celebrate Credit: Getty

6:46PM

Peter Burling becomes the youngest skipper to win the America's Cup

As if he needed to rub any more salt into Spithill's wounds

America's Cup winning skippers
America's Cup winning skippers

6:45PM

USA skipper Jimmy Spithill magnanimous in defeat

We're disappointed. Full credit to Team New Zealand. They made so few mistakes, they fully deserve it.

We were pretty focused on getting to mark one first, and we did that. They were just quicker downwind, so that was pretty tough. Upwind it was more even, but downwind they just had the speed.

I'm not sure [what happens next]. I've spent so much energy on taking it one day and a time. I want to thank the team and we'll take it from there.

Did I detect a slight tremor in Jimmy Spithill's voice?

6:42PM

Congratulations Team NZ

6:41PM

Paul Cayard

We're witnessing a changing of the guards. Oracle had the Cup for seven years, but they've been seriously outclassed. We were hoping for a comeback but it just wasn't to be.

6:38PM

Kiwi helmsman Peter Burling

"This is what we came here to do. We're on top of the world right now. It's going to be a good night." 

6:35PM

NEW ZEALAND WIN THE 35TH AMERICA'S CUP

Jubilation onboard the Kiwi boat

New Zealand win
New Zealand win

6:34PM

Kiwi lead bounces

Burling looks in control. Spithill's gamble hasn't paid off. The margin back out to 300 metres.

Leg 6
Leg 6

6:32PM

Another split at gate 5

Burling happy to allow the separation. Spithill swinging with one downwind leg to go. He needs to land a punch on the Fat Lady's diaphragm.  

6:29PM

Kiwi lead shrinking

Plenty of positive talk onboard the American crew at the moment. They are chipping away at the New Zealand lead. One slip up from the Kiwis here and the lead will change hands. They haven't made many.

Leg 5
Leg 5

6:27PM

USA running out of time

The Kiwi lead is cut to 200 metres, but they don't look like they're about to be reeled in anytime soon. Is there anything Spithill can do? New Zealand are faster, in control and cruising towards an America's Cup triumph.

6:23PM

Kiwi lead out to 230 metres as teams round mark 3

Big speed discrepancy between the two boats. Kiwis turning the mark at 30 knots, the USA at 20.

Leg 3 stats
Leg 3 stats

It's never too early, Bevan. Although maybe wait until your team has definitely won.

6:20PM

Kiwi lead out to 150 metres

This has a familiar, foreboding look to it for the Americans.

Leg 3
Leg 3

6:18PM

Spithill goes for the split

But it requires an ugly manoeuvre to do so. They just about pull it off, but more time is lost.

I'm going to presume Steph is following the Telegraph live blog. It is the one and only.

6:16PM

New Zealand take the lead

Burling gybes first and pushes Spithill out towards the boundary. The Kiwi boat has the positional advantage and edges ahead. Their gybe was smoother, quicker. How many times have we said that?

6:14PM

USA beat Kiwis to first mark

How badly did Spithill need that? It was game over otherwise. Can they hold on now?

Leg 1
Leg 1

6:13PM

USA ahead

Spithill choosing to chase the Kiwis. He's looking to gap off, not overly aggressive. Just trying to time his run to the line better. He pulls the trigger, and pulls it right. No misjudgments this time. Up on their foils and they have their noses in front.

6:12PM

A reminder

New Zealand have won all their races in which they have reached mark one first. Vital minute or so coming up...

6:10PM

The teams make their way out for the pre-start

Here we go. USA with port entry.

6:08PM

"We're going all in"

New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling:

We're incredibly excited to get back out there racing. We see more kiwi flags out here every day. We're getting plenty of messages from back home. We really appreciate the support we do get.

Everyone on  the team has been working very hard for past three years. We're putting final touches on it now.

USA skipper Jimmy Spithill:

We're going to leave anything that's left in the tank out on the water. We've all committed to it, we're going all in. We're going to put it all out there.

We've gone for a lighter setup. We've got the forecast slightly coming down. We'll see what happens, but it feels like it's within range.

6:00PM

I bet Pete Burling can smell the silver

The America's Cup aka 'Auld Mug'
The America's Cup aka 'Auld Mug'

5:58PM

I hope this is true

For those who don't know, Dana Johannsen is the chief sports reporter for the New Zealand Herald, so I trust this isn't fake news.

5:56PM

Wind watch

It's expected to be blowing at between 7 to 10 knots for the day's first race. "It's a New Zealand kind of day," says Paul Cayard. "I bet Pete Burling is licking his chops."

5:54PM

What can the USA do to turn things around?

Spithill has vowed to come out swinging, and no doubt he will. Aggressive by nature, he will try to unsettle Burling right from the get-go. Is that possible? Not on the evidence so far. Regardless, expect close quarters, hair-raising racing.

5:48PM

Kiwi support in full voice

5:47PM

Is Jimmy Spithill a beaten man?

Before this final all the talk was of how Jimmy Spithill, the three-time America's Cup winner, would eat Peter Burling for breakfast. Burling, the New Zealand helmsman, is 11 years Spithill's junior, but he has now won seven out of eight pre-starts in this match.

How has that happened? And is the bell about to toll for Jimmy Spithill? You can read the detailed report here, but, as always, here's a preview:

Many of those wins have been handed to him by Spithill's unforced errors. In Sunday's first race, the Aussie misjudged his run to the line, making an unnecessary adjustment to his boat's course that allowed New Zealand to take the lead, a position they never relinquished.

In the second race, Spithill botched an attempted hook and Burling boxed him in before pulling away. The Kiwi boat was out of sight before the teams had even crossed the start line.

USA skipper Jimmy Spithill - Credit: Getty
USA skipper Jimmy Spithill has lost seven of eight pre-starts to his opposite number Peter Burling during the America's Cup final match Credit: Getty

5:37PM

Former America's Cup skipper Paul Cayard

I expect a different Jimmy Spithill today. He's been in the America's Cup for 17 years and I've never seen him do a start as poorly as he did yesterday. They could win two today and this thing could be drawn out a bit. Six in a row is a tall order, but there's a lot of fight in these guys.

5:35PM

Can the Kiwis keep their cool?

Skipper Glenn Ashby talks through his teams preparations and the boats setup. Sounds like the two teams are going off different forecasts, the USA predicting marginally lighter winds than the Kiwis and have set up accordingly.

5:27PM

And the insider's view

Artemis Racing Sweden skipper Nathan Outteridge with his take on the key differences between the boats.

If you understand more than 50 per cent of what Outteridge is on about then you've done better than me.

5:21PM

How the Kiwis out-thought Oracle

If the 35th America's Cup has confirmed one thing, it is that the fastest boat, not the biggest budget, always wins. So what has made the difference?

Michael Harvey reveals all for the Daily Telegraph. You can read it in full here, or satisfy yourself with the snippet below:

It seems that even with access to Oracle Corp’s Larry Ellison’s current account and technical support from BMW and BMW Motorsport - including the company’s market-leading experience in carbon, its aerodynamic expertise and ergonomic learnings from the cockpits of its racing cars - Oracle Team USA have been out-thought by New Zealand.

All the hydraulic power for the controls - the Boeing-sized rigid wing and the apparently physics-defying hydrofoils — must come from the crew, and legs are stronger than arms. New Zealand’s "cyclors" produce as much as 40 per cent more power than Oracle's "grinders", so the Kiwi boat is set-up like a modern fighter-jet; fast-as-hell but inherently unstable, kept in check by constant trim and adjustment from all that extra power.

5:17PM

Is this it?

The winds of change are blowing across Bermuda. The USA teeter on the brink of an America's Cup humbling, their legacy poised to be torn apart. The Kiwis need one more win. 

Will it be today?

Are the USA about to go under? - Credit: Getty
Are the USA about to go under? Credit: Getty

5:05PM

Preview

What is it?

The fifth and probably final day of the America's Cup final match between Emirates Team New Zealand and Oracle Team USA in Bermuda.

New Zealand need just one more win to regain the Cup. They lead the first-to-seven match series 6-1.

When is it?

The first race is scheduled for 6.12pm UK time. The second is at 6.57pm, should we need it.

How can I watch it?

Clare Balding anchors coverage on BT Sport 1, which gets under way at 5.30pm. Or can follow all the live action on this live blog.

What happened on Sunday?

New Zealand stamped out a mini-American revival by winning both races on Sunday.

After the USA had won the final race on Saturday, the pressure was on Peter Burling's New Zealand team to bury the demons of San Francisco 2013. There had they contrived to throw away an 8-1 lead to lose 9-8 to Jimmy Spithill's Oracle Team USA.

But the USA's bubble was burst immediately after a botched pre-start allowed New Zealand to take an early lead in the first race, a position they never relinquished.

You can read Tom Cary's race report here.  

What are they saying?

New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling:

We were absolutely delighted with how Sunday went. We were disappointed to give away a race on Saturday but we certainly made up for it.

We’ve got a fantastic team and you can see that out on the water. We’ve all got the same understanding of what we want to achieve and we are all on the same page.

Despite the lead we won’t get ahead of ourselves because we still know we have a job to do and it’s still an incredibly tough ask.

A lot has been said about what happened four years ago but I love the pressure. If you want to come all the way to Bermuda and win the America’s Cup then you have to deal with immense pressure. As a group we feel the pressure is bringing the best out of us and I think we’ve more than answered those questions.

Helmsman Peter Burling drives Emirates Team New Zealand to win over Oracle Team USA in race seven in America's Cup finals - Credit: Reuters
Helmsman Peter Burling drives Emirates Team New Zealand to win over Oracle Team USA in race seven in America's Cup finals Credit: Reuters

USA skipper Jimmy Spithill:

They [Emirates Team New Zealand] sailed better than us today and made a lot fewer mistakes. They deserved to win both of the races because we clearly made far too many mistakes out there.

We’re in a tough situation now and all we can really do is take this one race at a time. The plan certainly wasn’t to be in this position again, I can assure you of that, but we are here now so it is up to all of us to respond and react. You wouldn’t have been surprised to see a bit of a bad reaction out there today but the boys kept fighting and that’s great.

Potentially, in a situation like this you could see a team split apart, but when we got ashore everyone pulled together because we know this isn’t over. 

I still think we can win races with this boat. We’ve proven we can races against these guys if we sail well but if we make too many mistakes like we did today then we won’t win races.

If the team feel they have a better chance of winning with me on the wheel, I’ll be on the wheel, if we feel we have a better chance with me off the wheel, no problem. Our attitude has always been you put the team before yourself.

Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill - Credit: Getty
Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill admitted that his own position at the helm of the boat was no longer guaranteed Credit: Getty

What are the latest odds?

  • Emirates Team New Zealand 1/33

  • Oracle Team USA 10/1