Tag: America’s Cup

A stunning victory!

I’m a bit sad the yachting is over. But what a result!  I’ve missed only one of the 30+ races that ETNZ has competed in.  It’s sweet after writing four years ago too. 

Winning against Sweden when they got a penalty that the umpires said later they shouldn’t have given; the two defeats to USA in the playoffs; the capsize; and then watching Aotearoa get faster, smoother with such a cool crew. Watching Peter Burling win 7 of 8 starts against all predictions. 

The TV comentators have been great too.  I’ve really warmed to the American yachting legend Ken Read who provided analysis with Alastair Eykyn. Nice work. 

Credit is due to Sir Russell Coutts and Bermuda. What a fantastic event. 

And all the on screen graphics including heart rate monitors, pressure charts. It’s exciting to imagine the technology we’ll see next time around. In Auckland! 
Stephen

A day of sports

It’s game on again!

Getting up at 5am has had its rewards – exhilarating yacht racing, a capsize, a mistake when winning and then winning by only 1 second – but ultimately success today.

Team New Zealand won the Louis Vuitton Cup today and are official challengers for the America’s Cup again.  Team New Zealand has been there before and it hasn’t always gone well but I reckon we should enjoy the success now.

A few minutes ago the Otago Highlanders beat off the British and Irish Lions 23-22. What a great game.  And there’s more to come – ABs vs Samoa and Maori All Blacks vs Lions.

Not just a day, but a great winter of sport!

Stephen

Celebrating success can be hard

I think I was one of only two people in the Koru lounge this morning who clapped when Oracle successfully defended the America’s Cup.  I was one of a handful who clapped when Team New Zealand crossed 44 seconds later.

Oracle had a stunning success. No doubt about it. Caught cheating, they paid the price for their crime which almost wiped them off the course.  Aotearoa was fast, very fast, and importantly faster than Oracle for the first week. But Oracle dug deep and made its boat even faster.

Would this have happened against the other challengers?  Probably not, Oracle would probably have won on their slower boat anyway.  You might think its a rich man’s sport, their toys on the world stage. Might be. The All Blacks aren’t playing a poor man’s sport,  but we don’t accuse them of the same.  Without the power of Team New Zealand and Oracle in competition we wouldn’t be seeing the technology, the innovation and the outright excitement of these boats.  Think of the Pumas in the Rugby Championship – there to get better from playing us.

My son Thomas graduated this week in a ceremony with 500 or so others.  All successful.  In different ways.  But Thomas was the most successful person there for me!  Well done mate!.  He drove himself to success by building higher steps to climb (and he’s got more going on now).

I hated and loved this America’s Cup all at once. I hated the stress of the last few days.  Hell! Their boat really is faster!  Oh no!.  But the beauty of the boats gliding, the work of the crews, Barker’s graciousness and maturity, that New Zealand was behind much of all of this, including Oracle’s boat and crew.  That’s success.  All of which we should celebrate.

I felt the grief of losing.  Felt for Barker actually. The shock, the anger, the resentment but then the acceptance and hope. Hope for more of the same, another America’s Cup please, but I’ll be promising myself to enjoy the moment as much as I enjoy the prospect of NZ winning.  That’s my little promise to myself.

What a journey. Got to enjoy it on the way.  Even if we can’t now, we will when we look back.