34th America’s Cup – San Francisco
Winner: first to nine points, one point per race won. Before racing began, USA was penalized two points by the International Jury, so they started at -2 points and needed to win 11 races.
Day 1 – Saturday September 7, 2013
The first surprise: Close races and lead changes. In both races, Emirates Team New Zealand started to windward and powered ahead to lead at Mark 1. In Race 1 the lead changed twice on the upwind leg. OTUSA had a slight tear in the skin of their wing, which they repaired with tape between races.
Race 1 – Emirates Team New Zealand won by 36 seconds
Race 2 – Emirates Team New Zealand won by 52 seconds
Score: USA -2 / NZL 2
Video: 34th America’s Cup Races 1 & 2
Day 2 – Sunday September 8, 2013
OTUSA wins both starts but only one race. In Race 3 OTUSA started to leeward and then luffed ETNZ at the first mark, getting a penalty on ETNZ. After trailing at the leeward gate, ETNZ sailed a strong upwind leg to take the lead. OTUSA scored their first win in Race 4, again starting to leeward, and leading the entire race.
Race 3 – Emirates Team New Zealand won by 28 seconds
Race 4 – Oracle Team USA won by 7 seconds
Score: USA -1 / NZL 3
Video: 34th America’s Cup Races 3 & 4
Day 3 – Tuesday September 10, 2013
Frustration for OTUSA: They started Race 5 to windward and rolled over ETNZ to lead at Mark 1, then built their lead to four seconds at the end of the first downwind leg. But tactician John Kostecki called for a “foiling tack” as they rounded the mark. Poor execution of the tack dropped their speed to just seven knots. The Kiwis took control on the upwind leg and went on to win. OTUSA used their “postponement card,” choosing to delay Race 6 to Thursday so they could regroup.
Race 5 – Emirates Team New Zealand won by 64 seconds
Race 6 – Postponed by Oracle Team USA (postponement card)
Score: USA -1 / NZL 4
Video: 34th America’s Cup Race 5
Day 4 – Thursday September 12, 2013
First day for Ben Ainslie on OTUSA as tactician, but the Kiwis won both races, coming from behind on Leg 3 of Race 6 and leading Race 7 wire to wire.
Race 6 – Emirates Team New Zealand won by 46 seconds
Race 7 – Emirates Team New Zealand won by 65 seconds
Score: USA -1 / NZL 6
Video: 34th America’s Cup Races 6 & 7
Day 5 – Saturday September 14, 2013
Team NZL almost capsized on leg 3, and OTUSA went on to win. OTUSA’s second win erases their second penalty point, bringing them to zero on points.
Race 8 – Oracle Team USA won by 52 seconds
Race 9 – Abandoned on leg 3 – upper wind limit exceeded.
Score: USA 0 / NZL 6
Video: 34th America’s Cup Race 8
Day 6 – Sun Sept 15, 2013 – OTUSA tactical error at windward gate in Race 10?
OTUSA won the start of Race 9 by luffing ETNZ away from the line until 20 seconds after the gun. OTUSA then led wire to wire.
In Race 10 the lead changed four times. The teams split at Gate 3 at the end of the upwind leg. OTUSA was coming into the gate with starboard advantage, but did not use it, allowing ETNZ to round the right hand mark, getting starboard advantage for the first cross on the final run.
Race 9 – OTUSA won by 46 seconds
Race 10 – ETNZ won by 16 seconds
Score: USA 1 / NZL 7
Video: 34th America’s Cup Races 9 & 10
Day 7 – Tuesday September 17, 2013 – no racing
Races 11 & 12 – Postponed – upper wind limit exceeded.
Score: USA 1 / NZL 7
Day 8 – Wednesday September 18, 2013 – Emirates Team NZL moves to match point. They need one more win to take the Cup. For the first time, a reserve day is used. From now on, the Race Committee will try to start races every day until we have a winner.
Race 11 – ETNZ won by 46 seconds
Race 12 – Postponed – upper wind limit exceeded.
Score: USA 1 / NZL 8
Video: 34th America’s Cup Race 11
Day 9 – Thursday September 19, 2013 – OTUSA starts their improbable comeback.
OTUSA dominated the start, hooking ETNZ and forcing them to tack away from the line. On the upwind leg OTUSA averaged 1.5 knots faster and hit a peak over 36 knots while foiling upwind.
Race 12 – OTUSA won by 31 seconds
Race 13 – Postponed – upper wind limit exceeded.
Score: USA 2 / NZL 8
Video: 34th America’s Cup Race 12
Day 10 – Friday September 20, 2013 – Lucky break for OTUSA: saved by time limit.
In very light wind ETNZ was leading by over 1,000 meters with about one nautical mile to go when the 40 minute time limit expired and the race was abandoned. When the race was restarted, OTUSA won by almost a minute and a half – the biggest margin of the 19 races in the Match.
Race 13 – Abandoned when 40 minute time limit expired. ETZN was leading.
Race 13 – OTUSA won by 1:23
Score: USA 3 / NZL 8
Video: 34th America’s Cup Race 13
Day 11 – Saturday September 21, 2013 – no racing
Races 14 & 15 – Postponed due to unstable wind direction.
Score: USA 3 / NZL 8
Day 12 – Sunday September 22, 2013 – Two wire to wire wins for OTUSA
In both races OTUSA started to leeward and led at every mark rounding.
Race 14 – OTUSA won by 23 seconds
Race 15 – OTUSA won by 37 seconds
Score: USA 5 / NZL 8
Video: 34th America’s Cup Races 14 & 15
Day 13 – Monday September 23, 2013 – Wire to wire win for OTUSA in light wind
ETNZ took the leeward end of the line but OTUSA broke the overlap to lead at Mark 1. They led for the entire race.
Light winds delayed the start until 13:45. The race finished at 14:20. Since the rules require 32 minutes between races and no race was to be started after 14:40, Race 17 was postponed.
Race 16 – OTUSA won by 32 seconds
Race 17 – Postponed – latest start time 14:40 exceeded.
Score: USA 6 / NZL 8
Video: 34th America’s Cup Race 16
Day 14 – Tuesday September 24, 2013 – OTUSA wins two more, forcing showdown
OTUSA looked dominant while winning both races, forcing a winner take all showdown in Race 19.
Race 17 – OTUSA won by 27 seconds
Race 18 – OTUSA won by 54 seconds
Score: USA 8 / NZL 8
Video: 34th America’s Cup Races 17 & 18
Day 15 – Wednesday September 25, 2013 – OTUSA completes the COMEBACK!
OTUSA completed their historic comeback, defending the America’s Cup. ETNZ started to leeward and won the drag race to Mark 1 when OTUSA came off their foils and buried both bows. ETNZ led at Gate 2, but then sailed 600 meters more distance on the upwind leg, to trail by 26 seconds at Gate 3. OTUSA stretched out to win by 44 seconds.
Race 19 – OTUSA won by 44 seconds
Score: USA 9 / NZL 8
Video: 34th America’s Cup Race 19