Great Britain Fights Back: America's Cup Series Cut to 4-2

Great Britain narrowed the gap in the America’s Cup series against New Zealand to 4-2, winning both races on Wednesday. After a disappointing start to the best-of-13 series where Ben Ainslie’s Ineos Britannia team fell 4-0 behind on Monday, the British team made a significant comeback in Barcelona. In race five, Great Britain capitalized on a poor start by Emirates Team New Zealand creating a substantial 1.3 km lead and finishing 1 minute and 18 seconds ahead.

Moreover, the momentum continued in race six where Britain gradually built their lead, fending off a late push from New Zealand to secure their second consecutive victory. “We’re back in it, that’s huge,” said Ainslie, the Britannia skipper. “It’s a solid effort from the team. While there’s still a long way to go, the comeback is on, and we’re improving our boat handling every day. It was tricky at the start, but our training paid off, allowing us to get New Zealand off the foil.”

On the other hand, New Zealand’s helmsman, Peter Burling expressed disappointment at not being able to maintain their pace, noting, “It’s a bit of a shame we couldn’t get across them and dropped off the foils. It was a bit unlucky.” Additionally, Nathan Outteridge of New Zealand echoed these sentiments, stating that their performance needed improvement and they would review their strategy for the next races.

The series continues with races seven and eight set for Friday while race 13 is scheduled for Monday. While New Zealand has secured the last two America’s Cups, Great Britain is striving to claim its first title in the competition’s 173-year history.