New Zealand Defends America’s Cup Title Against Great Britain

New Zealand successfully defended their America’s Cup title by defeating Great Britain in the 37th edition of the prestigious sailing competition. Going into Saturday’s race in Barcelona, Ben Ainslie’s Ineos Britannia team faced a challenging situation, trailing 6-2 in the best-of-13 series. To keep their hopes alive, they needed to win race nine. However, Emirates Team New Zealand demonstrated their dominance clinching victory by 37 seconds, thereby establishing an unassailable 7-2 lead.

This win marks a historic achievement for New Zealand, who had previously triumphed in 2017 and 2021, making them the first team to lift the Auld Mug three times in a row since the United States did so from 1987 to 1992. For Great Britain, this final marked their first appearance since 1964, yet they have yet to secure a win in the 173-year history of the competition.

British captain Ben Ainslie praised Team New Zealand, stating, “Firstly, I’ve got to say a huge well done to Team New Zealand. What an amazing campaign and team. In my view, they are the best team ever in the America’s Cup.” Ainslie expressed gratitude to his team for their relentless efforts over the years, recognizing their successes during the finals.

However, he ultimately conceded that “the better team won.” Looking ahead, Ainslie remained optimistic about the future, declaring, “This isn’t going to be the end of the journey for us. We set out 10 years ago to win the America’s Cup and we’re getting closer each time. The trick is to keep going and get it home next time.”