EMIRATES TEAM NEW ZEALAND WIN 35TH AMERICA'S CUP
North’s relationship with the 35th America’s Cup winner Team New Zealand runs deep. Named Official Sail Supplier in this edition of the Cup (and the first time in history!), North Sails were exclusive on all the boats, Defender and Challengers. All teams entered racing with a one-design set of North Sails 3Di jibs, used in tandem with a fixed wing. With the ever-changing landscape of our sport, North Sails has remained the technological leader in sailmaking. Today, North Sails supports Cup teams with crucial aerodynamic design support, producing sails that are consistently flatter, faster, and more durable. Our North Technology Group sister company, Southern Spars built the Emirates Team New Zealand winning boat; from hulls to foils and all the parts in between. The last few weeks have been a spectacle to watch and we’re already looking forward to the 36th edition of the oldest trophy in all of sport.
Race Nine. The score was set at 6-1 (ETNZ – ORACLE TEAM USA) as the teams docked off amidst a sea of fans for day five of the finals. It was “match point” with just one more point required of Team New Zealand before winning the Cup. While fans of ETNZ called for the team to bring the Cup home some 9,000 miles to New Zealand, Oracle fans cheered the defenders to repeat their legendary comeback of 2013, when the Americans fought back against the Kiwis in what may have been the greatest comeback in history.
Not this time. Not with steadfast Glen Ashby as skipper and ever cool Peter Burling at the helm. After a strong start, ETNZ wasted no time catching Oracle’s heels, scraping past after a gybe on the second leg and maintaining a strong lead for the remainder of the race.
Team New Zealand celebrated, a smiling Peter Burling exclaiming, “It’s unreal, this is exactly what we came here to do, I’m just on top of the world.” With today’s historic win, ETNZ will bring the Cup back to New Zealand. In addition, Peter Burling becomes the youngest skipper to win the America’s Cup at age 26. “It’s been three years of hard work, probably 100 people working together toward this goal. We are just on top of the world. We’ve just been blown away by the support we’ve been getting on shore and back home, we’re just really excited to share it with everyone now.”
For Skipper Glenn Ashby, who was part of the 2013 ETNZ squad, today’s victory was especially sweet (possibly sweet revenge?). “It’s been an amazing journey for Emirates Team New Zealand, one of those rocky roads that encompassed much more than just the past four years. The guys behind me and our entire team have fought tool and nail to win this trophy!”
“We’d also like to pass on our heartiest congratulations to ORACLE TEAM USA. They set the bar for the racing and were fantastic competitors. Thanks for sharing it (the America’s Cup) around!”
Congratulations to ENTZ, who we’re sure won’t be hi-fiving each other at tonight’s celebrations.
