By Christopher Reive in Barcelona

In the days before the America’s Cup match in Barcelona, Team New Zealand starboard helmsman Peter Burling made it clear the team would take necessary risks to defend the Auld Mug.

“When you get to the top level of any sport, you see people really getting punished for mistakes. In saying that, you can’t be afraid to take risks either,” he said.

“You don’t want to come through it with a conservative mindset, that’s for sure, and we definitely will not be doing that. But we can fully expect if one of us makes a mistake, the other one will punish them.”

In the third race of the Cup match against Ineos Britannia this morning, an aggressive move in the pre-start to draw a penalty against the Brits set the Kiwi crew up for a 52s win to take a 3-0 lead in the first-to-seven series.

It was the only race of the day, with light winds seeing race management bring a halt to the day’s action, with race four postponed to tomorrow; initially scheduled as a reserve day.

The two teams came into close quarters moments before the race proper began, to the point where their foils were overlapping. Both teams launched a protest with the umpires for the other not keeping clear.

It was the Kiwis who were judged to be the fouled boat, with Ineos Britannia having to fall 75m behind Team NZ off the starting line. That allowed the defenders to choose their side of the course and dictate the race.

“We tried it yesterday and they just got past us. It was a little bit uncomfortable with how close the boats got,” Burling said after the race

“It’ll be interesting to see. The umpires obviously ruled we were clear there, so great to get a penalty and control the race from there.”



Emirates Team New Zealand extended their lead in the America's Cup match. Photo / Ricardo Pinto, America's Cup

The pre-start battle was among the biggest areas of interest coming into the Cup match, but through the opening three races, it has been the Kiwis coming away better from the starting line.

In the third race of the series, Team NZ were able to control the course and make life tough for the Brits with their match-racing tactics and making them sail in dirty air.

A mid-race comment from Ineos Britannia port helmsman Dylan Fletcher summed up the situation for his team: “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do, lads.”

While the two boats were almost identical in their average speeds both upwind and downwind, the Kiwis had a slightly better average VMG, sailing about 800m less than the Brits.

Racing is set to resume at 1.10am tomorrow (NZ time) with a one-race schedule.America’s Cup match results
Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 41s.
Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 27s.
Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 52s

Emirates Team New Zealand lead the America’s Cup first-to-seven series 3-0.

Christopher Reivejoined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.

<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">By Christopher Reive in Barcelona
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">In the days before the&nbsp;<a style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; cursor: text; text-decoration: none; color: inherit;" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sailing/americas-cup/">America’s Cup</a>&nbsp;match in Barcelona,&nbsp;<a style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; cursor: text; text-decoration: none; color: inherit;" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sailing/americas-cup/americas-cup-team-nz-take-2-0-lead-over-ineos-britannia-in-barcelona-americas-cup-match/K6RRDIBZBRDQRMDVHIQKD2BMGI/">Team New Zealand</a>&nbsp;starboard helmsman Peter Burling made it clear the team would take necessary risks&nbsp;<a style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; cursor: text; text-decoration: none; color: inherit;" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sailing/americas-cup/americas-cup-future-blurry-for-ineos-britannia-as-backers-yet-to-confirm-commitment-beyond-barcelona/4XD462A3JNCUBMFFXMI533IRU4/">to defend&nbsp;</a>the Auld Mug.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">“When you get&nbsp;<a style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; cursor: text; text-decoration: none; color: inherit;" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/sailing/americas-cup/americas-cup-two-crucial-components-to-team-nzs-clash-with-ineos-britannia/BOSJU57SZ5BUHJJW7ZF5CW64P4/">to the top level </a>of any sport, you see people really getting punished for mistakes. In saying that, you can’t be afraid to take risks either,” he said.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">“You don’t want to come through it with a conservative mindset, that’s for sure, and we definitely will not be doing that. But we can fully expect if one of us makes a mistake, the other one will punish them.”
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">In the third race of the Cup match against Ineos Britannia this morning, an aggressive move in the pre-start to draw a penalty against the Brits set the Kiwi crew up for a 52s win to take a 3-0 lead in the first-to-seven series.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">It was the only race of the day, with light winds seeing race management bring a halt to the day’s action, with race four postponed to tomorrow; initially scheduled as a reserve day.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">The two teams came into close quarters moments before the race proper began, to the point where their foils were overlapping. Both teams launched a protest with the umpires for the other not keeping clear.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">It was the Kiwis who were judged to be the fouled boat, with Ineos Britannia having to fall 75m behind Team NZ off the starting line. That allowed the defenders to choose their side of the course and dictate the race.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">“We tried it yesterday and they just got past us. It was a little bit uncomfortable with how close the boats got,” Burling said after the race
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">“It’ll be interesting to see. The umpires obviously ruled we were clear there, so great to get a penalty and control the race from there.”
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Emirates Team New Zealand extended their lead in the America's Cup match. Photo / Ricardo Pinto, America's Cup
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">The pre-start battle was among the biggest areas of interest coming into the Cup match, but through the opening three races, it has been the Kiwis coming away better from the starting line.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">In the third race of the series, Team NZ were able to control the course and make life tough for the Brits with their match-racing tactics and making them sail in dirty air.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">A mid-race comment from Ineos Britannia port helmsman Dylan Fletcher summed up the situation for his team: “I don’t think there’s anything else we can do, lads.”
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">While the two boats were almost identical in their average speeds both upwind and downwind, the Kiwis had a slightly better average VMG, sailing about 800m less than the Brits.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Racing is set to resume at 1.10am tomorrow (NZ time) with a one-race schedule.
<h2 style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">America’s Cup match results</h2>
<ul>
<li style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 41s.</li>
<li style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 27s.</li>
<li style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Emirates Team New Zealand beat Ineos Britannia by 52s</li>
</ul>
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;">Emirates Team New Zealand lead the America’s Cup first-to-seven series 3-0.
<p style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px 0px 10.6667px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap; vertical-align: baseline; font-kerning: none; background-color: transparent; color: windowtext; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px;"><a style="-webkit-user-drag: none; -webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; user-select: text; cursor: text; text-decoration: none; color: inherit;" href="https://www.nzherald.co.nz/author/christopher-reive/">Christopher Reive</a> joined the Herald sports team in 2017, bringing the same versatility to his coverage as he does to his sports viewing habits.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

A fresh and intelligent start to your day - catch the very latest international and domestic news developments, sport, entertainment and business on Early Edition with Ryan Bridge, on Newstalk ZB.

Early Edition with Ryan Bridge

Andrew Alderson: America’s Cup - Team NZ ride aggressive approach to 3-0 lead over Ineos Britannia in shortened day of racing

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/7784f840-c291-422a-924b-ad9000bbad71/clips/eb9bb887-c918-43b6-9758-b2080129fd11/transcript