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Team NZ v Team UK
Team NZ win by 1m 42s
Finish - Team NZ take the win, sailing away from their rivals for their second win of the day.
Team UK arrive 1m 42s behind, but have shown 1000 percent improvement and their performance yesterday.
Team NZ and American Magic now top the world series table with three wins-one loss each, so their showdown tomorrow should be enthralling, with Luna Rossa still capable of an upset.
Tomorrow's schedule is:
Luna Rossa v Team UK (15:12)
Team NZ v American Magic (15:50)
Team UK v American Magic (16:40)
Luna Rossa v Team NZ (17:20)
Join us then for live updates.
Third lap - Team NZ are out beyond 600m now. They seem well in control of this contest.
Burling takes Team NZ to the right layline and turns to the top gate for the final time.
Team NZ arrive first and head off downwind, as Team UK prepare to round - they have to tack again to make the mark and lose more ground. They're now 1m 31s down.
The Kiwis' lead is now beyond 1km and they just need to avoid any major mistakes.
Second lap - Great recovery from the Kiwis, but the boats have split to opposite sides of the course - NZ to the left, UK to the right.
Team UK cross 100m behind. NZ have tacked back on phase and the lead stretches to 200m.
Team NZ reach the left bounday and tack back, now 300m clear. Both boats travelling at 32 knots upwind.
The Kiwis hit the layline, but the Brits will need to tack again. Team NZ arrive at the top gate first, 31 seconds ahead.
Team NZ stretch out to more than 400m downwind. They're travelling at 38 knots, as they near the bottom gate.
They show pretty nice agility around the gate and head to the right of the course upwind. Team UK take a similar course, now 47 seconds back.
Actually, they turn sharply and head left.
First lap - The Kiwis are already 400m behind, with a lot of work to do already. Kudos to the Brits.
Both boats head to the right of the course and turn back at the boundary line. This race is only six legs, not the eight of the previous race.
Team UK tack at the left boundary and the margin falls below 200m momentarily, until Team NZ also tack.
Ainslie reaches the top mark ahead, but have taken a wide tack, allowing the Kiwis to come back at them. The margin is 12 seconds.
Team NZ are thought to have good downwind speed, so this will be a little test of that. They go left, as Team UK go right.
As they tack back towards centre, NZ may have caught up - they cross ahead.
Team NZ have extended out to 100m, but Team UK have laid for the gate already and cross ahead again.
The Brits have to tack to make the gate and Team NZ round the bottom mark first, just four seconds clear.
Start - Team UK enter the start box first from port, Team NZ starboard.
Team UK are well ahead of the clock and has to cut back along the line to kill time. Team NZ follow.
UK have inside running to the line and NZ fall off their foils. They're well behind at the start.
American Magic v Luna Rossa
American Magic win by 30s
Finish - Nice recovery from Barker and the Americans, after suffering their first loss earlier this afternoon.
They cross for the win, with Luna Rossa 30 seconds back. American Magic notch up their third win of the regatta.
Next up, the Kiwis take on the Brits again, hoping to continue their winning run today - timed for 5:20pm.
Fourth lap - American Magic are about 240m ahead up the penultimate leg. Barker has been very successful at keeping his tacks to a minimum - just once on that last downwind run.
Tack and cover, Barker holds the lead at 200m.
Magic round the top gate first, Luna Rossa 16s behind, but now facing the task of catching the Americans downwind, where they are strongest.
The margin extending back out past 300m.
Third lap - Both head to the right of the course and the margin is back to 120m. Any mistake could prove costly.
Luna Rossa tack right, looking for a point of difference, but Barker covers the move. The Italians are way out right of the course and seem to have made ground.
They cross behind, still 100m back. American Magic will hit the top gate ahead, but not by much - just five seconds.
Luna Rossa make gains upwind, American Magic own the downwind legs - we're heading downwind again.
Luna Rossa are to the right, Magic to the left and they seem to have stretched their advantage.
The Americans round first and have definitely extended their lead.
Second lap - American Magic head left, but tack right to cover their rivals. That margin has closed considerably.
They're travelling at 35 knots upwind and American Magic are about 140m ahead.
Both have tacked towards the gate and the margin is holding at about 100m. American Magic round the top mark just 10 seconds up, so big gains from the Italians.
Both boats head to the left of the course downwind, then tack back to the centre. American Magic seems to have a big advantage downwind and extend back out to 220m.
Barker is taking straight aim at the bottom gate and turn first, 14s clear.
First lap - The Americans have opened a 100m lead up the first upwind leg. Hectic start and Luna Rossa suffered another penalty as they crossed the line.
The boats have split, with Luna Ross on the right boundary and American Magic to the left. Both head back towards the gate, with American Magic ahead. The margin is 21 seconds, about 300m.
Remember, shorter laps, but more of them this time.
The Americans extend their advantage to more than 400m and head to the bottom gate. They round 20 seconds clear.
Start - Less than three minutes until the start and race management has changed the course configuration, with eight laps.
American Magic first into the start box, but Luna Rossa have entered early and cop a penalty.
Luna Rossa have forced American Magic to the wrong side of the start-line, but plenty of time. The Italians have forced an offsetting penalty on the Americans, but they fall off the foils.
Barker has Luna Ross at the start and heads left.
Team NZ v Team UK
Team NZ win by 1m 32s
Finish - Peter Burling seems to have lost count of laps here, but Team NZ finish 1m 32s clear. Both boats immediately head off to prepare for their next race - against each other - later this afternoon.
Next up, Luna Rossa and American Magic do battle again at 4:40pm. These two and Team NZ now all have 2-1 records, so this encounter will be crucial.
Third lap - The Kiwis have recovered quickly and head upwind on the penultimate leg.
From here, it will be a matter of not making any more mistakes - Team NZ hit the left layline and head towards the top mark for the last time.
They head off the left side of the course downwind and cross Team UK, who tack towards the mark. They're now 1m 15s back.
Second lap - Team NZ are way out on the right side of the course upwind, UK have gone left.
Great to see the Brits sailing relatively event-free today, even if they are losing ground.
The Kiwis round the top mark and head left - well clear of the buoy this time. Team UK are 45s back.
Team UK also head to the left boundary, NZ have already tacked back to the centre, about 800m ahead.
Team NZ arrive at the top mark, but fall off their foils - that will be costly. Wow, they almost took off there.
Team UK are now only 40s behind, after that misadventure.
First lap - Both boats heading right towards the boundary, with Team NZ marginally ahead.
Both tack at the same time and head across the course, Team NZ hold an advantage, but the Brits are in better shape than yesterday.
Team UK hit the layline and tack, Team NZ cover with a 100m lead. The Kiwis round the top mark 20 seconds ahead, but they almost hit the gate.
Team NZ head down the middle of the course, while UK head to the right boundary and tack back.
The lead has extended to almost 500m downwind and Team NZ arrive at the bottom mark well clear - 30 seconds.
Start - That last result now means every team has at least one loss, so the pressure is now on Team NZ to do the job here to keep in touch. A second loss would be disastrous.
Both boats are in the start area, manoeuvring for position. Team NZ appear late.
Team NZ straighten up for the line first and cross first, heading right.
3:40pm - A lot of talk between these two teams overnight, with the Brits effectively blaming the Kiwis for their technical problems yesterday.
Apparently, American Magic suffered similar difficulties in that last race, so this could be a common theme throughout this build-up regatta.
Hopefully, Sir Ben Ainslie has put those troubles behind him and can provide some opposition to the Cup holders today.
Luna Rossa v American Magic
Luna Rossa win by 12s
Finish - Luna Rossa take the gun to inflict American Magic's first defeat, 12 seconds clear at the end.
Next up, Team NZ take on Team UK at 3:50pm.
Third lap - Luna Rossa head left and then tack back to the centre of the course, with American Magic out to the right. They've extended the lead to 200m.
The American's tack back towards the centre of the course, but they're 270m back, trying to find some kind of different wind to close the margin.
Luna Rossa continue way out to the right boundary and are laying for the top mark. American Magic still almost 300m behind, but they're fast downwind.
Much better performance from the Italians today, incurring and early penalty, but taking advantage of their rivals' mistake on the first leg to open up a big lead.
Second lap - That jibe at the gate cost Luna Rossa much of their lead and the Americans are right back in this, as they head upwind.
The margin is back to about 200m, which can disappear pretty quickly. The Italians are heading left, Americans go right and both now straighten up the centre of the course.
American Magic may have taken the lead back here. No, Luna Rossa head into the top gate first, but Barker is on their tail, only four seconds back.
Both boats head down the right layline and tack left towards the centre before the boundary. They continue across the course to the left boundary and tack back.
The Italians are still 100m clear, but American Magic are still right there - 13 seconds back at the bottom mark.
First lap - Luna Rossa tack to the left of the course, hoping to serve out their penalty. American Magic are on the right, but tack back to cover.
Luna Rossa have their penalty cleared, but American Magic tack badly, almost toppling over. The Italians race past to take the lead.
Barker sounded desperate, trying to get his crew to counterbalance against the tipping. That was probably our first narrow escape of this year's America's Cup campaign.
Luna Rossa round the top mark well ahead. American Magic follow.
The Italians look smooth downwind, laying straight at the bottom gate. They jibe to set up for the right-hand buoy.
American Magic are only nine seconds back now.
Start - With exactly opposite wind direction to yesterday, the start will be at the opposite end of Course C today.
Luna Rossa have port entry and they seem to be early, so facing a penalty right from the get-go. Advantage Barker.
The boats hit the line together, but Luna Rossa must slip back to serve their penalty.
2:58pm - Today's opening race, scheduled for 3:12pm, pits the unbeaten Americans, helmed by Dean Barker, against the Challengers of Record, led by Aussie Jimmy Spithill and Italian Max Sirena.
Barker pulled the upset of opening day with victory over his old Team NZ outfit, but Luna Rossa seemed to work out the gremlins that held them back against the Kiwis, as they sailed solo against Team UK.
Spithill v Barker - anyone remember San Francisco?
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the America's Cup World Series on Auckland's Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf.
Auckland turned a brilliant day for the opening rounds of racing, setting up another mouthwatering schedule for Friday.
Dean Barker's American Magic emerged as the team to beat, after trouncing Team UK and then upsetting America's Cup holders Team NZ in Thursday's finale.
If the previous three races were walkovers, that fourth encounter showed how exciting these AC75 boats can be.
The Kiwis had technical problems at the start and allowed their rivals an early lead, which they exacerbated by falling off their foils midrace.
But on the penultimate leg, the home team engaged the Americans in a tacking duel and actually snatched the lead around the final mark, before another tactical error allowed Barker to sail away downwind.
Meanwhile, Team UK could not finish their second outing of the day - against Luna Rossa - and have since pointed the finger at the Kiwis for not being completely transparent over a malfunctioning foil system.
Predictably, Team NZ boss Grant Dalton has hit back at the accusations and that war of words may spill onto the water today, with the two teams due to face off twice.
Today's race schedule looks like this:
- Race 1 - Luna Rossa v American Magic (15:12)
- Race 2 - Team NZ v Team UK (15:50)
- Race 3 - American Magic v Luna Rossa (16:40)
- Race 4 - Team UK v Team NZ (17:20)
The Luna Rossa-American Magic match-up may give some clues to how good the Italians are, after they seemed to concede victory to Team NZ early in their opening race and then sailed solo through Team UK's mechanical woes.
North north-easterly wind conditions are exactly the opposite to Thursday and racing will take place on the same Course C, between North Head and Bastion Point.
Best vantage points for today's racing will be Maungauika/North Head, Orakei, Bastion Point and Takarunga/Mount Victoria.
Despite their loss, Team NZ remain favourites to take out this week's World Series-Christmas Race, although American Magic has now shortened considerably as second favourites.
TAB: Team NZ $1.40, American Magic $3.50, Luna Rossa $7, Team UK $41
Team NZ scold UK skipper Ainslee for foil system complaint
Brad Lewis
Team New Zealand have provided a swift and blunt response to Sir Ben Ainslie's gripe about the supplied AC75 foil cant system.
The Team UK skipper suggested his crew's sub-par performance on the opening day of the America's Cup World Series regatta was partly due to the defenders' refusal to be fully transparent about the FCS - a Team NZ-designed component.
But Team NZ have dismissed Ainslie's subtle jab, claiming all challengers have access to the information needed to operate the system at full capacity.
Team NZ say each team are responsible for the installation, maintenance and operating procedures of their own FCS.
"All teams are provided with full operating and maintenance instructions, and programmes to ensure effective and reliable performance," Team NZ say.
"For the past few months, there has been a weekly coordinated call between all teams every Friday - in an open and transparent environment - to discuss the system and address any developments collectively.
"The maintenance and start-up schedule that has been developed is a comprehensive schedule that is shared and in possession of all teams.
"In answer to Team UK’s suggestion that they only received a software update at 12pm yesterday, this is completely incorrect and inaccurate.
"The last software update was delivered to all teams last Friday, following extensive consultation with all teams - not midday yesterday.
"As far as the defender is aware, Team UK’s foil cant system is fully operational."
Team NZ and Team UK will go head-to-head on Friday in two races as part of the America's Cup World Series.
