-
Emirates Team New Zealand leads - Source: Photosport -
Related
A litter lout is getting the blame for Emirates Team New Zealand snatching defeat from the jaws of victory at the MedCup in Spain.
Someone, somewhere on or near the Mediterranean dropped a plastic bag which found its way under NZL380 and wrapped itself round the rudder.
The effect was dramatic, the hottest boat in the fleet in breezy conditions suddenly had the hand-brake on.
The Kiwi crew could only watch as arch rival Artemis swept by to take out the MedCup Barcelona regatta.
Yet it had all started so well. Off the line tactician Ray Davies had told Dean Barker to claim the right hand side of the track and he did.
Artemis, protecting a one point lead, went left and straight into trouble rounding the top mark in 8th place behind the second placed Kiwis.
Normally that would have been that, especially as the breeze was now up in the high teens. In that sort of wind NZL380 is renowned for being untouchable.
On the chase boat the Kiwis' support crew could see something was amiss, especially when Ben Ainslie on Team Origin roared past Barker. And in the television commentary box we were asking our colleagues on the water if they could see something wrong.
They couldn't but the ETNZ crew could via a scope through the hull that lets them look down the leading edge of the rudder.
Wrapped firmly around it was a plastic bag acting as a sea anchor and it would not budge. Game over.
Barker was nevertheless unstinting in his praise for Paul Cayard and his Artemis crew who had seemed down and out yet charged back to take the title.
Second place still boosted Emirates Team New Zealand's lead in the five-event Audi MedCup series and the Kiwis will look to make further gains and take another title in the fourth regatta at Cartagena in Spain next month.
