There was ruthless execution on display in the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup Match as Emirates Team New Zealand extended their advantage to 3-0 after forcing a penalty on the Challenger of Record INEOS Britannia in the pre-start period of the only race completed today in Barcelona.
Conditions were promising in the early afternoon, but forecasters were expecting a slow shut-down of the easterly breeze which, unfortunately, took place faster than expected.
With His Majesty King Felipe VI looking on from onboard the Spanish aircraft carrier ‘Juan Carlos I,’ race three of the first-to-seven-points series got underway on time with pressure patches dotted around the course yielding up to 11 knots and the average strength at around 8-9 knots.
With a two points to zero overnight lead the Defenders Emirates Team New Zealand were clearly in no mood to pass up opportunities and as both boats circled in the early stages of the pre-start it was a pre-ordained and clearly much practised move by the Kiwi afterguard of Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge that yielded an early penalty advantage.
