AmCup challenger capsizes again; Luna Rossa, Team NZ remain on top in Naples

Emirates Team New Zealand continue to find ways to feature.

That might not be how the defenders of the America’s Cup would ideally like to have their campaign in the second preliminary regatta summarised, but if it puts them in position to compete for the event win, then so be it.

Now through six of the eight fleet races in Naples, Italy, Team NZ’s main America’s Cup crew are yet to win a race. However, they remain second in the overall standings through their consistency.

With two seconds and two thirds, as well as a fifth and an eighth, the Nathan Outteridge-led crew sat second overall on 43 points, trailing Peter Burling’s Luna Rossa – who have two race wins and only finished out of the top three once – by 12 points.

“It was really tough and tight racing today. We need to continue trying to improve on those little things that we did overnight last night, but there’s a lot to take away from today that we can do better tomorrow,” Team NZ trimmer Andy Maloney said.

“We’re sailing the boat really well in a straight line right now, so we can definitely win races out there. We haven’t actually won a race yet, so that hunger in the belly is more than ever to try and get out there and win the next three races.”

Team NZ does have a race win in the regatta, though, with their women and youth crew winning the fifth race of the weekend.

The third race of four held on Sunday morning, the crew of Jake Pye, Erica Dawson, Josh Armit and Serena Woodall sailed a terrific race to be among the leading teams throughout, before a late capsize from France’s La Roche Posay Racing Team handed the second Kiwi boat their first win.

“What a thrill. We just managed to put it all together and it worked out pretty well,” skipper and co-helm Pye said after his team’s race win.

“We started out pretty rough but we feel like we’re getting ourselves back in the race.”

It was the second day in a row the French had capsized and it was a costly one as they simply had to get through the final leg to win the race. Had they done so, they would be pushed for a spot in the top two. Instead, it was another non-scoring race for the team, to leave them among the bottom three.

The women’s and youth team have had a mixed run, with two ninths, two fourths and a seventh along with their race win to sit sixth on the nine-team leaderboard.

Emirates Team New Zealand's main crew sit second overall, while the youth and women's team claimed their first race win. Photo / America's Cup

Team NZ’s crews got off to a horrible start on the second day of the regatta, with errors and penalties seeing them be the last two boats to cross the finish line.

For the main America’s Cup team, it was nothing but podium finishes from that point.

With great conditions for racing, the Kiwis had some good duels on the course, with the racing providing plenty of opportunity for match racing tactics to play a part in the fleet racing.

Team NZ’s main crew will now go into the final day of the regatta looking to fend off the likes of Tudor Team Alinghi (38 points) and Luna Rossa’s women and you team (35) to earn a shot at match race redemption against the main Luna Rossa team in the one-off two-boat final.

Standings after day two

Luna Rossa (Italy) – 51 points

Team New Zealand – 43

Alinghi (Switzerland) – 38

Luna Rossa women and youth (Italy) – 35

ARC Team USA – 34

Team NZ women and youth – 32

La Roche Posay Racing Team (France) – 31

GB2 (Great Britain) – 29

GB1 (Great Britain) – 28

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