US holds off Kiwis with America's Cup win

Todd River is the best place in Australia for a boat race, unless it rains.

It will be interesting to see where Ellison takes it now. There is some talk of making it into an annual event run by franchises funded by TV money like most pro sports with the winner sailing for the America's Cup in the final. While it's good that they are trying to make it self-funding this idea obviously has a massive US-bias and is probably more suited to selecting the defender rather than the challenger. I think they should start a trans-tasman cup. Australia and NZ have dominated the sport for years in both boat building and sailing and could generate real interest. We could make our own rules and run it in a more financially viable way. Hold a series in NZ and a return series somewhere in Australia.

gibbo the rules are set by the defender each time, its unfortunate but a reality in this sport. I somehow think you really have your own 'sport' going on here though.

you mean like the australian boat did in 95 oz bob?

What are you on about. Do you even know the sport? Do you even know they legal battle between team USA and Alinghi that have been fought over the years. TNZ has has little involvement.

No sympathy for NZ -they played a huge part in making the Americas Cup a contest between lawyers (where is Michael Fay these days ? )

Government funds - not to host an event, but comparable to gambling on winning one with taxpayer money - it is not 'investment' While John Kee spouts of about 'half a billion dollars' the New Zealand Institute of Economic Research (NZIER) who comprise the largest group of economists outside of government, say that the actual figure is likely just one tenth of that, $50 million. Either believe a politician, or an independent economics group? Half a billion sounds nice. people may even vote for him on that basis but why not 450 million, or $523 million and 7 cents - clutching figures exhaled out of his . . . . As with 2011 Rugby World Cup hosted in NZ, RWC, the 2005 Lions tour, the projections were far in excess of reality.

could be worse,TNZ boat could break in half.LOL

Unfortunately I think you are right Dsat24

WQ I luck the cut of your jib. Pun what pun? For pretty much 2 years and 11 months most watchers had minimal interest but in the last four weeks thereabouts it has been astonishing in so many ways and of course has captured interest. Thankfully not to the level of the red sock days. It is bewildering and gripping, devastating and eye popping. But I have a feeling that the fleetingness of this event will help the grieving process come the culmination of it tomorrow Thursday. There is an issue of government funds being injected but am of the belief that of all sports sailing is one that the government should invest in because there is a great deal of kiwi business that benefits. At the moment though its like watching a train crash, there is just that inevitability about it (ref my post above). As you say, if we could just cash in some Karma chips.

It does atlas. But the money has been spent anyway, so better win it now. And what you say is true for most countries (oz recently spent millions of dollars to get the football WC).

realnews I can certainly accept that they are the better team now and that their boat is actually faster. I can't accept the dribble coming out of Spithill's mouth at the press conferences that it is all down to hard work and belief. The facts are the last two days when they have won 3 races they have been dominant and those wins I believe are due to hard work and belief. However when the score was 8 to 1 and the above mentioned pieces of luck kept them in the cup for an extra 3 days, that had nothing to do with hard work and belief, it was just tin a***e luck! I don't disagree, the Americans are the favorites tomorrow and if I was a betting man they are the only ones I would put money on. I would like to see the Kiwis just get an ounce of luck though! Hows this for a senario, tomorrow the Americans win another start in the first race and are completely dominating the Kiwis to then have the race abandoned due to High winds. The second race is then called off due to wind conditions. The same thing then happens the next day in the first race i.e. the Americans dominating and the race gets cancelled due to weather. The weather improves for the second race but the Kiwis pull their postponement card and cancel sailing for the day. The next day the Americans once again dominate the first race and with 1 minute to go before they cross line to win the Americas Cup, the race gets abandoned due to going over the 40 minute time rule. The second race is then won by Team New Zealand to win the Americas Cup!!!! Now that would be Karma

I don't think you can say it's purely about luck. Oracle have got away with it by the skin of their teeth, a massive slice of luck ( you forgot to also mention all the no race days that allowed them time to make the adjustments) but it also involved a great deal of improvement on their part and the kiwis not taking their chances when they had them. In the race after the timeout abandonment, we did them in the start and could have finished them there and then but made costly errors. I think we have only lead at two marks since then and that was in the last race that we went on to lose by almost a minute. I'm sorry to say WQ, we are dead mate - it's 10-8 already and we all know that the penalty won't stand up in court. it is hard to argue that they aren't the superior team now.

RK, I think Jean Van de Velde's, 1999 British Open beats Norman. Although Norman had a few, 86 & 96 masters, plus a british open in a play-off. The Larry Maize and Bob Tway chip in, I just put down to bad luck though. If TNZ lose, then this will be one of the biggest in sporting history

Lets be realistic about this, every possible thing that could have gone right for the Americans and wrong for the Kiwis has! The Americans have not got back into this by pure brilliance of sailing and hard work as Jimmy Spithill would have you believe. 3 times the winning race for the Kiwis has been abandoned during the race with the Kiwi boat in front, one of those with about 2 minutes to sail and a 2 minute lead! One other other with a 28 second lead and the 3rd with a start win. Either one of the first two races I mentioned gets completed and the Kiwis have the America's Cup! In addition to that there have been 3 days that the Kiwis had won the first race of the day to then either have the second race abandoned due to weather conditions, without even starting or the Americans pulled their postponement card. If team America win this regatta it is purely about luck mostly and sailing secondary. If there is a God, surely after all of these things just falling the way of the Americans the Kiwi's can get a lucky break tomorrow and win the one race they have needed now for over a week? Don't give up Kiwi's we are not dead yet!!!!!!!

this has been agonizing. I am used to the the All blacks having the odd meltdown every four years but that usually only takes 80 mins, this has played out over a whole excruciating week. Oracle have a clear advantage now on the water and in their heads, so i hold little hope of victory tomorrow. Absolute tragedy for NZ Sailing...

Oh nooo!! Hope the Americans do the job tomorrow. Winning from 1-8 down would be amazing. Please, win it tomorrow! That was a public broadcast on behalf of the NZ taxpayer While NZ Gov't goes for the glamour . . . generous Australians have been flying to NZ to build houses for extreme poverty cases through the Habitat For Humanity scheme. Adds a little perspective.

The fat lady is on her way. She has come from city centre to Fishermans Wharf by cable car, which unfortunately she broke on disembarkation. She has emptied bowls of clam chowder and sourdough at a waterfront restaurant, which regretably she was removed from as she was getting rowdy, and she has stepped onto the wharf and after wiping her face she is preparing herself to sing. The star spangled banner.

Oh nooo!! Hope the kiwis do the job tomorrow. Losing after having 7 match-points would be devastating. Please, win it tomorrow!

Is it even sport? 72% of NZers polled were against the government funds put into this campaign - NZ$36 million of the NZ$130 million cost; money well-spent? The whole event has its share of corruption, Oracle had two wins taken off them for cheating, sporting folk that they are! - so effectively on race count they have already won 9-8 (or 10-8 but only out of 17) Just let it be over. and - NZ v NZ - Oracle has more Kiwi sailors than Americans in its team, including CEO Russell Coutts who has previously won the AC for NZ and Switzerland . . .it's business.