Going into the race, Luna Rossa and Athena Pathway had already secured their spots in the finals. Alinghi Red Bull sat five points ahead of New Zealand for the third finals spot. For New Zealand to have any chance of making the finals, they needed to either win or come second in the race, and Alinghi Red Bull had to finish last. What seemed like a mathematical long shot quickly became a real possibility. The pressure was on!
There was enough wind to race, but it was light, making it a real test of skill to stay on the foils. Before the race even started, the lack of wind was an issue. A few boats, including New Zealand, fell off their foils and had to work hard to get back up and ready to start. Things weren’t looking good for New Zealand at this point, especially with the added tension of falling off foils right before the start line. To make matters worse, New Zealand, along with the American and French teams, were penalised for starting too early. The French team copped another penalty, fell off their foils again, and were eventually told by race management not to start at all (an INR).
Despite the setbacks, New Zealand was still in the race.
As the teams headed up the first leg, Alinghi Red Bull led the pack. They had a strong start and were looking good to win, which would have dashed New Zealand’s hopes of making the finals. Athena Pathway was close behind, with New Zealand a bit further back but still in with a mathematical chance.
On the second leg, Luna Rossa fell off their foils and dropped to the back of the fleet, which was unexpected given their usual form, but they were already guaranteed a spot in the finals. Athena Pathway took the lead, but the Swiss team, Alinghi, briefly overtook them. However, Athena Pathway quickly regained control, sailing at nearly 30 knots, while Alinghi made a tactical error and fell off their foils, losing ground. Emirates Team New Zealand was now closing in, holding second place.
For New Zealand to make the finals, they had to stay in second, and Alinghi had to finish last. As luck would have it, Alinghi continued to struggle with control, dropping further behind. Meanwhile, New Zealand was racing solidly, putting the pressure on Athena Pathway.
By the third and final gate, Athena Pathway rounded it at 11 minutes and 19 seconds, with New Zealand just 15 seconds behind. USA followed in third, and Luna Rossa was in fourth. The top two were extremely close as they entered the final leg, with New Zealand just 50 metres behind Athena Pathway, both teams flying along at 31 to 35 knots. Athena Pathway crossed the finish line first at 13 minutes and 56 seconds, with New Zealand only five seconds behind.
As New Zealand crossed the line, attention turned to Alinghi. For New Zealand to make the top three, Alinghi had to finish last – and that’s exactly what happened. USA took third, and Luna Rossa finished 1 minute and 31 seconds behind Athena Pathway. Alinghi, after their earlier mistake, was the last to cross the line, securing their spot at the back of the fleet.
This marked the end of the sixth and final race of the round robin series. Due to the cancellation of two races, New Zealand and Alinghi ended up tied on points, but New Zealand advanced to the finals on a technicality, leaving the Swiss team understandably frustrated. While the organisers were trying to stick to the schedule, it was a tough result for Alinghi after all the effort they had put into the regatta.
