Thursday, September 26, 2013

New Zealand loses America's Cup



Jeremy Lomas (left) tries to console skipper Dean Barker 






It's a very sad day for our cousins over the ditch.  The Kiwis were ahead eight races to one and only needed one more to win when suddenly the wheels fell off.  The Kiwis woke this morning to the terrible news - Team USA crossed the line in the last race, 44 seconds in front, and won the 134th America's Cup.







But it wasn't really Team USA at all because there were only two Americans on board.  It just goes to show, if you want to win a yacht race, all you need is lots of money to buy the best people in the world to do it for you and Larry Ellison, founder and CEO of Oracle, did just that.




Winners are grinners



Aussie crew members on board were skipper James Spithill, strategist Tom Slingsby, wing trimmer Kyle Langford, grinders Will McCarthy and Sam Newton, and coach Darren Bundock.  



James Spithill




The yachts have changed since Australia won the cup way back in 1983, they are now high tech catamarans that can travel very fast, up to 50 miles per hour.



NZ skipper Dean Barker



New Zealand Prime Minister John Key, watching from New York, simply tweeted the word 'bugger'.   NZ skipper Dean Barker said he was gutted.

But they should take heart because they are one up on Australia, they won the cup in 1995 and 2000 and became the first team outside the US to win and then to defend the cup.  Chin up mates, maybe next time.


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