HAMILTON, Bermuda (AP) Skipper Peter Burling and Emirates Team New Zealand have won Race 1 of the 35th America’s Cup by 30 seconds.
They benefited from an error by skipper Jimmy Spithill of two-time defending champion Oracle Team USA on Saturday and then survived a dramatic slowdown. Spithill was over the starting line early, forcing him to drop two boat lengths behind to clear the penalty.
The Kiwis’ 50-foot catamaran rose onto its hydrofoils and sped across the turquoise waters of the Great Sound. But the Kiwis came off their foils during a difficult maneuver and slowed dramatically in light, shifty wind, losing half their lead.