Ill-fated TNZ Withdraws On Day One
Alinghi Wins First Race Of America's Cup XXXI

The air was thick with historical significance and great expectations leading into the 2003 America's Cup series. As the Kiwi and Swiss syndicates made their way toward destiny out on the Hauraki Gulf, they were amidst record numbers of well-wishers onshore and in the spectator fleet.

It was a spectacular day, featuring a clear sky and bright sunlight. Wind speeds were ranging between 18 and 23 knots with whitecap conditions. Wet decks and sea spray were the order of the day while going to weather.

The pre-start began with both boats keeping well clear of one another until just over a minute before the gun. The boats went deep into the start area and made a long beat up to the line. TNZ made a last second attempt to go for a hook and take control, but didn’t manage to pull it off. It was an even start. Alinghi controlled the left side of the line going out on starboard, with Team New Zealand just above in an overlap.

Initially, Team New Zealand looked like they might have some pace advantage, but just as that seemed to be a fact, Alinghi got into gear. The Swiss team was able to climb higher and match speed.

The first unusual development of the race became apparent when television coverage showed a TNZ crew member bailing furiously with a bucket to abate a tremendous amount of water shipped aboard on the leeward side as waves swelled past the hull. By comparison, a shot of Alinghi exhibited a completely dry crew area. Eventually losing ground, NZL-82 was forced to tack away.

TNZ Bailing Water

The crew aboard the black boat continued to contend with the water problem and tacked back onto starboard. Alinghi consolidated to keep a loose cover. Soon after, another bad break struck TNZ as outhaul slipped, causing the main to luff and their experimental boom snapped at the tip of the aft end! The Kiwis went back to work trying to stabilize and shore up their boat. SUI-64 crossed ahead by three boat lengths.

Crippled, moving slowler without optimal sail trim, disaster struck TNZ again as moments later the jib blew out at the tack fitting. Now they had a large headsail flogging backward into the main! The separation between the black boat and the leader was growing exponentially. Bravely, Team New Zealand continued on.

TNZ struggled to get the jib down and make the change - at one point bearing off away from the next mark to get the sail under control. Alinghi slipped into a conservative mode and pulled ahead by over 40 boat lengths.

Just as the Kiwis got reorganized the ill-fated team suffered another set back as the new jib came out of the headstay track during the hoist - it split away from top to bottom! Once again they bore away to get things under control. A short while later, it was clear as the tender drew near that the defender was ready to cut its losses. Team New Zealand officially withdrew from the race. They were towed back to Viaduct Harbor having never rounded a single mark on the course. A historic and dark day for the home team and their nation of supporters.

The race was essentially Alinghi's to win only 30 minutes into the race. The rules required the Swiss team to continue on in the race. The Swiss had to complete the full course in order to claim the first point in this series. Russell Coutts and company did everything they could to reduce wear on the boat and sails, electing not to use a spinnaker on the downwind runs after mark two.

SUI-64 made its way into the last leg using a "wing and wing" configuration known well to many cruisers - a rare sight in America's Cup racing. As they approached the finish, Alinghi struck its jib and crossed the line powered by the mainsail alone. The elapsed time was 1 hour, 55 minutes and 53 seconds - in 21 knots of wind.

America’s Cup Standings

Score To Date:

Alinghi – 1 point vs. Team New Zealand – 0 points.

Next Up:

The 31st America’s Cup – Race Two February 16 (NZT)

This “best-of-nine” series will match the Louis Vuitton Cup champion challenger Alinghi, representing Switzerland's Société Nautique de Genève, against the America’s Cup defender, Team New Zealand, sailing under the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club burgee.

The winner of this America's Cup will then defend the trophy at a time and place of its choosing. Some general details of the next America's Cup, the 32nd, are expected to be issued within days of the final race.

Stay Tuned. . .

Russell Coutts and Alinghi Afterguard

Short Facts & Tidbits

***It's Been Done Before - Prior to Race One of the XXXI America's Cup, the last time a defender withdrew from a race in the America's Cup Match was in 1920. Resolute retired from a race against Shamrock IV when the throat halyard, controlling the inboard end of the gaff supporting the mainsail, broke in a squall. Ten years after that, challenger Shamrock V withdrew from Race 3 against defender Enterprise when its mainsail halyard broke. - Source: www.lvcup.com

*** Straight From The Press Conference - Team New Zealand's Tom Schnackenberg and Skipper Dean Barker did most of the talking in front of the press for TNZ following Race One:

Q – Dean, you must be very disappointed as well as the whole country but also relieved that your boat seems to be on par with Alinghi?
A- Dean: "Yes, obviously we are very disappointed to break gear in the first race, obviously you want to go into the series and not break anything, but . . . we were sailing along in plenty of breeze and sometimes thing break and when that happens that can lead to other things going wrong, but we had a lot of gremlins on the boat today."

Q -Dean, why was your boat taking on so much water?
A -Dean – "Well, the sea state was in a fairly short chop and I think that was factor along with the strong breeze and also the spectator wash, we certainly haven’t encountered a problem like that in any of the other sailing we have done so it was a bit of shock to us to have the leeward side full of water after only 8-9 minutes sailing. We certainly have never experienced that before. We are looking at that now and we are pretty sure we will not happen again."

Q – Dean, how much water are we talking about?
A - Dean: "Well, we didn’t have a chance to stop and measure it but, we estimate 2-5 tonnes of water which is a fair bit."
Tom: "I think the free board went down a few inches and the surface area to deck was probably about 25 by 2.6 square metres, so I think it went down about 10 centimetres, so I would say it was 6 tonne."

Q – Tom, how will you solve that problem if the conditions are similar to tomorrow?
A - Tom: "Well, our engineers are working on it right now as we speak and I am sure by the time we get back to the base that they will have a plan."

Q – Tom, what broke on the tack of the jib, the tack of the jib, shackle, the ring fitting?
A- Tom: "In the jib tack it was actually the tack ring, it was a titanium ring, standard we have lots of them in our jib and it is just unfortunate that it broke today."