New Zealand wins the 35th America's Cup amid national celebrations

Kiwi helmsman Peter Burling on Emirates Team New Zealand has handed Oracle Team USA and its Aussie skipper James Spithill a crushing defeat in the 35th America’s Cup on the Great Sound in Bermuda.

Racing aboard the flighty and fickle 15m foiling catamarans, Emirates Team New Zealand used its superiority in every facet of racing including sail trim using a revolutionary pedal-powered system to overpower Oracle Team USA.

It also had another secret weapon, skipper Peter Burling who, at age 26, is the youngest skipper to ever win the America's Cup.

Sparking wild celebrations on board their America’s Cup Class (ACC) boat and across the sporting nation as it crossed the line, the Kiwi team dominated by winning eight races to Oracle Team USA’s one race win. This gave the New Zealanders a final winning scoreline of 7-1 — a walloping by any measure.

The America’s Cup was last won by a team representing New Zealand in 2000 and they are now the Defenders of the America’s Cup for the 36th installment of the competition for the oldest trophy in international sport. The Auld Mug.

Details are yet to be announced, but the 36th America’s Cup slated for 2019 in NZ could see the introduction of foiling monohulls. We hope so.

It's been 14 years since the America's Cup left New Zealand and the Kiwi's efforts to reclaim the cup with their revolutionary pedal-trim system have done the sporting nation proud.

A ticker-tape parade is set for the crew's homecoming in Auckland, where the 36th America's Cup will be staged on a spectator-friendly course yet to be announced.

In the final press conference of the 35th America’s Cup, Grant Dalton, CEO of Emirates Team New Zealand, also announced that the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron has accepted the challenge of Circolo della Vela Sicilia, who will be the Challenger of Record for the 36th America's Cup and will be represented by Luna Rossa.

FINAL RACE, ALMOST A MINUTE AHEAD
Race nine started with both Emirates Team New Zealand and Oracle Team USA enjoying clean starts and engaged in a drag race to the first mark. The US team edged just ahead but then lost ground to their rivals on the run to the second mark.

Burling was serene at the helm of the Kiwi boat, displaying no nerves as he steered his team towards glory, but Spithill and the Oracle Team USA crew were not giving up, pushing harder than ever to try and take the tie to race 10. However, it was not to be.

By the third mark the Challenge’s lead was up to 26 seconds, increasing further still at the fourth mark, up to 34 seconds, and from that point, barring mistakes by Burling and his all-conquering Emirates Team New Zealand crew, the die was cast.

Oracle Team USA managed to peg back their rivals slightly in the latter stages of the race, but New Zealand sealed their win in impressive style, crossing the finish line for the final time in the 35th America’s Cup 55 seconds ahead of the US team.

PETER BURLING, A DREAM COME TRUE
Peter Burling, the 26yo helmsman of Emirates Team New Zealand, said he was just blown away.

"We came here to win the America’s Cup and right now we’re taking the America’s Cup back home to New Zealand.

"To be able to win eight races in beautiful Bermuda in front of a big crowd of our own fans is overwhelming, we’re just happy to be able to share this moment with them, we’re just blown away.

"I’ve grown up watching this competition as a fan and to be a Kiwi and taking this Cup home is a dream come true.

"To be able to win this event at such a young age is an unreal feeling. However, I’m just a tiny part of a massive team and it is incredible to be able to reward the hard work of those hundreds of people who have supported us, not only here but back home in New Zealand as well.

"We’ve had to go through some incredibly tough times to get to this point. It has been an incredibly tough path to get past the rest of the challengers and then Oracle Team USA and it’s credit to every team that competed.

"It’s so unique to get to sail these boats, every day they can be different. Our incredible shore team gave us that edge and to be able to reward their hard work and bring this Cup home with us is an amazing feeling.

"It’s just sinking in really and I think that will be the same feeling for all of those Kiwi fans watching us win the America’s Cup back home.

"For me I think the reason we won was because of what happened four years ago. This team has gone through some really tough spots from San Francisco and to be able to reward this team with the America’s Cup is the best feeling, because they are such an incredible team.

"I’d like to say thank you to Bermuda. It has been an amazing venue for a sailing event and I’ve absolutely loved this place, I’d love to come back at some stage.

GLENN ASHBY, AMAZING FEELING
Glenn Ashby, Skipper, Emirates Team New Zealand, said it was just an amazing feeling of satisfaction to have finally won the America’s Cup.

"It has been an incredibly tough journey to get here. We came across late to Bermuda from New Zealand and to be able to get the boat into good shape in such short time is all credit to our amazing team.

"I’m just so proud to be a part of this team and to be able to bring the Cup home and I want to thank the support of the whole country.

"What happened in 2013 was a brutal experience for everyone involved, to be so close was extremely disappointing and is something that will live with all of us for the rest of our lives.

"So to be able to come here a few years later and pull off an unbelievable victory has really redeemed that situation for New Zealand and it feels like justice has prevailed.

"I think we’ve seen some unbelievable advancements here with the boats and the type of races we’ve seen and it’s great for our sport. From a sailing perspective it’s going to be hard to sail anything else after what we’ve seen in these boats, the technology is just absolutely amazing."

GRANT DALTON, A BIG DEAL
Grant Dalton, CEO, Emirates Team New Zealand, said many people probably don’t realise how big a deal this is back in New Zealand.

"I’ve been told that there was traffic jams at 4am with people trying to get to work just to see the races, which is utterly incredible.

"We’ve had a phenomenal group of guys, we’ve battled some serious adversity but as a group we’ve overcome everything. There have been a lot of people behind that and none more so than Matteo De Nora, who has stuck with the team through thick and thin and believed in everything that we have done. New Zealand owes a lifetime of gratitude to him for what we have achieved.

"We thought outside of the square and we did it our way. After San Francisco we knew we couldn’t out-spend other teams here so we had to out-think everyone. One of the things to come out of San Francisco is that we were out-designed and we knew this time round that we had to push that area.

"This time round we had no restrictions on design. We just wanted to see what we could come up with and we have achieved some truly amazing things that have been revolutionary in this sport."

JIMMY SPITHILL, HUMBLE IN DEFEAT
James Spithill, helmsman for Oracle Team USA, admitted Emirates Team New Zealand has been a class above everyone in the 35th America’s Cup.

"We take our hats off to you. Well done.

"They sailed better than anyone else out here and so, rightly so, they are the 35th America’s Cup champions.

"The defeat hasn’t really sunk in yet and it is definitely weird looking at the trophy and knowing we won’t be taking it home.

"With hindsight there are a lot of things you would like to change but I think it’s far too early to say what might have gone wrong."

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