Icon: enlarge
Team New Zealand with helmsman Peter Burling
Photo: Chris Cameron / dpa
Defending champion New Zealand and challenger Italy started the first day of the belated 36th America's Cup match with one win each - it is now 1-1.
The start of the sailing regatta had been postponed from March 6th to March 10th due to a lockdown in Auckland.
After a confident start and a controlled race, the favored »Emirates Team New Zealand« with helmsman Peter Burling secured the first victory point with a 31-second lead.
"We're happy with our start," Burling said after round one.
For the second race, the 30-year-old New Zealander admitted: "We looked a bit rusty at the start."
In the second run, the Italians were able to equalize with co-helmsmen Jimmy Spithill and Francesco Bruni thanks to a better start.
The "Luna Rossa" reached the finish line seven seconds ahead of the competition.
"We had a great start, but we didn't do it very well," said Bruni.
The two-time cup winner Spithill was delighted: "It's great to be competitive."
The prelude promises an exciting course of the regatta: "The boats are closer together than I thought," said Italy's German co-design coordinator Martin Fischer.
The finals will continue on March 12th from 4.15 a.m. German time with races 3 and 4.
The winner is the team that achieves seven wins first.
Icon: The mirror
bka / dpa / sid / Reuters