In New Zealand, Jitters Yield to Cheers, Then Sighs

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/26/sports/in-new-zealand-jitters-yield-to-cheers-then-sighs.html

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WELLINGTON, New Zealand — New Zealand’s yachting fans have had a turbulent two weeks, and the culmination came Thursday morning. Nervous faces were everywhere at the Royal Port Nicholson Yacht Club as members and their friends gathered to watch the winner-take-all 19th America’s Cup race between Emirates Team New Zealand and Oracle Team USA.

The Kiwi fans, some wearing Emirates Team New Zealand shirts and caps, ate breakfasts of hash browns and bacon-and-egg sandwiches as the race buildup began.

The modest-size yacht club, a 15-minute walk from the city’s center, sits on the water’s edge. It had opened its doors every morning for the racing from San Francisco.

As the start time drew near, some settled into seats in front of a big screen at one end of the room as the sea outside glistened in the morning sun. Others stood and gathered around smaller TVs at the back. Everyone looked tense.

There were whoops and hollers of delight from the 100-strong crowd as Dean Barker and his crew got a jump on James Spithill and his Oracle sailors at the start and maintained their lead at the first mark. There was optimism that the race and the Cup could be won.

But the mood quickly changed as Oracle’s better boat speed helped it cut the lead and eventually overtake the Kiwi boat.

The room became quieter. Some fans had their heads in their hands; others chewed on fingernails. There were sighs of disappointment each time Oracle tacked in front of the New Zealand boat and its lead began to grow.

By Mark 3, resignation had set in that the trophy would be staying in San Francisco, but there was still pride in the Team New Zealand effort.

The talk turned to Oracle’s superior boat speed and the technology that the team had used to get it.

Nicola Yortt, a friend of a member, questioned whether modifications should be allowed to the boats once a regatta has begun.

“Those guys on the New Zealand boat were sailing the boat,” said Yortt, an account manager who, like most of the crowd, headed to work after the race. “They were grinding everything up. They were doing everything manually with the foils and everything. Whereas Oracle just pressed a button and it automatically did it. So how much actual sailing were they doing? It’s kind of all about technology.”

There was warm applause when Oracle crossed the finish line and again 44 seconds later when Team New Zealand finished.

“I don’t think my heart could have taken another one,” said Katie Hakes, summing up the highs and lows New Zealanders had endured over the last week.

“I personally couldn’t be prouder of them,” she added. “We’re a little country. We’ve got less people in our country than New York has in its city. I think we’re doing pretty damn well.”

Paul de Lisle, who has an architectural design business, chose to look for the positives, in particular the number of New Zealanders involved in the designing, building and sailing of both boats.

“It would have been a great thing for New Zealand to bring it back here, but a lot of the work for all the boats ends up happening here any case,” he said. “A lot of stuff was made in Auckland.”

De Lisle added, “It’s been a wonderful opportunity for all our products and services to get overseas and be given the world stage.”