Blog: Forget the heartbreak and move forward

Team New Zealand mid-bowman Richard Meachem contemplates what might have been after a spinnaker tear cost his team victory in race five. Photo / Mark Mitchell

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Well Emirates got their money's worth out of Team New Zealand today.

There were red spinnakers galore branding the airlines name.

For Team New Zealand fans today's loss was heartbreaking. The wool shed resembled a funeral home. The new segment of the beige brigade who have just arrived would have been distraught.

After such a promising start, where Dean Barker was outstanding, it all fell apart for the Kiwis in the early stages of the run when their gennaker ripped.

It probably got a little nick coming out in the hoist. But it was in the worst place you can get a nick in a sail just above the tack patch. They were probably within seconds of being safe. Jeremy Lomas was out on the pole and just about to connect a tack for a peel of the new gennaker and they hit a wave and away it went. Chaos broke out. It was a bit of a shame.

They made a mistake and they gave the race to Alinghi. But they just have to move forward.

There was enough to suggest in today's race that they can level it up. There was nothing between the boats in the breeze which was around 12-14 knots. Similiar conditions are expected tonight for race six.

The pressure is on but that is the America's Cup.

Full coverage of the America's Cup from nzherald.co.nz/americascup and desktoptv.co.nz