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VALENCIA - Close, but not close enough, has been the story of Team New Zealand's bid to wrest yachting's America's Cup from Swiss defenders Alinghi, tactician Terry Hutchinson said today.
Team NZ lost by one second, the narrowest margin in a cup race in the event's 156-year history, to go down 2-5 to Alinghi.
The finish off Valencia was a true nailbiter. SUI100 was in the lead but NZL92, with a penalty to perform, was running the defenders down on the final leg.
Team NZ got some good breeze to overtake Alinghi, who had problems with their spinnaker as the wind swung round, and completed their penalty turn, only to hit a rogue wave and see their opponents pip them at the death.
Hutchinson said Team NZ were relying on Mother Nature to give them a helping hand and she came to the party.
"We knew the breeze was going to go left and it was a matter of throwing the dice down," he said.
"They went our way, but just not enough and not by enough has been a common theme in the last three races."
While the two yachts had appeared to be even in a range of conditions during the cup match, Hutchinson suggested that boat speed was an issue this afternoon.
"We just didn't have enough jets today," he said of the earlier stages of the contest.
He also said he would be haunted by the decision, as in the previous race, to go for the opposite end of the leeward gate than Alinghi.
As in race six, the Swiss were behind after the second leg, but the separation they got on the next beat gave them the opportunity to pass.
Hutchinson said he had opted for the left-hand buoy because the prevailing wind made it favoured.
However, in the ensuing beat, Team NZ were unable to shake off Alinghi and paid near the top mark when they copped their penalty.
Hutchinson, an American, joined Team NZ after the syndicate's 0-5 loss to Alinghi in Auckland four years ago and said the turnaround under managing director Grant Dalton had been "unbelievable".
"It's nice to be involved in a team that had the character and heart that our team had," he said.
"To be defeated in the manner that they were and to come back like they did, it's nice to be included and to have some influence over that.
"It's just that, every now and then, you need a couple of breaks to go your way and in the last couple of races they didn't.
"Not one really went our way and it's a sign that Alinghi did a really good job.
"They were going well and you can't say enough about the calibre of that team."
- NZPA
