Key events
Into leg two, and the gap is 1600m ahead. The Brits trying to keep it simple and stay on the foils. The two lads in the cycling department pedalling like demons. The gap still growing, though New Zealand are travelling at the same 35km/h speed as the Brits. Leg two is completed with that lead.
And away we go in race five – disaster for New Zealand
Ahead of the start, Team GB have more pace, the New Zealanders get caught in the waves. This is their chance. The Kiwis are going to be late for the start. The wind is just over six knots. Britannia whips past the Kiwi boat as the start is sounded, and the New Zealand boat takes a while to get moving. They can’t catch the wind. Their speed is 8km, to the Brits’ 32km. Sir Ben nailed it as the Kiwis fell off their foils. The waves are causing all sorts of problems to the leaders. All the Brits need to do is stay on their foils. The gap is almost 700m, and the New Zealanders drop to a kilometre behind. They lead after the Leg 1 by a street.
The word is that the conditions are wavy, and that may play into the hand of Ineos Britannia. The wind is due to pick up to 10 knots a bit later. We’re racing in three minutes, the wind test having been passed.
Race day is on, the wind high enough for two races. Sunday, remember, got curtailed by a drop in wind.
More Weather Report here.
Weather report here:
Here’s today’s schedule:
Here’s Monday’s report from Stephen Burgen.
Key quote from Sir Ben: “Clearly, they’re going well. I think we have our moments but there are moments when we are losing a click and that’s really the difference. It’s a good opportunity to take a day on shore and try to figure out how we can find some gains.”
Preamble
To say it’s not gone well for Sir Ben Ainslie’s team isn’t quite right, it’s maybe just that they have come up against a superior team in the New Zealanders. Sir Ben’s temper seethed on Sunday, and then his team were well beaten in the next race, in much the same style as before.
So, this is where the revival needs to start, if it is to ever start.
First race just after 1pm UK time. Join us.