A look back on the 32nd America’s Cup

Alinghi successfully defended the America’s Cup for the Société Nautique de Genève with a thrilling one second win in Race Seven over Emirates Team New Zealand. Alinghi wins the 32nd America’s Cup Match by a 5-2 score.

Thrilling final
That scoreline doesn’t reflect just how close the racing was. In each of the last three races Alinghi has had to come from behind to snatch its victory. Shortly after crossing the finishing line to guarantee the successful defence, Alinghi President and afterguard member Ernesto Bertarelli hoisted the America’s Cup trophy over his head, his team at his side, in front of a crowd of nearly 40 000 who had gathered in Port America’s Cup to share in the excitement.

"A real lesson in life"
“It has been much, much harder than I ever thought it would be,” Bertarelli said after the prize giving. “I think I was a bit naive in 2003 when I won. I have learned more about the America’s Cup over the last ten days than I have learned over the last seven years. It has really been an unbelievable experience in team building - to work with unbelievable people, through highs and lows and we have had a lot of them. I want to thank and mention the whole team. It’s been a real lesson in life.”

Closest AC ever
The challenger, Emirates Team New Zealand, just fell short of its goal to bring the America’s Cup to Auckland. Grant Dalton, the Managing Director and leader of Emirates Team New Zealand, said it was a disappointing loss, but Alinghi was the better team. The Kiwi team made this the closest America’s Cup in living memory. Although the 1983 scoreline was closer, the races in that contest were one-sided. Here, nearly every race was a battle where the outcome wasn’t clear until the winning boat crossed the finishing line.

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