NZ gets America's Cup yacht back on water two days after crane mishap damaged its hull

BARCELONA, Spain — Emirates Team New Zealand got its yacht back in the water on Saturday, two days after it was damaged when dropped from a crane at the America’s Cup.

The Kiwis' shore crew worked around the clock to cut out and replace a piece of the hull of the 75-footer named “Taihoro” that was dinged up on Thursday. The boat dropped some six meters (20 feet) onto the support cradle at their team base inside Barcelona’s old port. The defending champion team has not explained what caused the incident.

Initially, team boss Grant Dalton said he feared the boat could be in the shed being refitted throughout the opening two-week phase of the race. With his team, as defending champion, guaranteed a spot in October’s finals, that would not have been a disaster. But it would have limited their sailing time to prime their boat.

But the boat was out of action only on Friday.

New Zealand was skimming over the Mediterranean waves on its hydrofoils on Saturday for a warmup race against Orient Express Racing Team. The French however, were unable to participate due to an unspecified technical issue.

“Unbelievable to get the boat back out on the water,” Taihoro crew member Sam Meech said. “The boat’s going like it always has and we’re pretty happy with the boat’s performance. It was just good to get out there, and just run through our day.”

Italy leads, Swiss struggle

In the opening stage, the boats race each another twice with a point going to each winner. The five challengers will be reduced to four for the semifinals.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli, the 2021 finalist, made a statement on Saturday by beating both NYYC American Magic and INEOS Britannia, the two boats that many race watchers thought had the best chance to challenge the Italians for a the top spot.

Luna Rossa leads the standings with a 3-0 record. INEOS is 2-1, American Magic 2-2, and Orient Express 1-2. Switzerland's Alinghi Red Bull Racing is 0-3 and in the danger zone.