A distraught American Magic skipper and executive director Terry Hutchinson had to choke back the tears on Saturday afternoon as he reflected on a brutal end to their Americas Cup dream on the sparkling waters off Auckland.
The New York Yacht Clubs entry in the Prada Cup challenger series of this 36th Americas Cup met an inglorious end to their semifinal against Luna Rossa when they were swept 4-0 by the rampant Italians, who had little trouble sealing the deal against the stricken Americans in lighter winds on the Hauraki Gulf on Saturday.
Just 13 days ago, Patriot had nearly sunk when the boat capsized and sprung a hole in the hull during round-robin-robin racing against the same foe. Many presumed then that would be the end of the NYYCs challenge, back in the Americas Cup after an 18-year absence.
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American Magic skipper Terry Hutchinson and the team wave goodbye to the America’s Cup after their semifinal defeat.
But they reckoned without the determination and skill of the American Magic shore team, and also without the generosity of their fellow competitors who all pitched in to do their bit to get Patriot back on the water.
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It was a fairytale of sorts that the Americans even made the start line late on Friday afternoon when this semifinal got underway. But there was no magical ending for the NYYC entry as they were battered from pillar to post in a one-sided series.
Luna Rossa won both of Fridays races decisively, by 2min 43sec and 3:07, edged a tighter first-up race on Saturday by 35sec and then ran away with the final contest as American Magic had major issues with their foil arm and effectively limped round the course, finishing nearly 4 minutes back.
Stuff reporters Todd Niall and Duncan Johnstone on Luna Rossa’s Prada Cup semifinal win and the end of American Magic.
Its brutal, said Hutchinson at the end of the second race as the tears welled up. Its just brutal. Weve had a lot of people support us, and so ultimately you feel a responsibility to that. I wear these things on my sleeve, and this stuff is brutal.
What [team principals] Doug DeVos and Roger Penske and [CEO] Hap Fauth and the club gave us was the opportunity of a lifetime, and its disappointing to have it end in this manner because I know that were better than this.
There really are no other words because were competitors. Somebody has to win and somebody has to lose, and we always felt we had done things in the correct manner to be on the right side of things here.
We have to go back and evaluate mistakes made, what we could have done better. But the word brutal just sums it all up.
Hutchinson thanked the New York Yacht Club and DeVos, Penske and Fauth for their unwavering support, and also the teams staunch supporter base, as well as their Americas Cup rivals for their part in the boats resurrection.
You go off the dock and you see the support we get from our families, and really the entire team, and at the end it helps keep it in perspective. Were racing sailboats, were very, very lucky to be here in New Zealand. The competitors showed an incredible amount of sportsmanship and really demonstrated what sailing is about to the highest level when they all reacted to Patriots near sinking. In that regard, its just a heartfelt thank-you.
But ultimately American magics challenge had come up short of the mark, admitted Hutchinson.
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American Magic helmsman Dean Barker gets a hug after their Prada Cup semifinal loss.
Its disappointing. Were proud to represent the New York Yacht Club and the legacy of the club in the Americas Cup. Were proud to represent our country. I think what you saw when Patriot got back out on the water was a high level of resolve in the entire team to make sure it happened and to not let the programme end like that
[Friday] was hard, but today we sailed the boat better. High marks to Luna Rossa for their starts and how they developed that. With two relatively even boats, that becomes the game-changer.
But I have nothing but pride for what weve done over the last three-and-a-half years. Obviously our measure is the result sheet, and without question that is the most disappointing part. All we can do is take it on the chin, understand our strengths and weaknesses from here and move the whole game forward.
If were fortunate enough to be back in the 37th Americas Cup well learn from these mistakes and be better for it.