Over the first six races of the finals, the mantra had been a simple one: Win the start, win the race. In each of those races, the team that was first across the starting line was also the first to reach the finish line. The largely drama-free racing had showcased the skills of the teams and the precision of their boats, but it also led to an unwelcome accusation: that the finals were boring.
That changed on Monday. Taking advantage of shifting winds and unleashing the speed that many suspected it had not yet fully shown, Team New Zealand surged from behind to win consecutive races, breaking the tie and giving the team a 5-3 lead. The Kiwis added a fourth straight win on Tuesday, and suddenly the prize for years of planning and millions of dollars in investment felt close enough to touch.
This teams been in this position before, Burling said after moving within one win of the seven New Zealand needed to claim the trophy. We just want to keep improving, keep moving forward and were really excited about another race.
Light winds had forced the teams to abandon the second race on Tuesday, when New Zealand seemed poised to seal its triumph, but that only delayed what many by then saw as the inevitable. Even as Luna Rossa lamented another painful defeat on Tuesday, its co-helmsman Francesco Bruni found no fault in his teams performances.
Team New Zealand, he seemed to be saying, had simply been faster.
I think we did a fantastic race honestly, Bruni said. No regrets.
Mike Ives contributed reporting.