As it happened: Louis Vuitton America's Cup semifinals - Team New Zealand beat BAR to make final

Team New Zealand produced a fine comeback win in race five against BAR. Photo / Ricardo Pinto

Team New Zealand have secured a spot in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup qualifier final with a triumphant win in their third race against BAR this morning.

BAR had won the second match race against Emirates Team New Zealand this morning to keep their America's Cup qualifier hopes alive but were crushed in the last match race between the two boats.

TNZ earlier came back from problems with control systems at the start of this morning's first race against BAR to score a stunning win.

NZ headed back onto the water today after Wednesday's crash that saw them hand a race win to BAR and put in some long hours to fix the boat.

They still lead the semifinal 3-1 and can advance to the final with two wins in the scheduled three races today. In the semifinal Japan lead Artemis 3-1.

Earlier, TNZ described race director Iain Murray's description of a Team New Zealand wing as "sacred" as a load of old boots, or shoes.

Aussie Murray thought TNZ had been forced into revealing a secret weapon. Team NZ skipper Glenn Ashby disagreed as the America's Cup mind games in Bermuda rumbled on.

Ashby said: "Both our wings are basically set up identically, so although you have your favourite, if you like, it's like your favourite pair of shoes - you put on another pair of decent shoes and you can still walk around in them quite comfortably.

"We've got two wings basically set up identically, so for me, as the wing trimmer, I don't care which one we use - they're both bloody good."

Murray questioned whether Team NZ's frantic late swap-out of their wing sail after sustaining damage shortly after entering the course yesterday, was prudent.

He claimed Team NZ were racing with the "sacred wing" they had been preserving for the possible Cup showdown with Oracle.

"Team New Zealand damaged their lower section of the wing, they returned to the dock doing 44 knots. They changed their wing from their reserve wing, to their race wing, which they were preserving for the America's Cup and expedited their return to the race course to race two more races - it was a decision made by Team New Zealand to take their best and sacred wing to the race course."