Emirates Team NZ skipper Glenn Ashby addresses a press conference in Bermuda. Photo/Photosport
Emirates Team NZ skipper Glenn Ashby addresses a press conference in Bermuda. Photo/Photosport
Four years on, Team New Zealand skipper Glenn Ashby has a chance to atone for one of sporting history's greatest chokes ... or greatest comebacks, depending on your perspective.
The 39-year-old Aussie - the only Ocker on board the Emirates Team NZ boat - is also the only surviving crewmember from the historic 2013 America's Cup campaign in San Francisco, where the Kiwis infamously let an 8-1 lead slip through their grasp against Oracle Team USA.
Ashby was the wing trimmer, the same position he holds on the current line-up.
Two weeks ago, as Team NZ and Oracle prepared for their finals showdown, he confessed that performance had underpinned every decision and conversation during this campaign.
Now, holding another matchpoint on the Great Sound of Bermuda, Ashby has that sweet opportunity for redemption, but clearly hasn't reached for the champagne just yet.
"We've been in this situation before, still a long way to go," he warned today, as his team took their advantage to 6-1 in the first-to-seven format.
"I'm very, very proud of how the boys sailed the boat today - there were some great gains there."
After suffering their first loss of the match yesterday, Ashby's boys responded with two of their best performances of the regatta, leading from start to finish in both and absolutely owning Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill in the second start.
"What gave us the opportunity to sail the shifts reasonably well off the cuff was the fact that we got off the start-line very well in both the races today," he said afterwards.
Second time out, helmsman Peter Burling well and truly buried any earlier doubts about his starting ability, leaving Spithill standing deep in the start-box and leading by 15 seconds around the first mark.
"We've definitely been putting a lot of thought into it, spending a lot of hours in the classroom, trying to analyse the best way of starting these boats," said Burling.
"I don't think anyone has really started these boats a lot and I feel like today we really put a few of the things we learnt into fruition.
"We feel pretty confident that when we do get to that reaching mark first, we can hold on for race wins."
With two races scheduled for tomorrow - two chances for victory - Burling was also cautious about the prospects.
"We're happy with the way we managed to take two race wins today, but I'm sure the last one will be the hardest.
"That's what we've been aiming for for three years - to win that final race - and we're just excited we've got the opportunity to do that now."
