Peter Burling and Team New Zealand celebrate. Photo / Photosport
Three months after AC75 boats first took to the water in competition off the coast of Auckland, after the World Series, the Christmas Cup, the Prada Cup and, finally, the America's Cup; Team New Zealand emerged triumphant to claim the coveted trophy for the fourth time.
After a tight start to the America's Cup Match that saw Luna Rossa and TNZ exchange blows for the first six races, the home team won four races in a row in the Waitematā Harbour to thrill thousands of onlookers in the aquatic stadium.
Led by skipper Peter Burling, the team proved to be more than a match for Luna Rossa, despite racing taking place almost exclusively in wind conditions that were expected to favour the Italian boat.
Even within the eventual domination of the series, it was a roller-coaster ride of strategic success, emotion and luck. We break down exactly how it all came to pass over the course of six tense days in March.
After months of speculation, the 36th America's Cup Match got under way, with some immediate takeaways for observers.
It was clear that this match wouldn't be like the procession of 2000, when Team New Zealand beat Prada 5-0.
The boats were close – seriously close – defying pundits' predictions of a significant speed edge to Team New Zealand.
Race one
Team New Zealand made a confident start, with a near-faultless performance in the first race to bank a win by 31 seconds. They gained the edge off the start and never looked like loosening their grip, though Luna Rossa hung in well.
Home sailing fans were overjoyed and confidence was supreme.
Race two
The second race was a statement performance from the Italians. They were under serious pressure – given the moderate breeze of 12-13 knots suited them more than their opponents – and had to respond.
They did, in some style, gaining the advantage off the line, then covering Te Rehutai superbly as Peter Burling and his crew threw the kitchen sink at Luna Rossa.
It was a major psychological boost for the Italians, after they lost both their clashes with Te Rehutai back in December.
The sailing world reacted with surprise to the first day of the America's Cup Match, with Team New Zealand and Luna Rossa sharing the spoils after two electrifying races.
Nowhere was the battle more brutal than in the starting box - with the first few minutes of the clash looking increasingly important in deciding where the Auld Mug spent the next few years.
Both teams would take confidence – and a morale boost – from day two.
Race three
The Italians overcame issues with their mainsail before the start of the first race - with speculation they were considering using their delay card - to sail superbly, dominating the start box and shutting the door on Team New Zealand with an assured technical display.
They led by 38 seconds at the fifth gate – the biggest deficit the Kiwis had faced so far in the series – and eventually banked a 37-second win.
Race four
Team New Zealand had to take advantage of their port entry in the second race – likened by TVNZ expert commentator Peter Lester to having serve in a tennis match – but almost blew it, as a sharp turn saw them fall off their foils a minute before the start.
However, they recovered, regained momentum and edged ahead by the first gate. Then everything changed after a bungled Italian gybe towards the end of the second leg saw one foil arm fail to drop.
That turned a small lead into a massive gap and Te Rehutai sailed her own race from there, eventually winning by 63 seconds to level the series at 2-2.
After another stalemate on the water, Herald writer Michael Burgess described the close competition as one that was quickly becoming "a classic" sporting encounter.
After being confined to small groups and television screens, sailing fans had their first chance to witness the America's Cup Match under Covid Level-1 conditions.
They responded en masse to the choice to race on course C, with a record number of boats observed in the spectator fleet and crowds packing out Auckland's waterfront districts.
Once again, racing on the water proved tight, though we finally saw some variations to what had felt like a script playing out in each of the previous four races.
Race five
This was Luna Rossa's most impressive performance of the Match so far. Not only did they win from starboard entry – the first time in the series – but they did it with a difficult pre-start manoeuvre, which set up an 18-second victory, their third in four races.
Team New Zealand skipper Peter Burling was criticised by commentator Shirley Robertson who described his failing to win the start as a "massive error".
Race six
With Team New Zealand trailing 3-2 and working with starboard entry – a position in which they were yet to win a race from – Burling silenced his critics by driving the perfect start to leave Luna Rossa in the rear-view mirror.
Team New Zealand claimed the sixth race of the series by a huge 1:41 margin, comfortably leading the race from start to finish on the back of their best start of the series.
As commentator Stephen McIvor put it, Team New Zealand "dropped a bomb on Luna Rossa".
A spectator fleet of almost 1,500 boats headed out to the start line. But they could only sit idle on a beautiful late summer afternoon, waiting for a breeze that never came.
Racing was to take place on Course A, near Takapuna Beach and in the shadow of the dormant island volcano Rangitoto. But a high pressure system was parked above most of the Hauraki Gulf and Waitemata Harbour which meant there was little wind on the course.
"That's yacht racing, isn't it?" Burling said. "It's very close to being sailable but just not there. You can't choose the weather."
No racing took place and the score remained 3-3 heading into a new week.
One of the craziest days in the history of the America's Cup. The big issue with the 36th regatta so far was the lack of passing between the two teams. Whoever won the start went on to win the race. It was becoming too much like Formula One, some critics suggested.
There was hope of stronger winds as race director Iain Murray made the call to send boats out to the back paddock of course E, while knowing that the risk of light and shifting wind was also high there. The latter proved to be the case, which provided a day of high drama.
Race seven
Race seven bore witness to the first pass of this America's Cup Match. It was also a significant body blow for Luna Rossa.
The Italian pain was accentuated because they had made a brilliant start, probably the best of the regatta so far. Both teams were early back to the line, but a textbook move from Jimmy Spithill meant Luna Rossa roared off the line around five knots faster.
They held their lead to the boundary, but Te Rehutai was on their heels and the eight-second margin at the first gate was the smallest of the series.
Everything turned after the second gate. Luna Rossa elected not to cover, as the boats split away, then Team New Zealand benefited from what Peter Burling later described as the "last decent right-hand shift of the day."
That took the defenders ahead, and their decision to use a smaller jib also paid off. It was a procession from there, with Te Rehutai extending on every leg, as they showed their pace in clear air.
Race eight
Race eight will be remembered as possibly the most bizarre in America's Cup history. The Italians had won the start but it was tight, and they held a 16-second advantage at the first gate.
Halfway down the second leg came what was surely the flashpoint; Team New Zealand crashed off their foils after deciding to gybe away at the last moment. They were beached, as Luna Rossa flew away.
It had to be game over, as the Italians eventually built a lead of more than two kilometres. The deficit was up to four minutes at one stage, and it seemed inevitable that the series would be squared at 4-4.
But the Italians couldn't navigate the soft air just before the third gate, unable to complete their final tack. They touched down and were left submerged, while Team New Zealand gradually mowed them down. Te Rehutai eventually took the lead and there was no way back for the Italians.
It was finally time to sail at Course C, giving fans in Auckland the best chance to view the racing in person.
However, as Regatta Director Iain Murray admitted before the day's racing, the choice to move racing to Course C was a risk, which would end up forcing the second race of the day to be postponed due to shifting winds.
Race nine
Race nine in front of the America's Cup "stadium" at Course C was an absolute banger, with some calling it "one of the best races" in Cup history.
In the tightest contest of the America's Cup match thus far, a course split on the penultimate leg saw Team New Zealand find the better weather which they used to sail through to their sixth win of the best-of-13 series.
From the outset, the teams were vying for the upper hand. Through the first two legs there had been three lead changes in what was an exciting start to Tuesday's racing.
The race came down to the fifth leg, and a choice from Luna Rossa on which side of the course to control. They opted for the left, and Team New Zealand found the pressure they needed on the right.
It was almost an immediate payoff for the Kiwis who went on to sail across the finish line 30 seconds ahead of the Italians to move just one win from retaining their title.
It was match point for Team New Zealand and the country was made to wait a little with wind shifts forcing a slight delay to the racing. But they didn't have to wait long as Team NZ crushed Luna Rossa to defend the America's Cup in the first race of the day.
Race ten
Early in the America's Cup match, Peter Burling came under fire for his performances in the pre-start in their clash against Luna Rossa.
But Burling showed it's not how you start, but how you finish that counts the most.
The more comfortable Team New Zealand got in a racing environment, the better their all-around performance got and, in what was the final race of the series, Burling had the number of his Luna Rossa opposite Jimmy Spithill in the starting box.
Claiming the preferred side of the race course out of the start, Team New Zealand went on with the job to claim the America's Cup for the fourth time.
Before long, a lead of less than 100m expanded to more than 300m midway through the third leg as Team New Zealand began to put the hammer down.
That showed in the gap between the boats at the halfway point, with Team New Zealand extending their lead threefold.
That lead only grew on each of the next two legs, with the defender locking away the Auld Mug in impressive fashion.
A former Team NZ sailor believes Luna Rossa have gained a lot with the signing.