The America's Cup has been successfully defended by Team NZ, winning The Match 7-3. Mark Orams joins Alex Chapman to review all of the news from the historical day of racing on the Hauraki Gulf. Video / NZ Herald / Getty Images / Photosport / RNZYS
It's time to party like it's 2000.
To paraphrase Peter Montgomery, the America's Cup is still our Cup.
At 5:11pm on a balmy Wednesday evening, Team New Zealand crossed the line and sailed into history, with a 46-second victory over the challengers.
Twenty-one years after the first defence, the menin black have done it again, with the retention of the Auld Mug.
It's the fourth Cup success in 26 years, and the Te Rehutai rocket ship will become an ornament of national affection, like NZL32 (1995), NZL60 (2000) and Aotearoa (2017).
The final scorecard of 7-3 might be a bit tough on the Italians, who sailed without luck throughout the series, but that's an argument for another day.
Team New Zealand have managed a brilliant defence, against one of the best challengers we have seen. It feels like the start of a dynasty, though the likely confirmation of the AC75 class for the next edition will have more teams circling.
It's also special history for this nation. Outside the United States, New Zealand becomes the first country to successfully defend the Cup twice, ahead of Switzerland who managed it once.
"Yeah, wow what a beauty," said flight controller Blair Tuke, minutes after a champagne moment on board Te Rehutai, with Glenn Ashby and Peter Burling leading the charge with the celebratory sprays of their teammates. "To defend the Cup on home waters, out here on the Hauraki Gulf, unbelievable.
"To know the work that has gone in over the last three and a half years, or even right back to before we won it in Bermuda, it's been huge for the team. It's been a massive honour to race here in front of five million Kiwis and we've had all of their support."
Team New Zealand celebrate winning the America's Cup. Photo / Photosport
After the drama of the previous two days, the final race was a bit of anti-climax, as Team New Zealand simply strangled their opponents to death.
Watching Te Rehutai fly down the second downwind leg, it felt like a lap of honour, rather than the latter stages of a decisive America's Cup match.
As Team New Zealand have done throughout this match, they got ahead and stayed there.
With a return to Course A on Wednesday, the start was going to be paramount.
Both teams wanted the right-hand side of the course – Luna Rossa co-helmsman Jimmy Spithill made it clear in the pre-start – but the Australian, for one of the few times in the series, got outfoxed as Burling choose an opportune moment to achieve probably his best start of the Cup match.
The Italians had a small advantage off the line but couldn't make the first cross stick and from there Team New Zealand had control, with an seven-second advantage at the first gate.
Luna Rossa weren't going away and managed one of the best downward legs of the series, keeping it close and even gaining at some stages.
But they were untidy with the mark rounding, and from there the race opened up.
Team New Zealand crushed Luna Rossa in race 10 to seal the America's Cup. Photo / Photosport
Team New Zealand kept tacking on top of their opponents and were constantly extending, ahead by 27 seconds at the halfway point, as they found their groove in clean air.
There was no doubt from there, as the lead extended from 400 to 500 to 600 metres.
In the words of the television commentator, Luna Rossa needed a "Hail Mary" from there, and it never came, as Te Rehutai sped across the line, quickly surrounded by a flotilla of spectator boats.
