America's Cup sailor Blair Tuke has opened up on the emotional Emirates Team New Zealand win and says the team's dramatic pitch-pole earlier in the event was one of the 'scariest moments' of his life.
Tuke speaking with NZ Herald's Dana Johannsen in Bermuda said that after everything the team had been through winning the Auld Mug is an amazing feeling.
Tuke along with Olympic gold medallist teammate Peter Burling secured Team New Zealand's third America's Cup title with a 7-1 series win over Oracle Team USA.
"Just huge emotion, huge thrill. To know that we're bringing the Cup home back to New Zealand. After everything the team has been through, how much everyone's put into it, it's an amazing feeling."
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Advertise with NZME.Though there were no tears crossing the finish line there was a bit of emotion around the boat.
"When we came alongside, our chief boat builder Red Dog, Sean Regan, he came on and he was pretty emotional and to see someone like that who's put so much into our team. The hours he's worked over the last two three years is seriously pretty amazing and he was quite emotional - so I won't lie it definitely brought on a few tears for me."
Tuke got a bit emotional when speaking of the dramatic pitch pole during the qualifying semifinals against Land Rover BAR calling it one of the scariest moments of his life.
"It was pretty scary; it was not something you want to happen and certainly was one of the scariest moments of my life. When you're sailing in that much breeze and it's going pretty good and then all of a sudden we're just going over the bows and I'm trimming the foils, it was a pretty tough time for me and the guys."
Pride certainly wasn't lacking, Tuke saying helmsman Peter Burling had done a "bloody good job" of shouldering the extra responsibility over the last couple of months.
As for the celebrations, we'll they hadn't quite got underway yet.
"We'll probably take it pretty easy I think", laughs Tuke, "I mean it hasn't even sunk in yet. We've got all our family and friends behind us, everyone in the team who's put so much in to it, so it's been a long time coming, so we're going to enjoy it."
