America's Cup: Team New Zealand can't take much away from BAR breakage and 2-0 lead

Team New Zealand had a strong start to race before BAR had to retire. Photo / Ricardo Pinto

They may have two points on the board, but there is little else Team New Zealand can take out of today's opening day of racing in the America's Cup challenger play-offs.

Emirates Team New Zealand were handed two race wins in the first-to-five series after their semifinal opponents Ben Ainslie Racing were forced to retire five minutes into the race due to a hydraulic failure in their wingsail.

The Brits attempted to get back to their base, swap out their wing and get back out on the racecourse in time for the second race, but that was always going to prove an ambitious ask. So, all Team NZ needed to do to collect the second point was to turn up at the startbox on time, engage in a pre-start routine by themselves and cross the start line.

While the result means Team NZ have a handy advantage in the series, helmsman Peter Burling said the day was a "bit shorter than he would have liked".

"For us, we felt like we were really prepared for a really good race and it's a shame we didn't get to have a good race. To look over and see [BAR] have a big failure is never something you want to see. We're all here to race," Burling said after coming off the water.

In the short engagement time Team NZ did have with the fast-improving British boat, there were at least one or two positives Burling could take out. The Kiwi crew got the better of their rivals in the pre-start - an area that had been singled out as a potential vulnerability for Team NZ.

"It felt like we had a good fight in that pre-start. Really happy with taking the lead down that first reach, leading at mark one, obviously Ben is one of the better pre-starters out there."

Despite only needing to cross the startline to collect the second point, Burling said the team decided to stay out on the race course a bit longer to get in as much practice as they could in the difficult conditions. The wind on the course was at around 15-18 knots, and it is only going to build later in the week.

"Even though we weren't racing against another boat in that second race we still did the pre-start at full noise," said Burling.

"We went on and did the first reach and about the first lap. We did a lot of manoeuvres and a lot of things we wouldn't normally do in a race. We were pretty happy with the way the boat is going today."