Emirates Team New Zealand were eliminated in the group stages of the Youth America's Cup. Photo / Ian Roman, America's Cup.
Another day of mixed results has seen Team New Zealand fail to progress from the group stages of the Youth America’s Cup.
In an extended four-race schedule this morning, the Kiwi crew finished second twice - results that saw them surge back into finals contention as
they bagged seven points each toward their tally. But adding just two points in each of the other two races with two fifth-placed finishes in the six-boat fleet proved costly as they missed out on qualification to the semifinal series by four points.
Team NZ finished with a total of 34 points to sit fifth in their group, with only the top three moving on.
It became a three-team shootout to see who would progress into the semifinal stages alongside Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli (Italy) and American Magic, with Team NZ, Athena Pathway (UK) and Orient Express-L’Oreal Racing Team (France) all with a chance to snatch that third placing with a good final race.
The Kiwis were slow off the line in the eighth and final race of Group A’s schedule, with Group B featuring the six invited nations having been completed earlier in the day. But the door was opened for them toward the top of the first leg with the French touched down and parked up with an apparent issue onboard.
