Race 7 and 8 Highlights Sailing: America's Cup

Bermuda's great sown has lived up to its billing. Great racing for the

fastest boats in America's Cup history, but now just two teams can

win the 35th edition of sport's oldest international trophy. Go! Go!

We saw those guys take days off during the week. We made a

commitment inside the team that we would use every single one of them.

We wanted to make the boat faster. It is funny it hear people say we

took days off last week. It was a great opportunity for our crew to

get on top of a job list. The important point is the boat is

faster. That's a good position to be in. We know there is more on the

table, but it's working. The boat is getting bigger. Once the guys can

see it is getting faster, then you can start building momentum. If it

goes to Monday it doesn't really matter for us. Young, old, where

ever. It is great to see a bit of fight. It is only just beginning,

mate. It looks like we may have a fight on our hands. The Kiwis looked

imperious, but the Americans found a chink in their armour on Race Day 3

of the America's Cup match. So race number five is underway. This is the

Super Bowl. This is it. Jimmy Spithill's Americans are across the

line too early. The New Zealanders will look to make hay in the

meantime. Screaming across the water. 13 plus knots. Dial down. And

it is Team New Zealand has to dip behind. The Kiwis go about their

business in their usual crisp, slick fashion. And the Americans have

picked up the penalty. . The New Zealanders are beginning to stretch

out in front. So the Kiwis bossing it at the moment. The USA now have a

huge amount of work to do. It is so straightforward seemingly when

you're Peter Burling. Another hammer blow delivered by the Kiwis. Race

number six then of the America's Cup match. The defenders in some trouble

now. Both boats across the line. Clean this time. The Americans

getting up nice and quick and they have stolen a march this time on the

New Zealanders. They will feel a lot happier at the moment. The Americans

with a slender advantage. Goodness gracious! New Zealand turn and they

turn in front and now the Americans are the ones chasing again. We have

a proper race on. Look at that dial down. They're really deep. Well,

this is as tight as it gets right now. We wanted a sail boat race. We

got a sail boat race. The Americans are speeding away. There is hope in

the USA camp. It will be America's race and the USA are back in

business! Here we go. Here we go. Five race

wins only translates to four points for New Zealand as the Americans

took a bonus point into the match thanks to winning the first round of

qualifiers. So, the scoreboard shows a three race lead for Peter Burling

and crew. We didn't feel that happy with how we sailed. We tidied up a

lot of those things and the boat was feeling great. We have approached

this the same as we have approached every time. We are under no

illusions and we have got a battle on our hands and we will give it

everything we've got. The forecast looks bang on and we have got a

great set-up for the day and it will be hard on the handles for the boys,

but I think they're up for it. Four years ago Oracle trailed before the

great sporting comeback saw them retain the Cup. The situation is

nothing new to Jimmy Spithill and his team. Today, the conditions are

alike and Oracle must deliver. Let's join the commentary team.

Another beautiful day on the Great Sound. Here is our first look at the

course. Well, welcome to the Great Sound in Bermuda, the perfect

racetrack for the 35th America's Cup. It includes a two minute start

sequence followed by the critical reach to mark one. There is a 10

knots south-westerly breeze followed to the sprint finish off America's

Cup village. It is such an important battleground. It can really set the

agenda for the rest of the race. A flurry of activity on board the Kiwi

boats. So race number seven of the

America's Cup match is underway. What's your reading of the prestart

so far? Well on top. Now it's time and distance. This is when that

critical moment of will there be feisty jockeying going on? Oracle

very quickly going after what's called the quarter. Very quickly

peel off out of it. This is a hug game between the two skippers. There

can't be any help. Skippers intuition and then going after that

hooking position. They can't get there. Peter Burling fending it off

very well so far. Oracle is an interesting spot. Oracle shoot in

and get over the top. Here we go. Time and distance. Ten seconds to

the stop. Looking like the timings are pretty

good from both the crews at the moment. The Americans are having to

take a another little twist and the Kiwis are away. That was probably

not necessary or on the cards for Oracle Team USA from a dominant

position, all of a sudden that last little, remember Jimmy Spithill told

us the other day he was having trouble with his software on the

prestart software. That could have been another situation where the

software may have affected him a little bit. No penalties this time.

He will be happy about that, Jimmy Spithill. Two penalties in the six

previous races at the start line, but it is the New Zealanders who are

away fastest. 33 knots. Flying up and first to the first mark. And he

sees that again, Jimmy, he will kick himself. Look at the detail of

mistakes, of tiny mistakes. Being a second late for the start. All of a

sudden it's the difference between winning and losing at that first

mark and remember my favourite statistic... Is that the one that

the drone can hold a small Labrador underneath it? No. The first to the

first mark. That's what we are talking about. 100% the Kiwis have

gone on to win a race where they have been the first off the mark. A

lot of talk about the weight that's been taken off the American boat. It

is much, much lighter than it was. Those last five days that they had

to tweak and adapt, they have changed things a good deal. It is a

lot lighter, but it is also much tougher to sail and rather less

stable than it was and we heard him talking, didn't we, Jimmy Spithill,

about the fact that it requires more power and that means more work for

the grinders. Christian, 100 kilos possibly coming off this boat. Give

people an idea of first of all of maybe how hard that it is to get it

off the boat and when are they going to see that difference It's going to

show up in ten knots and less than that. Every kilo is important. If

you move 100 kilos I think around the two lap racecourse you're

probably looking at 500 or 600 meter gain in pure boat speed in under 10

knots. Why wouldn't they have done that early on? Why wouldn't they

have done this before this event? It is one of those things that you

prioritise differently and as you go on, you learn and you figure out,

OK, this is the best area where we can gain performance so you have got

to make some sacrifice. I suppose part of it is the need to

trust in the systems that you arrive with to a certain degree, but there

does become that tipping point where you need to go right, "Changes have

to be made because it's not working the way we'd like." Credit where

credit is due to the Oracle Team as we said in the pregame for being

open enough to kind of throw some probably some key convictions to

their programme out the window in that five day period and build on a

whole new set of what you think your speed values are. It is not easy to

do and it's impressive and look, it is so clearly paying off from the

first weekend we saw these two guys race against each other. The Kiwis

had a massive advantage in the early races, but now we see the pair of

boats tapping simultaneously. Just explain how easy or difficult it is

now for Burling to dictate the pace of this race to dictates what

happens to Jimmy Spithill and the American boat? How much can he

really influence what's happening on that boat? There is no doubt that

there is plenty of talk about the Kiwis actually having a split at the

end of the second race yesterday which you can make a reasonable case

it cost them the race. Every match racer in the world sat in front of

their TV and said, "Why aren't they attacking?" All of a sudden the

scoop kiwis are keeping a closer eye on Oracle. They will herd them

around. They will literally herd them and keep them in the same

water. So Peter Burling taking the Kiwis

out before preparing to attack. There is not a huge amount of

difference between the pair of them. This is a new stat, the couple

lation of pressure. This is about the power that's being generated by

the grinders and there are two different systems, of course, the

regular grinders to the left of your screen on board Oracle Team USA and

the Kiwis. We will elaborate on that in a moment or two. This is a core

statistic that many people are hoping we can show because it is an

extreme difference between the grinding and the pedalling. Why are

they doing it full-time? Why is this hydraulic power necessary? Peter

Burling allowed for the split to happen there. He actually didn't, as

we were talking about, herding Oracle, he didn't herd Oracle, he

went for the wind shift and went for 50 meters ahead to 280. So it is one

thing to dictate how a sailing style of a Peter Burling as a coach for

example, dictate a sailing style is another thing, don't herd your

jockey. You don't reign them in, but this kid has got to where he has

gotten. So he made a mistake yesterday. So he made maybe one

mistake yesterday. Allow it to happen and just go and let him do

his things again. So back to the numbers. 350 is max. That's 100% of

power stored if you like, isn't it? Correct. So on the left, on both

boats the port and starboard, that's literally the acall lator pressure

for the up and down of the foils. That's only used to lift and lower

the dagger boards. We believe Oracle actually never accumulates more

pressure. It actually decease the pressure. On the other side, that's

how they move all the functions around. That's what the cyclists,

that's what the grinders, they're constantly feeding pressure into

moving the things around. That means in and out, the wind twist, the wind

Camber, everything. It is slightly complicated, but they are all

achieving the game goal at the end and that's hydraulic pressure. The

Kiwis get low. They are at 185. There is the cyclists. Just kind of

building it back up again. No problem. They go fast. They build

that pressure super fast. I think that's the key thing, isn't it? Just

watch that move into the green, and those numbers to the bottom right of

your screen move up, it is moving disproportionately quickly to the

American boat. Yeah. That, of course is allowing them a

little bit more tactical freedom. They can choose when they manoeuvre,

how they can manoeuvre, how aggressive they can be. So into the

gate, the Kiwis seemingly in control of operations at the moment. We have

seen many, many times out here on the Great Sound one error can cost

you 150, 200 meters in some cases. The Kiwis just stretched out. As

we're talking about hydraulic pressures we failed really to talk

about how much they just legged it out on that one. That was

impressive. Both teams have been out practising in between the events and

in between the racing. Still searching desperately for that last

little bit. And big angle differences. It's still puffy out

here on the water. So the USA sailing a fair distance longer than

the Kiwis. Average boat speed, when you look at the average boat speed,

it's very similar. There is only one thing that can be making the

difference and that's the distance. That could be a wind shift. Very

often that's a wind shift. They missed a wind shift and the other

guys didn't. Peter Burling did that little split and we were saying,

"Why isn't the kid covereded?" There is a reason he's out there!

On board the American boat. It's all business at the moment.

Jimmy Spithill assessing the situation. Just looking round. He's

looking for those wind shifts. He's looking for that extra pressure in

different parts of the course that might help them along. They found a

good one yesterday in Race 6. The downwind leg really started to

squeeze the Kiwis. They need something similar here.

Yeah, this is almost desperation time when you get out to the 400,

500 meters to the boat behind. Just a degree of instability in that one.

We see a small wind shift to the left-hand side of the course. Yes,

left-hand shift. That will be OK coming in on that side of the

racecourse right now, but it's also about pressure. Shift is good,

pressure is king and they don't look very, they're only going 21, 22

knots. They don't look like they are as powered up as the Kiwis are.

Speed doesn't come for free. They may have gained more boat speed, but

they're having to work very, very hard to build the pressure to allow

them to sail. They want the race they want to sail. So really from

here, and there is a long way to go, but it is New Zealand's to lose.

Peter Burling is this complete control. There we are on his

shoulder. The Americans are going to split the

course. They're going to try, but the Kiwis are on to it. They play

tack off early from the boundary and try to get themselves in the same

part of the racecourse as Oracle is in.

We will go back to the key moment in this race. Listen, this is one that

Jimmy wants back. Both boats essentially going for the line. Team

New Zealand just go for it. That last little zig, that last little

loop right there, that's what cost it. That was the difference between

winning and losing that start. For sure something that Jimmy Spithill

would like back at this stage. It is amazing the dynamic as well, isn't

it? Before this match got underway everybody figured Jimmy Spithill was

going to eat Peter Burling for breakfast at the start line and it

just has not happened that way at all. The table have been turned

emphatically. So the boys working hard. The max heart rate, the

numbers bottom right-hand side of each of those boxes, the maximum

heart rate should be about 220 take away your age. In your case, it

would be somewhere around 180. 42! He's a really nice guy!

Everybody is made differently. That's the important thing. Cling on

to that. Simon is clearly working hard than everybody else. The first

time he sailed a sail boat was the first day that the Kiwis were in the

trials for the America's Cup. A slightly different path than the

rest of us in getting to the pinnacle of the sport. At the bottom

left of your scene giving you an idea of where we are on the course

itself. They have done a good job here, the Americans, of cutting the

deficit. Once up around the 250 mark and back to 180 or so. But this race

is still in Peter Burling's hands. Burling is attacking and presumably

from that position on the course look to go lay the gate to get in.

Quite possibly. You see on the top of the screen there, you see the

marks on the top of the screen, way up top and I'm not sure if they're

not going to have to do one more. By staying in the same water as your

competitor, they may have gone early. They will herd the cats and

keep them in control and make sure something crazy like the end of the

second race yesterday, like that doesn't happen again. Oracle has

chewed up a little bit of this lead. There is no doubt about it. So one

more manoeuvre from the Kiwis will see them through the gate. They will

be down one more leg before the blast for the finish. Oracle decided

to throw in an extra manoeuvre in order to gain a split of the top

mark. They will attack at least one more time. One more time than the

Kiwis, but they will have a split at the top mark. Again, once you round

this mark, the acceleration, a 200 meter lead turns into 400 meter, at

least a 350 by the time they get in of the Christian, breeze wise, is

there anything going on? Puffs? Shifts? Anything radical that's

going to get Oracle back in the game because they need something? They

need something. I don't see anything radical. Team New Zealand listened

to you yesterday and protected that side of the course and I think they

have done so wisely. Oracle made some nice gains. It looked like Team

New Zealand missed their rudder swap and that cost them quite a bit. It

will be interesting to see what happens here, but really right now,

it is Team New Zealand's to lose. Looking like the Americans at that

point require an error and a fairly sizeable one from the New

Zealanders. Jimmy Spithill will be looking to bring all his experience

to bear. The 37-year-old Aussie. A little bit of - OK, so as the person

who, if you look at it, it is slower average speed for Emirates Team New

Zealand. That's actually remarkably close with no real rhyme or reason.

So numbers do lie sometimes. There is no real rhyme or reason why there

is 400 meter lead going on right now. Down to 200. Coming on. I doubt

Jimmy Spithill will be happy about the speed factor. There doesn't seem

to be a problem on that front any longer, but it is the cost of that

place. No more mistakes the they can't make those mistakes like that

prestart mistake. Pulling the trigger at the gun. They're coming

on. Team New Zealand down to 19 knots. They look stable, but they

were quite slow for some reason. Look at this lead getting chewed up

right now. One more gybing in and this is that one mistake zone that

we talked about right now. One bad gybe by he will rats Team New

Zealand and this ball game is brand-new again. So it isn't over

just yet. The Kiwis have to main their composure and this is when we

see the competitors in the white heat of battle. Can they hold their

nerve? Can Peter Burling hold on to this lead. He knows that Spithill

will only need a tine crisis chink of light. The wing trimmer is

driving the boat coming out of these gybes in order to allowing Peter

Burling to keep the thing up on the foils wall while Peter Burling is

sprinting across the boat. Buoy, a real close up on his leg, but

unfortunately with a quick little reach to the finish, we haven't seen

a lot of passes on this reach through the entire event. It could

be too little, too late for Oracle Team USA.

It's looking like it will be a step too far for Jimmy Spithill. He will

be encouraged by the way he closed the gap particularly when you take

it back to the start line and how costly that was. The Kiwis are

zipping along pretty nicely. A little glance over his shoulder from

Driving Miss Daisy! Don't forget they have been tidying

up their boat as well. He likes a good tidy, Peter Burling. And they

have been tweaking and adjusting here and there in amongst the

Americans. And as a result, of a pretty clean race, New Zealand

reassert their authority here in Bermuda. A tight margin, but they

have moved into a 5-1 lead in the America's Cup match and they are two

wins from the trophy. Ten seconds is the margin. 11...

That is tight, by anybody's reckoning but it is still an

American defeat. This is the standings with the lead extended by

the Kiwis to 5-1. Shirley: What an impressive performance. The

America's Cup almost within their grasp. In any America's Cup

technology plays a part. Taking us through the technological nuances of

both boats is one of the America's Cup's leading helmsman. If you

looked at the two boats, New Zealand appear to have a faster package. The

Oracle foil is a standard board that all the teams are using. The New

Zealand board is different, it has a kink, which means they can take

their light wind boards further up. You can change the tips, so New

Zealand have a quiver of horizontals and the racing around the ten knots

range is around the boards they have an New Zealand seem to have a

smoother transition on their boards. The biggest difference between the

wings is Oracle have the traditional approach, Kyle has to trim it with

one hand and has buttons to do the full twist adjustment but New

Zealand have everything hydraulic, so the wind sheet comes on and off

with the push-button. He has the ability to play sheet, twisted

camber at the touch of his fingers and with the hydraulic power

produced by the bikes, it is like he has energy on tap. The differences

the bikes versus hand pedestals. I think the control system and design

of the foil shapes and ultimately how the crew is failing the boat

will be the big thing. It is obvious your leg muscles are bigger than

your arm muscles and when you want the hits of power in manoeuvres, we

can throw it around. At never really run out of rhythm. The third biggest

difference between the two is how the boats flying. Oracle have the

same approach as other teams in that the helmsman flies the boat while

driving at the Kiwis, they have almost like an autopilot. Blair

Tuke, the fourth bicycle rider, is focused on this display we want to

know what is on it. It looks like he is trying to keep one line on

another line and if you can match the two together, the boat has this

magic carpet auto control and so it has freed Peter up to be a tactician

and driver, something that the rest of the helmsmen and Jimmy would not

be able to do. Talk to anyone on the team and they will say there are a

couple of things that are innovative but there are probably another 50

people cannot see. We have an incredible tool and we are excited

about being able to get out there and throw it around. Bermuda is

Britain's oldest remaining overseas territory and there was a royal

visitor to the sold-out race village. Her Royal Highness Princess

Anne was a guest of the organisers. After watching racing, with the

legendary cup skipper and chairman of the organising authority, she was

welcomed as a guest of the Ben Ainslie racing base at the dockyard.

Let's get back to the action. Ken and Alastair Eykyn in the commentary

box. Commentary: It is hard to pick up

the ships from the television. The New Zealanders, leading 5-1. Led

by Peter Burling. More aggressive by both teams. They could not

accelerate and then suddenly team New Zealand has Oracle in a bad

spot. Oracle has to stay out of the way, Rob -- Oracle is in a deep

hole. No penalties. They deemed that Oracle stayed out of the way. At

this stage, this is almost a must win race for Oracle. Tearing away,

the Kiwis. Boxed in Jimmy Spithill and Oracle Team USA in the

pre-start. Clearwater in front and behind. Peter Burling's team are

flying. Never mind the start time. That does not matter. It is just

about your opponent. Where can you pin him down and where can you leave

him for dead? Oracle tried to get aggressive. Tacking around. And then

could not accelerate. Team New Zealand in a radical turn,

accelerating quicker. Again, cannot afford it at this

stage. We want to make this an event, that is not the way to do it.

A masterstroke from Peter Burling. 38 nots as they round Mark 1 and

head downwind for the first time in its race with the Americans a long

way back and in big trouble. 7-1 in starts, for Peter Burling and

Emirates Team New Zealand in the America's Cup match. Not a statistic

anybody predicted. Who would have thought that? I talk to smart

people. Everybody thought it was a potential major weakness of Peter

Burling. I would not say you guys had your way with Artemis in the

semifinals but it was a strength of your programme. I was saying to some

of the boys, we've lost one the races and we did a good job and

right now Peter Burling is doing the same to Jimmy Spithill, which is a

surprise to many of us. Not least the American helmsman

himself. He will no doubt take personal responsibility. He will be

quietly simmering inside. Time to make something happen. 175 metres

behind right now. Certainly within passing, the pass zone we have

talked about. Keep in mind it is not 5-1, it is really 6-1 in wins and

losses. Six races to one, something has got to give, to turn around. You

cannot bury your head in the sand as a say, this is going to change.

Nothing is changing. The Americans are splitting the course at the

bottom gate. There will be people who will have caught sight of the

contest in San Francisco for years ago and wondering if there are

familiar situations ongoing, whether this is a different scenario. The

most fundamental scenario is that the Americans have had their time to

go adapting and changing. This might be a decent wind shift for the

Americans. Let's not count them out. A clean race from the Kiwis. It

would put them within touching distance of the trophy. 160 metres

between the two. The Americans gaining. They need a wind shift to

help them. This is a replay of the pre-start. Oracle starts leaning

back and decide to go slow, to see if they can track them. They are

trying to trap them up above to this side of Oracle. Burling spins

around. The next thing you know, Jimmy Spithill is going to be going

head to win and complete control by Burling. I was surprised, but

nothing should surprise us, how quick return was and how radically

affected the acceleration of team New Zealand, who turned it around on

top of Oracle. The teacher and a bustard. It was a masterstroke from

Burling, but this gap is not a big one. It is all on, right now. Almost

in unison, the two boats tacking. A little quick, Oracle, revving it up

a bit going into the tack and came out more effective. A bit of the

medicine of the Kiwis turned against them.

SAILOR: Just got to get through this. It is really slippery.

Stand-by. It is going to be ugly. We have got to go. Fascinating

listening to the tactical discussion between Tom Slingsby... It is going

to be ugly, but we have got to go, meaning we have got to do something

here. Not a surprise because they have made gains. Thought it was

going to be light on this side of the racecourse. Team New Zealand go

with them right away. Using their code two jibs. The lead turning into

250 in a heartbeat. The Kiwis yet again a long way out in front.

Dictating the terms of the race. The Americans having to adapt their

policies to change things up, to see what they can do to disrupt this

Kiwi passage. The Americans very tight to the boundary. They may have

gone into the boundary, they have. They have picked up a penalty as a

result. Surely that is an unforced error. They have to burn off two

boat lengths. They were 50 metres behind not too long ago and this

will be in the hundreds. Could it be a software problem? About where the

boundary was? Hell does it happen? They have a lot on their minds but

that is a basic error at that stage. -- how does it happen? Trying to

keep the boat going 30 knots while steering and adjusting the boards.

You are right, they have a lot on their mind, clearly too much.

Another one they would love to have back.

Jimmy Spithill complained yesterday, thinking the Kiwis have been handed

soft decisions by the umpire system but this one he has done all on his

own. Was not even close. Three quarters of a boat lengths outside

the boundary. They will need wind strength. 250 metres, which means

when they turn the bottom mark, it will be 150 or so. Average speed is

good. Even the Kiwis have done one more manoeuvre. The only statistic

that matters is the one on your screen up there that says 300

metres. The mistakes. You start 100 metres behind and go outside the

boundary and get a penalty, not good.

The mechanics. Back and forth. Fascinating to those of us whose

sail for a living. It is a different world how the guys were trimming the

foil. Getting little of the accolade, sitting in the middle of

the boat. He has a box underneath, he has no winches, no ropes. The

choreography is impressive. When the manoeuvres are made, everybody knows

what is happening, where they are going. You can see the box in his

hand. It is a different world. You asked earlier, what is different

from San Francisco to now? I think anybody looking at this cycle will

say the most innovative boat is winning right now. In San Francisco,

the most innovative boat early in the event was not winning. Leapfrog

is the boat that might have been more off the pace. This is not the

case this time. What about the magnitude of what the Kiwis end up

doing here? I do not want to speak out of turn but I heard it described

as David and Goliath in terms of funding, as we see the Americans

performing arguably their worst manoeuvre of the race so far. Down

to tends only. Loss of speed catastrophic -- down to ten knots.

What is your reading? They do not look comfortable. You talk about

over pressing in sport, it feels over pressed. Desperation time. In

this race, maybe not yet for the event.

That gives you a bird's eye view of the crisp activities of Emirates

Team New Zealand. The tack. It is effortlessly performed. Everybody is

in sync. Again, with the hulls out of the

water, zero verbal communication between the Kiwis.

I think what we just heard might tell you the story of the cup. "We

Are really happy just going fast now." Just go a little faster!

We were talking about slaying the dragon. This is incredible. One

thing that is interesting, there is no doubt as the Oracle boat made

their foils more slippery, possibly thinner, they are doing a similar

technique to team New Zealand, bearing off, gaining speed into the

tack and whipping it through the tack. There is no doubt people have

gone to school on how the Kiwis have been tacking their boat through this

event. On the right-hander of the screen, the green creeping up as

they to work. We spoke about their ability to replenish their fuelling

supply. 350 is the max number, where the system tops out. It has a valve

that will bleed it off at 350, but both teams have plenty of juice

left, because of these guys. The final downwind leg for the New

Zealanders, who know they are very, very close now. Jimmy Spithill has

to pull several cats out of the bag. That second tack, the second split,

again. This is desperation time, Christian. You talked about how

shifty it was, Christian, but I am not sure it is that shifty to make

up a 600, 700 metres lead. I agree. You guys mentioned it, Oracle are

making too many mistakes with a bad decision at the bottom mark to go

for the late gybe which cost them another 200 metres. And the

boundary. The guys are sailing well. Unlovely top mark rounding. Good

tacks, good gybes, but making too many errors. They have got to step

it up. It is hard to argue with that assessment. For this lot, history is

beckoning. No doubt, the kind of characters they are, they will not

allow themselves to think too far ahead, but the rest of us can. To

look above the heads, on both shrouds, there is a little peace.

They are vibration dampening devices. The shrouds are

cylindrical. At these speeds they develop a horrible humming noise. It

is a vibration. They are asymmetric in shape. Little foils. If you put

your hand on it you can stop the vibration sometimes. Instead of

putting your hand up and holding on, there are widgets to keep it from

vibrating and may be breaking something, they vibrate so

violently. They are cruising away at the moment, the New Zealanders. They

have sails of outstanding race from the word go, right from the

pre-start. When Peter Burling outfoxed Jimmy Spithill. Trapped him

into a corner. Headed off into the blue. And he is seemingly not to be

caught, not to be stopped. Down the runway he goes. This fearless team,

this team that arrived with little baggage. Glenn Ashby the only

survivor on-board Emirates Team New Zealand who was present in San

Francisco four years ago, and they are out to right the wrongs and they

are doing everything in their power to make it happen. Making it look

simple. That is the most impressive thing. 100% flight time. Up on the

foils for the entire race and the Kiwis hurtling across the finishing

line and into match point in the America's Cup. Their dream close to

reality and the Trophy tantalisingly within their grasp. But the chickens

will not be counted just yet. Talk about almost the perfect race. The

100% flight time amidst the pressure, phenomenal. -- fly time.

They have been here before. Cast your mind back to 2013 and the

dramatic events of possibly the greatest comeback sport has seen and

that is what Jimmy Spithill will be clinging on to now, and is just

about the only thing he can cling on to now. Celebrations for the New

Zealanders. Job not quite done, but they are very close. The standings

with the Kiwis, 6-1 ahead, which means they are at match point, one

race win from claiming the oldest trophy.

You cannot help but be impressed. Their grasp on the oldest trophy in

world sport now tantalisingly close. For the Americans, they may be

beginning to run out of answers. Jimmy, given the scoreline, who is

under more pressure, you all the Kiwis? Probably them to be honest.

We have nothing to lose. We have to go out guns blazing and really focus

on getting a win on the board. Reflections on the day. Too many

mistakes from us. I thought we did a lot of things good but at the end of

the day, if you make mistakes you get punished and that is what

happened today. If you look at the errors, between the two teams,

clearly we made too many which is why they won two races.

Congratulations. It looked like you could not put a foot wrong. We still

made a lot of mistakes. I think we did a great job from recovering and

not giving these guys of opportunity to pass like we did yesterday. We

felt we had a good opportunity to win the last race yesterday and we

tidied up the issues of yesterday. We are excited with the way we

improved and stepped forward. Who is under more pressure, you or Jimmy?

We have made it no secret that to win this you have to win eight races

and you have to win that last race. We are excited about the opportunity

to do that. We have some great fans here. Kiwi flags in the crowd and

back home and on the road. We appreciate the support we get from

back home. You took a while to come back to the harbour and some of the

senior management got on board. What was the basis of that conversation?

Are you starting to looking at holding the cup? Like I said before

we have things we want to work on and there are things on the boat not

working as well as we wanted today which made life harder in some

situations. We got guys on board to rectify that test things. We felt we

have a better understanding of what is happening. What about you

personally? Tomorrow you could make history. Has that sank in? Nothing

changes for us, we have to win eight races, which is what we came here to

do and what we have been trying to do the last three years. We enjoy

situations where you get put under pressure. How much does the result

four years ago affect the way you have gone about this campaign,

particularly at the sharp end now? Last time, when team New Zealand was

in this situation I was in Marseille racing a 49er. The debrief we had

after that, it has set is up to be in this position now and I would not

be here today without that heartache in San Francisco. You have been an

America's Cup helm all your career, is this as tough as it gets? In a

team environment you would rather be performing well than not but having

said that, we have been here before and had to go through tough

situations and pull off comebacks. This was not McLaren coming into

this, we would rather do it the other way, but we are here -- this

was not our plan coming into this. We will not be waiving any white

flags. Punchy talk from Jimmy Spithill. I am joined by Olympic

sailor Stevie Morrison. He talked it up but a lot of errors today. He

cannot get away from that. They have sacrificed some of the

manoeuvrability and control in the boat to be quick but the starting is

where we expected him to be strong and he made mistakes today. Team New

Zealand, it seems every day, better and better, with no weaknesses. It

does not appear so. Yesterday they were perhaps trying to expand, sail

the shifts on their own and ignore Oracle. But perhaps part of the

debrief last night, part of the team we have not seen, I think the whole

team is superb and getting better as the event goes on. You know Peter

Burling well and have raced against him. He is only 26. I wonder if the

baggage you'd of what could happen is beginning to sink in? I do not

see it, he is used to winning, winning the World Championships in a

49er and an Olympic gold medal. World title. Everything he does he

wins and at the moment he is carrying on on that part. Is it game

over? Never say never. It is a race, it is shifty, but a hard fight for

Oracle. Four years ago, Oracle did that, coming back from this

position. Join us tomorrow.