Emirates Team New Zealand has clinched a spot in the America’s Cup challenger finals, rebounding from a capsize two days earlier to eliminate British sailing star Ben Ainslie.
The Kiwis won two of three races against Ainslie’s Land Rover BAR on Bermuda’s Great Sound on Thursday to win the series 5-2 and advance to face the winner of the series between Sweden’s Artemis Racing and SoftBank Team Japan.
The Kiwis, the hard-luck losers in the 2013 America’s Cup, passed the British late in the first race to win by 31 seconds and reach match point.
Ainslie then sailed his best race of the regatta, winning by 20 seconds to stay alive.
But Land Rover BAR made a mistake during the prestart of the next race and 26-year-old Peter Burling steered the Kiwis to a wire-to-wire win.