SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Emirates Team New Zealand tore the tarp in the center of its catamaran and lost two men overboard before holding on to beat hobbled Italian Team Luna Rossa in a scary opener to the Louis Vuitton Cup finals Saturday.
The Italians scrambled to repair lines around the right dagger board of their 72-foot catamaran just before the start. They caught a break when officials delayed the race 20 minutes waiting for the wind to drop below the 19-knot limit (21.86 mph).
Luna Rossa’s broken board wobbled up-and-down within seconds and fell far behind. The Kiwis quickly had their boat hydrofoiling above the water and they seemed to be flying away with the win until the front of the hulls dipped under water and two men tumbled overboard during a sharp turn.
Both crew members were lifted out of the water by a rescue boat within seconds, and Emirates finished the race with nine men. It was not immediately clear if they were injured.
