BARCELONA: New Zealand beat Britain in the opening race of the America’s Cup on Saturday, with the holders building on an early lead after storming across the start slightly ahead of their challengers. The win gives New Zealand a 1-0 lead in the first-to-seven contest, with co-helms Peter Burling and Nathan Outteridge delivering a calm and composed performance in light Mediterranean winds off Barcelona.

“We got a great start there and managed to control it,” Burling said on the America’s Cup live broadcast. “It was quite a dynamic race,” Outteridge added of the conditions on the race course, with winds fluctuating. British skipper Ainslie’s team are in the duel for the “Auld Mug”, which was first raced in 1851 and is billed as the oldest trophy in international sport, for the first time in 60 years. “The Kiwis did a nice job ... they just sailed a slightly better race,” Ainslie said, adding it had been a long time since the British had sailed against the New Zealand team.

“A long way to go yet, don’t worry, we’ll keep pushing.” An adage among America’s Cup followers is that “the fastest boat wins”, with the two high-tech AC75 foiling monohulls set to be put to the test in the week ahead.

The 37th Cup is being contested off the Spanish city of Barcelona, where variable winds and unstable sea states in the qualifying events have made sailing conditions challenging. Early cloud lifted and the wind picked up on Saturday as race time drew close, with a postponement as the officials waited for it to steady before starting the head-to-head clash.

‘Bring the cup home’

Ainslie’s decade-long campaign to “bring the Cup home” has been backed by British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe and they have worked closely with the Mercedes Formula One team to come up with a race-winning package and end “173 years of hurt”.

Britain battled their way to challenge New Zealand by beating Italy 7-4 in the Louis Vuitton Cup, with Ainslie’s team showing improved speed and handling through the qualifying races as they tweaked both their boat and sailing technique.

There was a party vibe at the British base with tunes from DJ Rob da Bank as the crew prepared to dock out, with horns blaring and fans waving flags as the sailors and their support crew pulled away from their base.

New Zealand have been practicing alone and also making changes, with team boss Grant Dalton saying he expected the AC75s to be “pretty equal” in speed, meaning whichever gets off the start fastest has a greater chance of controlling the race.

Hundreds of New Zealand supporters sporting black kit, many draped in the country’s flag, cheered the Kiwis as they were given a Maori send-off, before their boat was escorted away from their dock and into the port by a traditional waka canoe.

Saturday will include the first America’s Cup final for women, with Britain and Italy qualifying on Friday. Italy has already won the Youth America’s Cup in the smaller AC40 boats that are being used for the women’s event. — Reuters