In a classic duel on high seas, the challenger from New Zealand prevailed in a race with eight lead changes on Tuesday to beat defending champion Alinghi and pull ahead 2-1 in the America's Cup.
Emirates Team New Zealand, which nearly had a crew member fall overboard, won a bow-to-bow battle to the finish for a 25 second win in the best-of-nine series.
After the race was delayed for nearly two hours because of shifting winds, Alinghi owner and afterguard member Ernesto Bertarelli said organizers should have postponed it until yesterday.
"I don't think the wind should decide the regatta, the competitors should decide the race on their ability," Bertarelli said after the defeat. "I think we raced really well, we were just a bit unlucky."
New Zealand conceded the early lead to guard its right-hand advantage in the blustery conditions. The move paid off as the Kiwis took a 300m lead up the first upwind lap. But a poor spinnaker set around the second marker almost threw bowman Richard Meacham over the side and allowed the Swiss back into the race up the third leg.
Alinghi's faster boat gained on the Kiwis to round the final marker by a boat-length. But the Kiwis split to the left behind a stronger breeze, and the lead changed three times over the final run before the NZL-92 boat earned a hard-fought victory that handed Alinghi its first deficit in America's Cup racing.
The fourth race for the Auld Mug, international sport's oldest trophy, was scheduled to take place yesterday.
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