American Magic yesterday paid tribute to their three America’s Cup rivals who helped repair their main yacht, Patriot, after it capsized during a Challenger Series race on Jan. 17.
The vessel sustained significant damage after a gust of wind caused it to go airborne and hit the water before falling on its side.
It returned to the water for the first time yesterday, featuring a large sticker on its side with the New Zealand, UK and Italian flags overlapping, and the words “thank you” written alongside.
Photo: AFP
“The band-aid graphic with the three flags that covers the repair is an acknowledgement from all of us of the invaluable assistance received from each of the other three syndicates,” an American Magic representative told the New Zealand Herald.
American Magic grinder Sean Clarkson was confident that they would hold their own when they meet Luna Rossa in the best-of-seven repechage semi-finals, with the first race scheduled for tomorrow.
“It’s a fantastic boat and we have a very good bunch of sailors,” Clarkson told the NZ Herald. “I don’t see anything different when we put it back in the water. It will be business as usual.”
Ineos Team UK skipper Ben Ainslie was impressed with how quickly American Magic had completed the repairs.
“You couldn’t help but imagine if that was you,” Ainslie wrote in his column for the Daily Telegraph. “I asked one of our senior engineers whether we would have been able to make it back for the semi-finals had the same thing happened to us and he said: ‘No chance.’”
The winner of the semi-finals is to meet Ineos in the Challenger Series final, which is to decide who takes on Team New Zealand for the America’s Cup from March 6.
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