A mechanical problem forced Team New Zealand out of the second race of the America’s Cup challenger series, handing Italy’s Luna Rossa a victory.
The win evened the best-of-13 Louis Vuitton Cup finals at one apiece.
A second race scheduled for Sunday was cancelled because of winds above the prescribed limit on San Francisco Bay, with two races now scheduled for Monday.
The winners of the series will take on defenders Oracle Team USA in the America’s Cup finals in September.
Team New Zealand, who won race one on Saturday despite a scary nose-dive that flung two crew members overboard and damaged their AC72 catamaran, were leading Luna Rossa when they were halted by an apparent problem with the hydraulic system that controls the daggerboard.
“The boats are driven by hydraulics,” said Team New Zealand skipper Dean Barker. “We had a problem and it’s a bit of a problem when you can’t tack or jibe the wing or rake the boards, the boat’s pretty much crippled.”
Luna Rossa helmsman Chris Draper was happy to gain the point, although it was another anti-climactic finish. The Italians had pulled out mid-race on Saturday with daggerboard damage.
Point to Luna Rossa as Kiwis forced out of race
