Christopher Clarey: How Emirates Team NZ was able to rout OTUSA

HAMILTON, BER – Still, the Kiwis survived only by reducing salaries and taking calculated risks on design like the long-secret decision to add cycling pedestals to their boat to generate power, instead of the conventional hand-cranked pedestals used by other teams. The move freed some of the Kiwi grinders’ hands to help control the boat’s foils and other systems. The team also made the right calls on navigational control systems for the challenging AC50 foiling catamarans and on which foils to use in the light winds that prevailed in Bermuda. Perhaps most important, the team successfully navigated the contentious transition from the popular veteran helmsman Dean Barker to the 26-year-old Peter Burling. Burling — cool and confident under pressure in Bermuda — turned out to be just the man for the very tricky job, and he helped produce a one-sided result that was humbling for Oracle’s star helmsman, Jimmy Spithill, and its billionaire owner, Larry Ellison. –The esteemed Christopher Clarey's piece for the New York Times this morning. Full story.

ETNZ's sailing team and management moments after winning yesterday's final AC35 Match. Photo: Gregory Bull / Associated Press via the New York Times