Britain lose by just 20 seconds on return to America’s Cup

BRITAIN were defeated in their historic first return to the America’s Cup stage in 15 years, as they lost to Team Dennis Conner’s vastly experienced crew on Stars and Stripes in the first showcase race of the 31st America’s Cup series.

Caught slightly flat-footed off the start line, a deficit they quickly recovered, Peter Harrison’s young GBR Challenge team came back at Stars and Stripes five times and came close to passing the New York Yacht Club team at the last leeward mark.

In the shifty breeze which rose and fell and changed direction by up to 25 degrees at times both teams knew that their best chance of success was to stick in the same patch of water, and a classic duel emerged. At best GBR Challenge whittled back an early 17 seconds margin to just six seconds, but chose to gamble on the final downwind leg.