Victory Is Near for Kiwis

New Zealand’s Black Magic sailed within reach of America’s Cup history, pushed along by a colossal tactical blunder by Italy’s Luna Rossa.

As if the veteran sailors aboard the untouchable black boat needed any outside help, they got it anyway in routing Luna Rossa by 1 minute 49 seconds today to take a 4-0 lead in the best-of-nine series that resumed after two consecutive postponements because of light winds.

Black Magic skipper Russell Coutts celebrated his 38th birthday by matching a record with his ninth consecutive America’s Cup match victory.

While reaction was low-key, it will be completely different if the Kiwis can win Race 5 on Thursday, making New Zealand the first country other than the United States to successfully defend the oldest trophy in sports.

In closing in on their second consecutive 5-0 finals victory, the Kiwis are establishing themselves among the most dominating crews in America’s Cup history.

Coutts tied Charlie Barr’s record of nine consecutive victories, set during three defenses from 1899-1903 when the New York Yacht Club turned back the first three of five consecutive challenges by tea baron Sir Thomas Lipton.

Coutts skippered Team New Zealand to a 5-0 defeat of Dennis Conner off San Diego in 1995.

This victory came about because Italian tactician Torben Grael, an America’s Cup rookie, inexplicably gave away a two-length lead on the upwind first leg by breaking sailing’s golden rule of covering the competition. In failing to stay between Black Magic and the buoy marking the end of the leg, he let the Kiwis take the right side of the course and the starboard tack advantage.

The Kiwis have led at all 45 turning marks dating to the first race of the 1995 Cup final.