INEOS Britannia has one last chance to turn this Cup around . . . Unlikely as that might seem.
Four nil down in a first to seven-win series, puts the British team on notice that Emirates Team NZ can put this beyond all reasonable doubt Wednesday.
Two more losses Wednesday will remove any realistic chance of Ineos Britannia winning the 37th edition of the America’s Cup.
But, and it is a big but, there is still room to change the course of this Cup.
One win for Ineos on Wednesday will break the Kiwi team momentum and open a window of opportunity.
Two wins for Ineos would reset the clock and throw the event wide open.
With a score at 4 – 2 there would be a real chance for Ainslie and Co to turn the match around, and extend the series with renewed vigour and a belief that they can beat the Kiwis.
And if you’re going attempt the ‘near’ impossible, then you are in good hands.
Co-helm Dylan Fletcher, with crew Stuart Bithell, snatched 49er Gold at the Tokyo Games from under the noses of Pete Burling and Blair Tuke, with a last race win.
While Skipper Ben Ainslie is a past master of the last gasp victory . . . his most famous in this very competition as a member of the Oracle USA team, coming back from 1 – 8 to a 9 – 8 Cup win over Emirates Team New Zealand.
Of course, ‘Nul Points’ on Wednesday will put the Kiwis on a sudden-death match-point, and a fifth America’s Cup victory within their grasp.
Both the breeze and sea state are expected increase for Wednesday, which could provide a different race scenario.
Enough to make a major performance difference for either team we shall have to wait and see.
If the score is 6 – 0 at the end of racing Wednesday the regatta organisers apparently intend to stage the next racing over the weekend 18, 19 October.
