Bernie Wilson: Kiwis clinch spot against Oracle Team USA in America's Cup

HAMILTON, BDA – Quote: There were subdued celebrations aboard the Kiwi cat until a magnum of champagne arrived. Grinder-trimmer Blair Tuke, who teamed with [ETNZ Skipper Peter] Burling to win Olympic gold and silver medals, popped the cork and sprayed his mates. Their focus has to shift immediately to trying to atone for the mind-blowing loss in 2013. "That's why we came to Bermuda, that's what we're here to do is bring that Cup back home to New Zealand," said Burling, who replaced the fired Dean Barker after the 2013 collapse. "We feel like we've had an incredibly tough road to get here. We've gone through a lot of adversity with the things like the capsize and some tough races here and there. But one thing about this team is they've dug super deep to get us to this point, keep making the boat go faster while fixing the things that we've broken." –Bernie Wilson, the Associated Press' esteemed sports reporter based in San Diego who has been covering the Cup since 1992, in today's wrap-up story for the AP via the Fresno Bee. Bernie will be in Bermuda from next Tuesday through the end of the AC Match. Full story.

Emirates Team New Zealand defeated Artemis Racing (SWE) today in the Challenger Finals to advance to the America's Cup Match against the Defender, Oracle Team USA, which begins in Bermuda on Saturday. Photo: Gilles Martin-Raget / ACEA via the AP.