AC35: Russell Coutts – "This time the Kiwis clearly have the better package"

HAMILTON, BER – Sir Russell Coutts has praised Emirates Team New Zealand's dominance in the America's Cup Match against ORACLE TEAM USA, saying the Kiwis have the better package. This as reported by Tati Pokorny, our longtime friend and former neighbor in Hamburg, Germany, in her report from Bermuda to the German website Yacht Online published today. Read the full story entitled "Die Kiwis haben das bessere Paket" in German here, or SI's translation of the key part of the article below (Meg Ehman still remembers most of her German, certainly more than your Ed.).

Team New Zealand helmsman Peter Burling and his teammates lead Oracle 3-0 in the race to seven wins at the America's Cup.America's Cup boss Russell Coutts says New Zealand have become a force to be reckoned with. "We saw so many exciting races in the Challenger Playoffs, and it is unfortunate that this is not the case in the finals," Coutts told Yacht Online. "We all hoped for a good fight. We hope now that Oracle has made some good changes in the preparation. So far it's been rather one-sided." Coutts was the "genius" that was behind Oracle's miraculous comeback win in San Francisco four years ago."The guys are working hard on it but it is different than four years ago," said Coutts. "At that time (2013) I was convinced that Oracle had the better package. We only had to learn to use it optimally and to sail optimally. This time, the Kiwis clearly have the better package."

Photo from last weekend courtesy of Ricardo Pinto / ACEA.