1 00:00:06,667 --> 00:00:10,467 Speaker 1: You're listening to the Weekend Sport podcast with Jason Fine 2 00:00:10,707 --> 00:00:11,787 Speaker 1: from newstalk EDB. 3 00:00:13,067 --> 00:00:16,867 Speaker 2: The thirty seventh America's Cup matches almost upon US. Emirates 4 00:00:16,907 --> 00:00:21,507 Speaker 2: Team New Zealand have their challenger. Britannia are on course 5 00:00:21,827 --> 00:00:25,467 Speaker 2: to make the match, and they will attempt to achieve 6 00:00:25,507 --> 00:00:27,467 Speaker 2: what no other British challenger has done and win. 7 00:00:27,507 --> 00:00:30,507 Speaker 3: The Old Monk, after his one hundred and seventy three years, 8 00:00:30,507 --> 00:00:32,347 Speaker 3: have heard the wake might soon be over. 9 00:00:33,587 --> 00:00:37,987 Speaker 2: Britannia rules the waves of the Mediterranean with a sevenfoth victory. 10 00:00:38,347 --> 00:00:41,547 Speaker 2: You win the Louis Witton Cup and we'll meet Emirates C. 11 00:00:41,747 --> 00:00:42,267 Speaker 3: New Zealand. 12 00:00:42,507 --> 00:00:44,867 Speaker 2: Indeed they will, and he asks Britannia have earned the 13 00:00:44,947 --> 00:00:47,347 Speaker 2: right to challenge Emirates Team New Zealand in a best 14 00:00:47,467 --> 00:00:50,587 Speaker 2: of thirteen race series off the coast of Barcelona for 15 00:00:50,747 --> 00:00:54,507 Speaker 2: the America's Cup. They become the first British boat to 16 00:00:54,587 --> 00:01:00,307 Speaker 2: contest the Cup's decider in sixty six to oh sixty years, 17 00:01:00,347 --> 00:01:03,067 Speaker 2: the last time nineteen sixty four. 18 00:01:03,427 --> 00:01:04,107 Speaker 3: The first two. 19 00:01:03,987 --> 00:01:06,827 Speaker 2: Races early tomorrow morning, New Zealand time, a scheduled time 20 00:01:06,867 --> 00:01:10,187 Speaker 2: of one am New Zealand time for Race one, then 21 00:01:10,227 --> 00:01:13,107 Speaker 2: two more races Monday morning before a break, racing resuming 22 00:01:13,187 --> 00:01:16,347 Speaker 2: on Thursday and then on until we have one of 23 00:01:16,347 --> 00:01:19,707 Speaker 2: these two boats with seven race wins, they will win 24 00:01:19,947 --> 00:01:24,667 Speaker 2: the America's Cup. Hugely experienced and successful sailor and now 25 00:01:24,787 --> 00:01:28,347 Speaker 2: Emirates Team New Zealand coach Ray Davies is with us 26 00:01:28,347 --> 00:01:31,027 Speaker 2: out of Barcelona. Ray, can we start with your challenger 27 00:01:31,107 --> 00:01:34,827 Speaker 2: inny Ospritanna it is? Did you expect them to come 28 00:01:34,867 --> 00:01:36,707 Speaker 2: through and be your challenger? 29 00:01:37,987 --> 00:01:38,147 Speaker 1: Oh? 30 00:01:38,227 --> 00:01:39,707 Speaker 4: Looks to be honest. 31 00:01:39,827 --> 00:01:39,867 Speaker 1: No. 32 00:01:40,307 --> 00:01:42,627 Speaker 4: Earlier on in the regatta they were struggling a bit, 33 00:01:43,107 --> 00:01:45,467 Speaker 4: but as the regatta went on and on, they just 34 00:01:45,987 --> 00:01:49,267 Speaker 4: came into their own and as we saw in that final, 35 00:01:49,347 --> 00:01:52,307 Speaker 4: they were sailing really really well and pretty much blew 36 00:01:52,427 --> 00:01:56,347 Speaker 4: part or away. So look, it's great to have Britain 37 00:01:56,547 --> 00:02:01,067 Speaker 4: back in the America's Cup. We know all of their 38 00:02:01,747 --> 00:02:05,467 Speaker 4: players on their team and we just know how you know, 39 00:02:05,747 --> 00:02:09,467 Speaker 4: passionate around the America's Cup and the sport and being 40 00:02:09,467 --> 00:02:12,387 Speaker 4: in the final, it's going to be absolutely huge. It's 41 00:02:12,427 --> 00:02:13,467 Speaker 4: going to a proper battle. 42 00:02:14,187 --> 00:02:17,627 Speaker 2: What did you learn about your boat, Tayto during racing 43 00:02:17,867 --> 00:02:20,667 Speaker 2: in the preliminary regatta and in the round robin stages 44 00:02:20,667 --> 00:02:21,427 Speaker 2: of the Louis Vauton. 45 00:02:23,547 --> 00:02:26,427 Speaker 4: Yeah, look, we learned. We learned that we were fast, 46 00:02:27,547 --> 00:02:29,547 Speaker 4: but we have to bear in mind that we raced 47 00:02:29,547 --> 00:02:32,787 Speaker 4: against the Thames in the early stages and we saw 48 00:02:32,827 --> 00:02:37,427 Speaker 4: them improve. And we've since sped our boat up with 49 00:02:37,867 --> 00:02:41,667 Speaker 4: some more components on board and tweaks to the foils 50 00:02:41,707 --> 00:02:44,547 Speaker 4: and sales, et cetera, et cetera. So we've got quicker, 51 00:02:45,027 --> 00:02:48,347 Speaker 4: they've got quicker. We don't really know until we actually 52 00:02:48,347 --> 00:02:51,627 Speaker 4: come off that startline who's going to have the advantage, 53 00:02:51,827 --> 00:02:54,787 Speaker 4: and it could be different in different conditions. 54 00:02:55,347 --> 00:02:59,267 Speaker 2: How have you managed right to replicate match racing conditions 55 00:02:59,307 --> 00:03:02,347 Speaker 2: since you stopped participating in the Louis Vuitton about a 56 00:03:02,347 --> 00:03:03,067 Speaker 2: month or so ago. 57 00:03:04,827 --> 00:03:08,547 Speaker 4: Yeah, look, we we can races. We do that ashore 58 00:03:08,667 --> 00:03:12,307 Speaker 4: and we make it really challenging for the boat on 59 00:03:12,387 --> 00:03:15,507 Speaker 4: the water to make sure they're doing their precere routines. 60 00:03:16,147 --> 00:03:19,227 Speaker 4: They're under as much pressure. We give them a difficult 61 00:03:19,347 --> 00:03:22,267 Speaker 4: drill to do, so the maneuvers are challenging and hard. 62 00:03:23,627 --> 00:03:25,667 Speaker 4: You know, what we've seen with these boats is as 63 00:03:25,747 --> 00:03:29,507 Speaker 4: teams have got better with their boat handling, that directly 64 00:03:29,627 --> 00:03:32,667 Speaker 4: translates to them being better at starting the boats and 65 00:03:33,027 --> 00:03:36,227 Speaker 4: being out of maneuver the opposition, and you know, we 66 00:03:36,307 --> 00:03:38,987 Speaker 4: see they saw that at the end of the Louis 67 00:03:39,067 --> 00:03:42,467 Speaker 4: the time where I think Prada felt pretty vulnerable in 68 00:03:42,547 --> 00:03:45,227 Speaker 4: some of the tighter maneuvers with the way their flails 69 00:03:45,267 --> 00:03:48,747 Speaker 4: were designed, so they ended up on the back foot 70 00:03:48,867 --> 00:03:52,867 Speaker 4: quite often, and any offers were quite aggressive and are 71 00:03:52,867 --> 00:03:56,347 Speaker 4: waiting for an opportunity. So now we've had to have 72 00:03:56,547 --> 00:03:59,587 Speaker 4: seen that we were in that camp already. We feel 73 00:03:59,707 --> 00:04:04,827 Speaker 4: like we're a very maneuverable boat. And the crews spent 74 00:04:05,187 --> 00:04:09,867 Speaker 4: thousands of hours literally, you know, just understanding the physics 75 00:04:09,947 --> 00:04:13,307 Speaker 4: when we do maneuver of these boats and tight situations, 76 00:04:13,947 --> 00:04:16,147 Speaker 4: there's a real fine line and if you fall off 77 00:04:16,187 --> 00:04:19,987 Speaker 4: the foils, obviously it's a massive loss. Off you bent 78 00:04:20,147 --> 00:04:22,587 Speaker 4: the ruther, massive loss and you're on the back foot. 79 00:04:22,667 --> 00:04:26,747 Speaker 4: So that's the challenge with these boats, high risk, high reward. 80 00:04:27,307 --> 00:04:28,347 Speaker 3: How do you balance that right? 81 00:04:28,427 --> 00:04:32,787 Speaker 2: How do you balance calculated risk taking with the smallest 82 00:04:32,907 --> 00:04:34,267 Speaker 2: possible margin for error. 83 00:04:36,067 --> 00:04:38,667 Speaker 4: Yeah, it's actually it's a great question. It's really hard 84 00:04:38,707 --> 00:04:42,587 Speaker 4: because if you go conservative, like you know, we felt 85 00:04:42,747 --> 00:04:44,747 Speaker 4: proud of it a little bit in the final there 86 00:04:44,867 --> 00:04:47,987 Speaker 4: you're kind of on the back foot and then you're 87 00:04:48,107 --> 00:04:51,667 Speaker 4: really you know, you can't afford to you can't afford 88 00:04:51,707 --> 00:04:53,187 Speaker 4: to be on the back foot. You've got to be 89 00:04:53,267 --> 00:04:56,147 Speaker 4: able to know that you can match them in any situation. 90 00:04:56,347 --> 00:04:59,787 Speaker 4: And the whole key is to not make the first mistake. 91 00:05:00,547 --> 00:05:02,507 Speaker 4: You're going to put the pressure on. Both teams will 92 00:05:02,507 --> 00:05:04,947 Speaker 4: be doing it to each other to try and force 93 00:05:05,027 --> 00:05:08,067 Speaker 4: the first mistake and then that's you know, that that 94 00:05:08,267 --> 00:05:12,747 Speaker 4: initial advantage which can translate to being pretty significant. But 95 00:05:13,227 --> 00:05:17,467 Speaker 4: the track have been too conservative, clearly there isn't there 96 00:05:17,507 --> 00:05:22,627 Speaker 4: as the phone line. Uh, if you're too conservative, too complacent, 97 00:05:22,787 --> 00:05:24,827 Speaker 4: well we're just going to get walked all over. So 98 00:05:25,107 --> 00:05:27,867 Speaker 4: you know we can't do that either. So it's going 99 00:05:27,907 --> 00:05:30,627 Speaker 4: to be fascinating to see what sort of aggression both 100 00:05:30,947 --> 00:05:32,107 Speaker 4: teams bring to the table. 101 00:05:32,387 --> 00:05:34,987 Speaker 2: Absolutely, you've talked a bit about the start there and 102 00:05:35,307 --> 00:05:38,347 Speaker 2: the pre start. Are you able to articulate right just 103 00:05:38,467 --> 00:05:40,747 Speaker 2: how important that part of the races? 104 00:05:43,027 --> 00:05:46,267 Speaker 4: Well, the race isn't one and lost in the start, 105 00:05:46,547 --> 00:05:51,827 Speaker 4: you know you can you can be seriously compromised if 106 00:05:51,867 --> 00:05:55,107 Speaker 4: you do come off the foils and have a massive deficit. 107 00:05:56,147 --> 00:05:59,227 Speaker 4: And you know, we've spent all of these years trying 108 00:05:59,267 --> 00:06:02,627 Speaker 4: to get a couple more seconds of performance through the 109 00:06:02,947 --> 00:06:05,307 Speaker 4: entire race track. We'd spend a lot of money if 110 00:06:05,347 --> 00:06:08,267 Speaker 4: you could buy five seconds of performance around the track. 111 00:06:08,987 --> 00:06:11,947 Speaker 4: But you know that can all be taken away by 112 00:06:12,187 --> 00:06:14,987 Speaker 4: one mistake and the piece start on the wrong side 113 00:06:15,027 --> 00:06:17,827 Speaker 4: of the other boat and missing it shift. So it's 114 00:06:17,867 --> 00:06:22,467 Speaker 4: actually incredibly important. You know, it's probably you know, seventy 115 00:06:22,627 --> 00:06:25,107 Speaker 4: or eighty descent of the race in some conditions where 116 00:06:26,027 --> 00:06:28,227 Speaker 4: when the breeze is not changing very much and it's 117 00:06:28,267 --> 00:06:31,027 Speaker 4: pretty steady, then you just got to have that initial 118 00:06:31,067 --> 00:06:35,787 Speaker 4: advantage and then just put your elbows out so sounds 119 00:06:35,827 --> 00:06:36,507 Speaker 4: clean from there. 120 00:06:38,227 --> 00:06:40,467 Speaker 3: How do you win if you lose the start. 121 00:06:42,427 --> 00:06:44,867 Speaker 4: Well, you have to keep it tight. You have to 122 00:06:45,027 --> 00:06:47,987 Speaker 4: not take risks. You just have to keep the pressure. 123 00:06:48,427 --> 00:06:50,347 Speaker 4: As you look, you're relying on the other team to 124 00:06:50,427 --> 00:06:52,667 Speaker 4: make a mistake, but if you can keep the pressure 125 00:06:52,747 --> 00:06:55,707 Speaker 4: on them, there's obviously much higher chance you're going to 126 00:06:55,787 --> 00:06:58,867 Speaker 4: make a mistake. You've got to be with unstriking difference. 127 00:06:58,907 --> 00:07:01,547 Speaker 4: But when that one mistake happens, you're pouncing, you're in 128 00:07:01,627 --> 00:07:04,787 Speaker 4: the lead. You've got to keep it close enough. You 129 00:07:04,867 --> 00:07:06,547 Speaker 4: know you're probably only going to get the chart of 130 00:07:06,667 --> 00:07:11,347 Speaker 4: one mistake, So you've got to be obviously, stay in 131 00:07:11,467 --> 00:07:14,147 Speaker 4: the game and just keep putting the pressure on the 132 00:07:14,227 --> 00:07:18,827 Speaker 4: other boat. You know, it has never over to the 133 00:07:19,027 --> 00:07:25,187 Speaker 4: end and these boats, you know, it's really relentless. How 134 00:07:25,307 --> 00:07:27,667 Speaker 4: important boat handling is. 135 00:07:28,387 --> 00:07:30,547 Speaker 2: The nature of the structure of the event of courses 136 00:07:30,547 --> 00:07:32,987 Speaker 2: that any US pretendua I guess you'd say a match 137 00:07:33,507 --> 00:07:36,347 Speaker 2: race hardened. They've been racing all of this time, they've 138 00:07:36,387 --> 00:07:39,467 Speaker 2: been making improvements as they race. How do you take 139 00:07:39,507 --> 00:07:41,947 Speaker 2: that away or how do you replicate that or combat 140 00:07:42,067 --> 00:07:44,867 Speaker 2: that given the fact that that you haven't been doing that. 141 00:07:47,107 --> 00:07:50,427 Speaker 4: Yeah, look, we know we have our ways of being 142 00:07:50,467 --> 00:07:53,667 Speaker 4: able to race the boat on the water and simulate races, 143 00:07:54,227 --> 00:07:56,747 Speaker 4: but that's you know, we do put ourselves under pressure, 144 00:07:56,747 --> 00:08:00,227 Speaker 4: and obviously we analyze what they've been doing. We study 145 00:08:00,827 --> 00:08:03,707 Speaker 4: the times that they do their maneuvers, and we can 146 00:08:03,827 --> 00:08:08,227 Speaker 4: replicate those races and the simulator and you know, there's 147 00:08:08,267 --> 00:08:12,467 Speaker 4: always a move and a countermove, and i'd like to think, 148 00:08:13,347 --> 00:08:15,627 Speaker 4: you know, we've learned a lot since our last races, 149 00:08:16,227 --> 00:08:19,347 Speaker 4: and we've definitely you know, every team is improving all 150 00:08:19,387 --> 00:08:21,787 Speaker 4: the time, and like you just have to just do 151 00:08:21,907 --> 00:08:24,387 Speaker 4: your homework. It's all you can do at the stage. 152 00:08:25,227 --> 00:08:27,587 Speaker 4: There's no point from the training gets any other team. 153 00:08:27,907 --> 00:08:30,307 Speaker 4: You're not allowed in it, and everyone's moved on. So 154 00:08:30,387 --> 00:08:32,827 Speaker 4: you're never going to be as good as You're never 155 00:08:32,867 --> 00:08:34,467 Speaker 4: going to have as good a training partner as they're 156 00:08:34,507 --> 00:08:37,067 Speaker 4: going to just finishing there again, So you know, we 157 00:08:37,307 --> 00:08:41,387 Speaker 4: virtually make it as hard as we can in the simulator. 158 00:08:42,147 --> 00:08:44,307 Speaker 4: To be honest, I go on about the simulator. It's 159 00:08:44,307 --> 00:08:48,907 Speaker 4: an absolutely incredible tool. You know, we can just do 160 00:08:49,147 --> 00:08:53,707 Speaker 4: multiple starts and to our simulator session and come on 161 00:08:53,747 --> 00:08:57,667 Speaker 4: with some really good solid learnings and have shared consciousness 162 00:08:57,787 --> 00:08:59,867 Speaker 4: between there outstanding. 163 00:09:00,107 --> 00:09:02,747 Speaker 3: So right, where are you when racing is going on? 164 00:09:04,947 --> 00:09:08,107 Speaker 4: Yeah, when racing's going on on the chase boat, I 165 00:09:08,267 --> 00:09:12,867 Speaker 4: just keep an eye on the weather and focus pretty 166 00:09:12,907 --> 00:09:15,507 Speaker 4: hard on making sure what stars we head up we 167 00:09:15,667 --> 00:09:19,387 Speaker 4: have up and Josh and Sam are right alongside me 168 00:09:20,467 --> 00:09:23,547 Speaker 4: working really hard with the guys on prestart strategies, what 169 00:09:23,747 --> 00:09:26,427 Speaker 4: side of the course we like. We've got Roger vannam 170 00:09:26,467 --> 00:09:29,547 Speaker 4: Ow weather Man a sure giving us simput into what's 171 00:09:29,587 --> 00:09:31,987 Speaker 4: going to happen in the future. We obviously know what's 172 00:09:32,067 --> 00:09:34,867 Speaker 4: happened with the weather and it's all about just trying 173 00:09:34,867 --> 00:09:37,107 Speaker 4: to predict what's going to happen next with the breeze 174 00:09:37,147 --> 00:09:41,067 Speaker 4: over the next half hour. And obviously the designers now 175 00:09:41,187 --> 00:09:45,347 Speaker 4: we're switched into performance mode and analyzing all of our maneuvers, 176 00:09:45,907 --> 00:09:49,227 Speaker 4: all of the opposition's maneuvers. Where can we make incremental 177 00:09:49,307 --> 00:09:53,347 Speaker 4: gains from here on? And you know, the debris at 178 00:09:53,347 --> 00:09:57,147 Speaker 4: the end of the day is incredibly thorough. The detail 179 00:09:57,227 --> 00:09:59,867 Speaker 4: that we can dive into nours go on to a 180 00:09:59,907 --> 00:10:02,907 Speaker 4: whole other level, and you know, we really utilize that 181 00:10:03,587 --> 00:10:06,147 Speaker 4: the design team as part of the coaching stuff as well. 182 00:10:07,427 --> 00:10:09,907 Speaker 2: And you won the America's Cup with Team New Zealand 183 00:10:09,987 --> 00:10:13,347 Speaker 2: and twenty seventeen and again in twenty twenty one. What 184 00:10:13,547 --> 00:10:17,507 Speaker 2: is most helpful ray from those regattas in twenty twenty 185 00:10:17,547 --> 00:10:18,827 Speaker 2: four if anything. 186 00:10:20,547 --> 00:10:22,987 Speaker 4: Well, look, I'm just having the belief to know that 187 00:10:23,067 --> 00:10:25,467 Speaker 4: we can do it. But the team can perform under pressure. 188 00:10:25,547 --> 00:10:30,187 Speaker 4: We as you really enjoy the pressure the sailors coming 189 00:10:30,187 --> 00:10:32,667 Speaker 4: into their own and a lot of top sports people do. 190 00:10:32,827 --> 00:10:36,467 Speaker 4: They actually thank clarer and perform better under pressure. And 191 00:10:36,947 --> 00:10:39,867 Speaker 4: I'd like to think we have a team that operates 192 00:10:40,067 --> 00:10:42,347 Speaker 4: really well under pressure. So that's you know, we know 193 00:10:42,507 --> 00:10:44,907 Speaker 4: we can do that. We've done it before. We're a 194 00:10:44,987 --> 00:10:48,427 Speaker 4: much stronger team than we've ever been before, so we 195 00:10:48,907 --> 00:10:52,227 Speaker 4: get a lot of strength from that. Right. 196 00:10:52,267 --> 00:10:55,107 Speaker 2: It's been great to chat to you, very very instructional 197 00:10:55,227 --> 00:10:55,907 Speaker 2: and interesting. 198 00:10:56,027 --> 00:10:57,987 Speaker 3: I get the feeling you're just waiting for it all 199 00:10:58,027 --> 00:10:58,747 Speaker 3: to get underway. 200 00:10:58,907 --> 00:11:03,067 Speaker 2: So all the best as you prepare to defend the 201 00:11:03,147 --> 00:11:04,947 Speaker 2: America's Cup against Andy Os Pretenda. 202 00:11:04,987 --> 00:11:06,107 Speaker 3: Thanks so much for taking the time. 203 00:11:06,027 --> 00:11:09,587 Speaker 4: For a We can't wait. And this is so good 204 00:11:09,627 --> 00:11:11,627 Speaker 4: to see all the Kiri supporters coming out here and 205 00:11:11,627 --> 00:11:13,787 Speaker 4: the other planes are full of them. Fantastic. 206 00:11:13,947 --> 00:11:16,307 Speaker 2: Good to hear, Ray, good to hear. Thanks indeed, Ray 207 00:11:16,387 --> 00:11:19,427 Speaker 2: Davies there from Emirates Team New Zealand. He's his official 208 00:11:19,747 --> 00:11:23,267 Speaker 2: title as coach of Emirates Team New Zealand. A good 209 00:11:23,307 --> 00:11:25,987 Speaker 2: insight there into what he does in terms of making 210 00:11:26,027 --> 00:11:27,547 Speaker 2: that bug go as fast as possible. 211 00:11:28,027 --> 00:11:31,227 Speaker 1: For more from Weekend Sport with Jason Fine, listen live 212 00:11:31,347 --> 00:11:34,707 Speaker 1: to News Talks b weekends from midday or follow the 213 00:11:34,787 --> 00:11:36,227 Speaker 1: podcast on iHeartRadio.