Team New Zealand has defended its title, winning the 37th America’s Cup by defeating Britain’s INEOS Britannia 7-2 in the best-of-13 series.
The thrilling final races took place just off Barcelona’s sunny beaches, cementing New Zealand’s dominance in high-speed yachting.
This victory marks the Kiwis’ third consecutive win, following triumphs in Bermuda (2017) and Auckland (2021). With this feat, New Zealand becomes the first team to win the America’s Cup three times in a row. Onboard their 75-foot yacht Taihoro, the New Zealand crew celebrated by hoisting their national flag and a special banner thanking Barcelona in Catalan.
“It’s just sinking in,” said skipper Peter Burling after his 22nd America’s Cup finals race win. “What an amazing day and an amazing team!”
Despite their efforts, INEOS Britannia, led by Sir Ben Ainslie, failed to bring the trophy — often called the “Auld Mug” — back to Britain. “We gave it our all, but Team New Zealand was simply the better team,” Ainslie said. Britain’s wait for its first victory in the event’s 173-year history continues.
The final races were filled with drama. After an early crane mishap damaged the Taihoro, the Kiwis rallied to win the first four races. Britannia bounced back with two wins, but New Zealand shut the door with three straight victories to secure the cup.
With their fifth America’s Cup win overall, Team New Zealand now looks ahead to defending the title once more. Whether they’ll continue in Barcelona or move the next competition elsewhere remains to be seen.
