Team
U.S.A. Wins Canada’s Cup in Closest Ever Cup Finish
TORONTO,
October 10, 2007- In the
most dramatic finish ever seen in Canada’s Cup competition,
U.S. Challenger Robert Hughes and Heartbreaker came from behind
on the final leg of the final match race on Monday to cross
the finish line less than half a boatlength ahead of Defending
team Honour. The win brought the final score of the championship
to 5-4 and finally gave Hughes the victory that has eluded
him in two prior Cup challenges in 2001 and 2003.
Team
Heartbreaker could not contain their enthusiasm as they loaded
the Cup into their inflatable tender, racing from the Royal
Canadian Yacht Club’s island headquarters to the mainland,
hoping to catch their flights back to Michigan. “We
can’t wait to bring the Cup to her new home at Macatawa
Bay Yacht Club,” said Team Manager Mary DeVries. “This
means so much to us – we’ve all been brought along
by Bob Hughes’ vision, and now we’ve succeeded
at
what he started years ago.”
TORONTO,
October 14, 2007- Defending team Honour
retained their one-point lead today after four long races
in this nail-biting match racing championship on Lake Ontario.
The one-point difference between the Defender and challenging
skipper Bob Hughes is eerily reminiscent of scores going into
the final days of the last two Canada's Cup Championships.
In both 2001 and 2003, Hughes and his Heartbreaker
team lost on the final racing day to seasoned Farr 40 teams
from the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. Tomorrow, the challenging
team from Macatawa Bay, Michigan will try to break free from
their final-day curse, and bring Canada's Cup home with them
to Lake Michigan.
In
yet another day of shifty, unpredictable wind, Heartbreaker
had a strong, aggressive start and a clear boat
speed advantage. The US lead was short-lived though,
as a very loose cover opened the door for Honour
tactician Gavin Brady to turn nearly a one-minute
trailing position to a 25 second lead. The Canadian
team held off a charging US crew, finishing by just seconds
to the delight of the flag-waving, horn-blowing spectator
fleet, out in force to cheer on their home team. Heartbreaker
went on to win the next two races by larger
margins, setting up a final race in around 8 knots of breeze,
with the sunset racing to reach the horizon before the competitors.
