Team New Zealand's win over Artemis today has come under a cloud after America's Cup race management admitted they got it wrong in penalising the Swedish boat at the final mark rounding.
Artemis were charging towards certain victory on the final reach after an epic battle with Emirates Team New Zealand, which featured nine lead changes, until they received a penalty for a port-starboard incident at the final mark rounding.
The Swedish team were forced to slow their boat until Team NZ had gained a two boat-length advantage - handing the Kiwis the point.
The umpires have now admitted they got it wrong, however their decision on the race course stands and the result cannot be reversed.
"When they were coming down to the final gate mark, with the information we had at the time, we had Artemis Racing on port, as the keep clear boat, and Emirates Team New Zealand on starboard, and our job is to be certain that Artemis Racing were keeping clear, and we weren't at that time certain they were keeping clear," said chief umpire Richard Slater.
"We have had a discussion, we have looked at other evidence, information and data, and I think if we were to go back in time and make that call, we would green that call and not penalise Artemis."
The results of race 14 of Round Robin 1 in the Louis Vuitton America's Cup Qualifiers stand.
Team NZ helmsman Peter Burling said he took the only option available to him and played to the rule book for victory over his Swedish rivals.
In the best race of the regatta so far, Team Sweden were in a dominant position down the final leg and seemed to have the win well in hand, as they sprinted towards the finish-line ahead.
But they were slapped with a late penalty for not allowing their rivals enough room to turn safely around the final mark and Emirates Team NZ were able to claim a result that had looked beyond them.
"We had to round out incredibly quick out of that jibe to avoid contact and we were pretty lucky to keep the boat upright," observed Burling afterwards.
"How the run was setting up, we didn't have too many options. We were really lucky to get the lead at the top mark and obviously the Artemis boys got a little bit more pressure down that side on the run.
"The only way we could get back into it was to try and get them on starboard at the bottom. Full credit to all the guys on the boat for keeping working super hard and keeping the hydraulic fluid into the systems to allow us to pull off that kind of manoeuvre.
"Like any sport, you've got to play to the final whistle."
Swedish skipper Nathan Outteridge was obviously frustrated at the outcome, but stopped short of blowing up at the post-race press conference. There is no room for protest in America's Cup sailing, so he must now live with the result and chalk it up to experience.
"It was obviously a pretty good race, such an epic battle the whole way round, and I'm sure Pete and the boys enjoyed it as much as we did, probably a bit more at the very end there," said Outteridge.
"We knew it was going to be a tight bottom mark, with a left turn to the finish, and we set ourselves up to lay the middle of the gate, so if they had an overlap, we could give them enough room.
"We were coming in pretty quick and just shaved the three-length zone. As we were approaching, it was pretty obvious from our position that we were going to make the cross, so we still gave them plenty of room to make the jibe and went around the outside.
"We were a bit shocked when the blue light came on."
America's Cup standings (after round one of qualifying)
Oracle - 5 pts
Team NZ - 4 pts
Team BAR - 3 pts
Artemis - 2 pts
Team Japan - 2 pts
Team France - 2 pts
