For another half a degree, the
$10 million worth sleek NZL05 boat of Team New Zealand would have tipped over and
capsized during race 8 on September 15, 2013 in the finals races of the 34th
America’s Cup. Not only would the boat
be damaged and most possibly sink, some of the sailors would have fell into the
waters and suffered injuries, if not worst.
One news article described it
rather more dramatically: “Left to the mercy of the laws of physics, the boat
heeled at a dramatic angle, hanging there for what seemed like minutes before
slowly righting itself.”
After the race which Team New
Zealand lost to Oracle Team USA, TNZ skipper Dean Barker was asked to comment
on what could have ended his team’s $120 million campaign. He said, “I think we were close as we
possibly could have got without the boat going on its side…We must have had
someone looking down on us.”
Barker and his team have
worked hard for the past three years to find themselves in the finals against the
well-financed defender Oracle Team USA. The latter team, having won the
previous contest, set the rules that nearly made it difficult for any team to
compete especially with the new design. TNZ had to convince the New Zealand
Government to support it with $36 million people’s money, and source the
balance from sponsors and other benefactors.
All the sacrifices would
have gone to naught for one mistake, yet there was “someone looking down on us.” From that near-disaster, TNZ has taken Oracle
Team USA to some of the finest ever sailing races in the history of America’s
Cup.
As I am writing this on September 19, TNZ is
just one win away from raising high the “Auld Mug”, the oldest active trophy in
international sport. TNZ deserves to win against a team that won the 33rd
America’s Cup by cheating. (Oracle Team USA started the race with -2 score).
Praise you Dean Barker for acknowledging
God. And when TNZ wins, as it certainly will, let us give “thanks to the LORD,
for he is good. His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136:1)
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