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5:51pm - Join us at 4:15pm tomorrow for the fifth and sixth race of this best-of-13 series.
Race 4
Emirates Team NZ v Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli
Team NZ win by 1m 3s, series level 2-2
Finish - Team NZ hit the right layline and head to the finish-line.
They cross the line to level up this series. Big sigh of relief!
Italy reach the line 1m 3s behind and predictably lost more time on that final leg.
Sixth leg - Italy have lost more ground here and now lag 58 seconds behind. Looks like the Kiwis will level up the series with victory here.
The NZ lead is 750m - what a turnaround from that first race!
Fifth leg - Luna Rossa throw in an extra jibe and have lost another 14 seconds downwind.
The lead is still only 420m for NZ, who arrive at the left boundary and tack back across the course to shadow Luna Rossa.
Italy tack left and will cross about 500m behind. Team NZ respond to match them.
Italy have tacked right, but NZ continue to the left boundary before following. The winds are very light and Kiwis are handling that better.
Team NZ heading to the right layline and tack with a lead more than 600m. They take a very wide berth.
They round the left mark on a very shallow trajectory and head downwind on the right side of the course...
Fourth leg - NZ's lead out to 450m, as they head downwind.
Now, the lead is more than 500m. Both boats now heading right across the course, but now a long way apart.
Team NZ seem to be lining up the right layline.
Luna Rossa hit the right boundary and jibe left. The Kiwis are on the right layline now and heading for the bottom gate.
They round the left mark and head upwind on the fifth leg...
Third leg - The margin has stretched out to almost 400m.
After splitting at the bottom mark, the boats are both headed right.
Italy tack away to the left and the deficit is now 400m again.
They're both head back towards the centre of the course from their different sides. Team NZ 330m ahead.
The Kiwis are travelling at 31 knots upwind, the Italians a little under 30 knots.
Italy seem to be nibbling into the lead, which is almost down to 200m.
Team NZ tack and drag their belly along the water - they're laying for the line from the right. Luna Rossa are 260m back, but nowhere near laying for the top gate.
The Kiwis round the left mark and pass Luna Rossa on their journey down the left side of the course. The Italians are 34 seconds back.
Second leg - The Kiwis lead by 100m downwind, where they seem to be better.
They head down the right side of the course and then jibe towards the centre. Luna Rossa match, but they're trailling.
The boats cross, with NZ 170m ahead. Team NZ don't quite reach the left boundary, before jibing back towards centre.
Luna Rossa jibe left and will cross 210m behind. They immediately jibe to follow Team NZ right.
NZ laying for the bottom gate with a 160m lead. They round the left mark first, with Italy taking a very circuitous route.
They round 34 seconds behind - they were almost mowing the lawn.
First leg - Team NZ heading left and have a slight lead immediately. Italy tack right.
Both boats are drag-racing down the first leg and Italy have their noses in front to the right.
Luna Rossa tack left and are behind, but Team NZ tack away before the cross.
Italy tack right and NZ stretch their lead to 80m, then beyond 100m, as they continue left.
NZ arrive at the left boundary and tack right, maintaining a 100m lead.
The boats cross, with NZ holding a 79m lead, as they head right.
Luna Rossa actually lay for the top mark first from the left, but Team NZ will round first, just nine seconds clear.
Start - That delay was only five minutes and we're now in the pre-start. Race committe confirms we have a race.
Team NZ enter first from port and apparently port entry has won all three races so far...
The Kiwis are off their foils momentarily, Luna Rossa tucked in tight behind.
BOth hit the line together with Team NZ to port, as they were first time today.
5:13pm - There's word we may have a delayed start to the next race...
Have to say, Peter Burling's body language wasn't great during his post-race interview. He was talking about small margins, but his team were 500m behind at the finish and he has that Dean Barker glazed look in his eyes.
4:52pm - Race committee confirms the next race will start 5:20pm.
Race 3
Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli v Emirates Team NZ
Luna Rossa win by 37 seconds, lead series 2-1
Finish - Luna Rossa take the race and 2-1 lead in the America's Cup match.
NZ follow 37 seconds later and must now wonder what they can do to turn the tables.
Sixth leg - Spithill will be unbearable, after this win. He may act humble, but the Kiwis will know that smirk all too well.
The margin is beyond 400m now - no way back for Team NZ.
The margin is now 500m and growing.
Fifth leg - Team NZ lose ground, as they tack right, back towards the centre of the course.
Italian lead is about 240m, but the Kiwis tack again from the right boundary.
Luna Rossa heading left, but tack back right to cover Team NZ, who are 240m behind and in their wind shadow.
Italy are on the right layline now, heading for the top gate. They round the left mark and are well down the course, when Team NZ finally follow 38 seconds back.
Fourth leg - Wow, the lead is now more than 300m and growing.
The Kiwis seem to be better downwind, but they're not making any headway into the Italian lead.
As both boats head across the course to the right, Team NZ have chipped the lead back below 300m.
Italy lay for the bottom mark from the right. Team NZ have hacked three seconds off the deficit, as they round the right mark 22 seconds behind.
Third leg - Both boats heading left, with Italy holding a 200m lead.
The Kiwis tack, but Luna Rossa continue left a little, before matching the move.
Team NZ tack away to the left again. The boats are too far apart for a full-on tacking duel, but there's a fair amount of tacking taking place.
Italy hold their lead at about 250m. Spithill's heart monitor seems stuck on 85bpm, which is way too low at this level of sport.
Italy laying for the top gate from the right, Team NZ heading for the left layline.
Luna Rossa have this race under control at the halfway mark, rounding the left mark 27 seconds ahead, as Team NZ round the right mark.
Second leg - Team NZ are working the right side of the course, Luna Rossa the left, but both jibe back towards the centre.
Italy's lead is now over 200m, although Team NZ seem a couple of knots faster.
Luna Rossa jibe from the right boundary, but don't seem to be laying yet. Team NZ making up some ground in the middle of the course.
Italy round the left mark, NZ follow 13 seconds behind.
First leg - Neck and neck, as both boats head down the left side of the course.
Team NZ tack first, but Luna Rossa immediately match and now have a few metres' lead.
The Italians have opened up a lead of 80m, as they head across the course towards the right side.
The Kiwis tack left and Luna Rossa follow.
NZ tack right, but Luna Rossa continue left, stretching their lead to over 100m.
Luna Rossa are laying for the top gate from the left, Team NZ continuing to the right boundary, before they lay.
Italy round the right mark first, NZ are aiming for the left and are 10 seconds behind, as they head downwind.
Start - Luna Rossa will enter first from the port side of the start box. Race committee has confirmed the race will proceed.
Luna Rossa are up on their foils, possibly for the first time today.
The Italians enter the box at 37 knots, Team NZ at the same speed from starboard and immediately drop in directly behind Luna Rossa.
Race committee has postponed the start, due to spectators on the course. The Kiwis seemed to have a nice position to track their rivals, so that's a real blow for them.
New start time is 4:23pm - eight minutes away.
Boats are now preparing to re-enter the start area again.
The Italians are late into the box again and the Kiwis immediately drop in behind again, as they were first time.
Both boats hit the right boundary and tack, but the Kiwis tack first to lead back to the line.
They're sailing along the line and Team NZ are first across at the port end.
4:09pm - Winds are lighter at the start end of the course, near the Beachlands shore, so that start will be crucial again.
Luna Rossa have changed to their light-air sail configuration, but the breeze is lifting, so maybe they've been caught out.
3:42pm - Apparently the mainsail is down on Luna Rossa, which can't be good news this close to the start time.
3:25pm - Drama out on the water, with Luna Rossa struggling to get up on their foils in the light winds. Apparently technicians are all over the boat, trying to fix the problem.
Meanwhile, Team NZ are cruising around on their foils, no problem. This could be an indicator for what to expect in today's racing.
*****
Kia ora, good afternoon and welcome to Newshub's live coverage of the second day of the 2021 America's Cup match between holders Emirates Team NZ and challengers Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf.
The two sides couldn't be split, after an opening day of racing that saw the Kiwis take the opening race, before Jimmy Spithill's men stormed back to level the scores.
The start will again be key to deciding the outcome of Friday's races, with 13 of the last 14 races won by the boat that won the opening leg.
Light winds are expected on Friday, which could play into the challengers' hands, with winds expected to average at 6-9 knots. This could see the return of more tactical racing and more lead changes to entertain the fans, something that has been missing over the entire campaign.
Team NZ could bring out their newest toy in their quest to retain the 'Auld Mug'. Enter 'The Whomper' - a specifically designed sail, similar to a gennaker, to help push Te Rehutai downwind in light air when sailing is in displacement mode (off the foils).
Racing today will take place on Course E, the southernmost track of the six available.
With Auckland's COVID-19 alert level downgraded to Level 1 at noon today, the inner-harbour courses are back in consideration.
Northeast variable winds that could turn to south-west winds of six-nine knots are expected, but with sizeable fluctuations that will test crews' ability to think on their feet.
TAB odds: Team NZ: $1.40, Luna Rossa: $2.80
Team NZ's 'whomper' sail light-wind secret weapon - Orams
Don't buy into the talk that Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli hold a significant advantage over Emirates Team New Zealand in light-air conditions.
That's the opinion of America's Cup guru Mark Orams, who says the Kiwi crew may have a secret weapon to combat the Italians' perceived pace.
Luna Rossa have consistently had the best-performing boat in lighter air throughout the pre-Christmas world series, the challenger series and Prada Cup final, while the holders have struggled in similar conditions.
And with a maximum of seven knots forecast for Friday afternoon, Luna Rossa appear to hold the advantage.
Enter 'The Whomper' - a specifically designed sail, similar to a gennaker, to help push Te Rehutai downwind in light air, when sailing in displacement mode (off the foils).
"That's a sail that has been designed for the risk of a really light-air race, where you get stuck and can't fly, and you need a little more power to get you down the race track to make the time limit," Orams tells Newshub.
"There is a risk of falling off the foils [below seven knots] and we saw a little bit of that in the Christmas Cup.
"A boat can catch a period of breeze and pull out a few hundred metres in no time, and then complete a manoeuvre into no air and then the other boat comes back. We could see a bit of that cat-and-mouse game, if the air is light as forecast."
And Orams believes Team NZ's smaller foils could bring a speed advantage in all conditions - not just upper wind levels.
The Kiwi boat looked quicker in a straight line on Wednesday in conditions up to 15 knots and Orams isn't writing off that transitioning to lighter air.
"The foils are very different in design and configuration. The general consensus has been that the Luna Rossa foils are slightly better suited in lighter winds.
"However, Team New Zealand have worked hard in the last few months on their lighter-wind performance and just because their foils are smaller, it doesn't necessarily mean they will be slower in the lighter air.
"It does mean they will be a little more vulnerable in turning, but inherently, smaller foils in a straight line have less drag and are therefore faster.
"It remains to be seen, but I wouldn't make the assumption that Team New Zealand will be slower in lighter air than Luna Rossa."
Wednesday's racing saw the two teams split victories, with passing appearing near impossible.
In the last 14 races, only one pass has been made - by Luna Rossa against INEOS Team UK during challenger racing.
Orams expects more of the same, especially if the wind is above seven knots, meaning the start becomes the pivotal moment of each race.
"These boats are so evenly matched," says Orams. "We are getting to a point now that unless someone makes a mistake, the boat in front can keep control.
"The thing that allows them to do that is the boundary. It's very unusual in sailing to have an artificial boundary that forces you to tack and come back to the middle.
"That means the leading yacht knows exactly where the opposition is going and when they will be forced to come back, so they can keep bouncing them out to the boundary and control the race.
"I think the pattern we have seen in the last month continues, which means it all comes down to the start, because it is so difficult for the trailing boat."
