36TH AMERICA’S CUP PREVIEW WITH SHIRLEY ROBERTSON

Tune in for a two-part podcast with Shirley and special guests as they prepare for the final races

With the final races of the 36th America’s Cup Match now just moments away, Shirley Robertson previews the action in another two-part podcast from the heart of the action in Auckland New, Zealand.

The two-part podcast kicks off with an interview with the port side helm of the successful Challenger, the AC36 Challenger of Record, Luna Rossa’s Francesco Bruni. Bruni has been at the forefront of the Italian team’s significant improvements in performance over this campaign, and is both realistic and candid as he discusses their Prada Cup success. He attributes much of that success to the calm and level head of co-helm, Jimmy Spithill, and is both respectful and hopeful when quizzed about their Cup opponents, Emirates Team New Zealand.

Part one features a discussion with Francesco Bruni, Robertson talks to Emirates Team New Zealand supercoach Ray Davies. Davies is a mastermind of the new world of Cup racing, and has been a proud member of the Kiwi outfit for almost two decades. The gossip around the harbourside in Auckland of late has been of the team’s sensational speeds out on the water and Davies is quick to dispel any chat that the team are anything but race ready. While the Challengers have all been fighting out against each other, the Defender has been clocking up the training miles out in the Hauraki Gulf, and as competition draws near, Davies is clear on how pleased he is with the team’s progress.

Both Bruni and Davies discuss their thoughts on their respective opponents, their thoughts on how the racing has been to date, and how and where the match may be won and lost. Ahead of the first to seven wins match, it’s an insightful listen to augment enjoyment of the upcoming broadcast.

In part two of the Cup Preview, Robertson looks back on the Prada Cup Challenger Selection Series with fellow broadcast commentator and America’s Cup veteran Kenny Read. The pair discuss the performance of the three Challengers, before being joined by special guest, David ‘Freddie’ Carr. Freddie, a one time Extreme 40 team mate of Robertson’s, is the lynch pin of the INEOS TEAM UK grinding unit.

Freddie talks honestly about the teams turn around of fortune, before moving on to the loss to Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli. Carr discusses how he thinks the Cup Match may pan out, before leaving Robertson and Read to go over their thoughts on the upcoming action.

As a preview to the upcoming first to seven wins regatta, it’s an insightful hour of chat to take in before racing resumes out on the waters of the Hauraki Gulf.