New Zealand's boat damaged after crane mishap on opening day of America's Cup title defense

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Emirates Team New Zealand got off to a bungled start of its America's Cup trophy defense Thursday when its yacht was damaged after a mishap with the crane removing it from the water after the sailing event's opening races.

The 75-foot “Taihoro” monohull won't be fit to sail on Friday and maybe for several days to come, the team said, after it took a hard hit when it fell some six meters (20 feet) and “landed heavily” on its cradle supports at the team's base in Barcelona's old port. New Zealand said that no crew members were hurt but that it would need to assess the damage.

“It’s certainly going to put us out for quite a while,” team CEO Grant Dalton said. "I was in my office and heard it. It sounded like a bomb went off. It will probably put us out for the round robins. Maybe we get back before the end of them, maybe not. Until we assess it properly we just don’t know.”

Fortunately for the Kiwis, their races in the opening round-robin phase over the next two weeks don’t count. Dalton’s team will then have a bye over the the following two rounds. The real racing for New Zealand begins in six weeks, when they will face the best of five challengers who survive the knockout rounds.

Dalton and skipper Peter Burling, along with other team members, inspected the ship after it was raised up by a crane and gently secured in the cradle's frame. They gave a specially long look at the starboard hydrofoil that was resting on the concrete ground until the ship was put in the correct position. The worst case scenario would be if its hull were cracked.

The incident overshadowed New Zealand's win, which didn't count for points anyway, over Italy's Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli earlier in their opening race.

A pre-start mistake most likely cost American Magic a point in its first race, against INEOS Britannia.

American Magic, the boat representing the New York Yacht Club, fell off its foils when it slowed down too much in low-wind conditions before the race start. By the time the AC75 Patriot got back up to speed, the British had already crossed the start line and built a 700-meter lead.

The Brits earned the winning point, but skipper Ben Ainslie was downbeat after seeing the Americans eat up a large part of the huge lead they gifted his boat. American Magic finished only 12 second behind INEOS.

“It was a great race in the end, because American Magic had a problem at the start, but they did a nice job getting back into the race and keeping it close and getting some good gains back,” INEOS skipper Ben Ainslie told The Associated Press. “So for us it was mixed emotions really, very pleased to get a point on the board but also, our performance in straight line and maneuvering, we need to work on that.”

The Americans were left ruing what might have been.

“We need to be better at the starting and how we approach (it),” said American Magic helmsman Paul Goodison told the AP. “But we there’s plenty of good takeaways. We can we can learn that.”

French team Orient Racing Express beat Switzerland’s Alinghi Red Bull Racing after passing them halfway through the six-leg race.

The Italians bounced back from their meaingless loss to New Zealand by beating Orient Express by nearly 1 1/2 minutes.

The opening double round robin phase of the America’s Cup will eliminate the weakest of the five challengers by Sept. 8.

New Zealand is aiming for a third straight cup win after being victorious in 2017 in Bermuda and 2021 in Auckland. The Kiwis brought the 37th America's Cup to Barcelona saying it was necessary to guarantee the financial security of the team and a competition that would attract enough sponsors. Fashion and luxury goods designer Louis Vuitton has returned as the official sponsor of the race, and the trophy is secured in a custom Louis Vuitton case when it travels.

The America’s Cup is the world oldest international sports trophy. Only four countries — the U.S., New Zealand, Australia and Switzerland — have ever won it.

Spain’s King Felipe VI, who sailed in the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, was in attendance on Day 1.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Emirates Team New Zealand inspects the team’s America’s Cup boat after it was damaged when a crane failed while moving it from the water to its cradle after the opening day of racing on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand inspects the team’s America’s Cup boat after it was damaged when a crane failed while moving it from the water to its cradle after the opening day of racing on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand inspects the team’s America’s Cup boat after it was damaged when a crane failed while moving it from the water to its cradle after the opening day of racing on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand inspects the team’s America’s Cup boat after it was damaged when a crane failed while moving it from the water to its cradle after the opening day of racing on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand’s boat is shown after it was damaged when the crane failed while removing it from the water after racing on the opening day of the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand head Grant Dalton inspects the foil tip of his team’s America’s Cup boat after it was damaged when a crane failed while moving it from the water to its cradle after the opening day of racing on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand inspects the team’s America’s Cup boat after it was damaged when a crane failed while moving it from the water to its cradle after the opening day of racing on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand’s boat is shown after it was damaged when the crane failed while removing it from the water after racing on the opening day of the 37th America’s Cup in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Emirates Team New Zealand inspects the team’s America’s Cup boat after it was damaged when a crane failed while moving it from the water to its cradle after the opening day of racing on Thursday Aug. 29, 2024 in Barcelona, Spain. (AP Photo/Joseph Wilson)

Luna Rosa Prada Pirelli Team's AC75 boat sails during America's Cup Preliminary Regatta ahead of the 37th America's Cup sailing race at the Barcelona's coast, Spain, Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. The world's oldest international sports trophy, best yachtsmen and cutting-edge design and technology will come together in Barcelona when the 37th edition of the America's Cup starts on Thursday. (AP Photo/Joan Monfort)

BUKWO, Uganda (AP) — Thousands of mourners in Uganda paid respects to Rebecca Cheptegei, the Olympic athlete who died last week in Kenya after her partner set her on fire, at a military funeral in a remote town near the Kenyan border.

Military officers played a prominent role in the funeral because Cheptegei held the rank of sergeant in Uganda's army, said military spokesman Brig. Felix Kulayigye, adding that she deserved a “gun salute that befits her rank."

Athletes, family members and others delivered their eulogies before thousands in a sports field in the district of Bukwo.

Cheptegei, who was 33, will be buried later on Saturday.

She died after her body suffered 80% burns in the attack by Dickson Ndiema, who doused her in gasoline at her home in western Kenya’s Trans-Nzoia County on Sept. 3. Ndiema sustained 30% burns on his body and later succumbed to his injuries.

According to a report filed by the local chief, they quarreled over a piece of land the athlete bought in Kenya.

The horrific gasoline attack shocked many and strengthened calls for the protection of female runners facing exploitation and abuse in the East African country.

Cheptegei’s body was returned to Uganda Friday in a somber procession following a street march by dozens of activists in the western Kenyan town of Eldoret who demanded an end to physical violence against female athletes.

Cheptegei is the fourth female athlete to have been killed by her partner in Kenya in a worrying pattern of gender-based violence in recent years. Kenya’s high rates of violence against women have prompted several marches this year.

Ugandan officials have condemned the attack, demanding justice for Cheptegei. First lady Janet Museveni, who also serves as Uganda’s education and sports minister, described the attack as “deeply disturbing.”

Don Rukare, chairman of the National Council of Sports of Uganda, said in a statement on X that the attack was “a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete.”

Four in 10 women, or an estimated 41% of dating or married Kenyan women, have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by their current or most recent partner, according to the 2022 Kenya Demographic and Health Survey.

Many Ugandan athletes train across the border in Kenya, an athletics powerhouse with better facilities. Some of the region’s best runners train together at a high-altitude center in Kenya’s west.

Cheptegei competed in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics, finishing in 44th place, less than a month before the attack. She had represented Uganda at other competitions.

—

Muhumuza reported from Kampala, Uganda.

Members of the public gather for a funeral service of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei ahead of her burial in Kapkoros, Bukwo District, Uganda Saturday, Sept. 14. 2024. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Members of Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) carry the coffin of their colleague Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Koriny Cheptegei, ahead of her burial in Kapkoros, Bukwo District, Uganda Saturday, Sept. 14. 2024. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Members of Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) stand at the casket of their colleague Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Koriny Cheptegei, ahead of her burial in Kapkoros, Bukwo District, Uganda Saturday, Sept. 14. 2024. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Members of the public gather for a funeral service of Ugandan Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei ahead of her burial in Kapkoros, Bukwo District, Uganda Saturday, Sept. 14. 2024. (AP Photo/Hajarah Nalwadda)

Mourners pay respects to Ugandan athlete who died after her partner set her on fire

Mourners pay respects to Ugandan athlete who died after her partner set her on fire

FILE -Rebecca Cheptegei, competes at the Discovery 10km road race in Kapchorwa, Uganda, Jan. 20, 2023. (AP Photo, File)