Team New Zealand (R) takes the lead against Italy's Luna Rossa approaching the windward mark during the sixth race of the Louis Vuitton Cup challenger series race in San Francisco, California. REUTERS/Robert Galbraith
Skipper Dean Barker and his crew had the better start in San Francisco Bay on Saturday and sailed away from their rivals almost immediately.
With their polished work and boat speed advantage, Team NZ built up a comfortable margin and then put on a show by lifting the hulls of their AC72 catamaran out of the water and foiling not just downwind, but also upwind.
The margin between the boats at the finish was 1min 57sec.
Races seven and eight are scheduled for Sunday.
Two more wins for Team NZ will land them the challengers' Louis Vuitton Cup and the right to go head to head against Oracle Team USA for the America's Cup in September.
