Team New Zealand beat Italy’s Luna Rossa for the 6th time on Saturday. This puts them one win away from winning the challenger series and moving on to race against Team USA in the finale of the 34th America’s Cup next month. The challenger series is a best-of-13, and Italy has only won one race, when the Kiwis had a dead battery.

Team USA will defend their 2010 win in San Francisco Bay. Oracle’s Larry Ellison chose the bay so that land-based spectators could view the race, which is typically held farther out to sea.

America’s Cup boat are 72 foot hydrofoil catamarans, considered the fastest, most advanced sailboats ever designed. On Saturday, the New Zealand team reached a speed of 54 mph – nine miles faster than the speed limit on the Golden Gate Bridge. The AC72s are dangerous, even with expert crews. A member of the Swedish team died in May when their boat, the Artemis, capsized.

In Saturday’s race, New Zealand led Italy by almost 2 minutes in choppy water and wind with gusts of up to 25 mph. The strong winds and incoming tide postponed a second race. The forecast for Sunday is for calmer conditions.

The design for Prada fashion tycoon Patrizio Bertelli’s Luna Rossa boat was purchased from New Zealand. But, the Kiwi team built a second boat, which most agree is better.

The America’s Cup match is a best-of-17 series, and is slated to begin on September 7th.

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