The best photos from the 35th America’s Cup

The second week of the America’s Cup saw some dramatic twists and turns with Groupama Team France knocked out following the conclusion of the playoff qualifiers. However, it was Emirates Team New Zealand who made the most headlines with a dramatic capsize during the fourth playoff semi-final race against Land Rover BAR. As this close-up photo reveals, several crewmembers were able to cling onto their pedal-powered grinders after the raceboat pitch-poled on June 6.

However, this upset was not enough the throw Emirates Team New Zealand off course and they went on to beat Land Rover BAR 5-2 in the semi-final playoffs ending the British team's America's Cup campaign.

The second week saw SoftBank Team Japan outperform expectations. Despite being written off by many as the weakest team left in the competition, Dean Barker’s outfit won three out of their first four playoff semi-final races against Artemis Racing, before succumbing to a 5-3 defeat. Barker’s experience at the helm proved invaluable, and the Kiwi veteran was brilliantly picked out from the spray in this dramatic photo taken on June 6, when the Japanese team set a top speed of 47.3 knots.

Race day one saw Sir Ben Ainslie’s bid to become the first Briton to lift the America’s Cup get off to an inauspicious start. A heavy collision between the Land Rover BAR raceboat and SoftBank Team Japan left a large hole in the British team’s hull. Overnight repairs meant that Ainslie’s team were back on the water for day two, but their form was mixed ever since and they were eventually eliminated on June 8 during the playoff semi-finals.