Team New Zealand prove the goods on day two of America's Cup action

Team New Zealand have taken a 3-0 lead over Oracle Team USA after two strong performances today.

Team New Zealand crushed Oracle in the second race of the day by more than a minute.

The challengers quickly erased the defenders' one-win advantage on the scoreboard - a result of Oracle's win in the challenger qualifying series earlier this month - and built their own lead with victory in the day's second race.

It was an almost totally dominant display from Emirates Team NZ helmsman Peter Burling, who had the better of counterpart Jimmy Spithill throughout the opening exchanges, winning both starts and overcoming slight lapses late in both races.

Both ACC boats were even off the start-line in Race Two, but Team NZ built superior speed to the first mark and quickly extended to more than a minute in front at the third gate.

Oracle made huge gains up the fifth leg and were within a couple of metres rounding the top mark, but immediately fell off their foils on a gybe and lost several hundred metres in the space of a few seconds.

Photo / Getty Images

That error cost the American syndicate any chance of overhauling their rivals.

"Fantastic rally from the boys, particularly the guys forward today - just a massive effort on the hydraulic front," reflected Team NZ skipper Glenn Ashby.

• This article was first published on nzherald.co.nz and is republished here with permission.