Editorial: Apathy changed into real Cup fever

Until the finals, no one seemed to pay attention to the America's Cup.

As you sit down for your breakfast this morning chances are you may have your TV on watching Emirates Team New Zealand taking on Oracle Team USA for the America's Cup.

I have to admit, up until these actual finals I hadn't been paying close attention to the series.

In fact, I often found myself trying to avoid the coverage as I found it a little frustrating.

It seemed to me most of the battle was taking place not on the water but in the courtroom, from the protests of cheating to rival syndicates trying to avoid racing each other on the water.

Even when Team New Zealand lifted the Louis Vuitton Cup I was rather surprised because the only thing that had caught my attention prior to that was the tragic death of Andrew Simpson from Swedish team Artemis during a training run, with talk of possibly cancelling the event.

To be honest, I wouldn't even be able to name the other teams who challenged for the Auld Mug this series.

Fast forward to race one of the final and it registered a small blip on my radar but, to be fair, it was a casual interest rather than a 'Damn I can't wait to see the next race'.

But as the racing went on and the talk around the water cooler became more intense, especially when Team USA managed to pull back a win, I started to capture a little of the America's Cup excitement.

Up until yesterday's dramatic racing, when Team USA grabbed their second win and both teams now looking like they have similar boat speed, the America's Cup hadn't really reached the excitement of all those years ago when the late Sir Peter Blake and Sir Russell Coutts won the cup in San Diego.

But now it's hard not to get the old blood boiling and the sense of national pride is starting to stir.

Good luck boys. Damn I can't wait to see the next race.