America's Cup: Jimmy Spithill claims the umpires are favouring Team NZ

Oracle Team USA skipper Jimmy Spithill. Photo / AP.

Jimmy Spithill believes Team New Zealand are getting more than the rub of the green when it comes to umpiring decisions.

Oracle Team USA came off second best in two dial-up situations in today's two races, copping a penalty in the opening race, which Emirates Team New Zealand went on to win convincingly, before having a protest turned down in the second race.

The defender still got the better of Team NZ in second race, the sixth of the series, claiming their first win of the Cup match.

In what was a thinly veiled attempt to apply pressure to the umpires, Spithill claimed not only have the umpires favoured Team NZ in today's races, but earlier on in the regatta.

"Yeah, we were frustrated with the penalty. We just feel like these guys have been given a few soft penalties," he said.

"We had one in first race in qualifiers against us. They should have got one at the top mark, and the umpires admitted that.

"We saw what happened in the Artemis race - they gave them one there. It just seems like they are getting a few soft ones from the umpires."

The umpiring team falls under America's Cup Race Management (ACRM), which the Oracle-aligned America's Cup Events Authority (ACEA) have previously gone to great lengths to point out they are an "entirely independent" body.

As you would expect, Team NZ skipper Peter Burling believed the penalty on Oracle was warranted. He said he was forced to alter his course early to avoid a collision in what was just one of the many heart-stopping moments during today's racing.

"We were altering the whole time to avoid a collision. The closing speeds on these things at that stage is over 50 knots, we had to turn up really early to avoid," said Burling.

"We were happy with the umpires. That's sport - we try not to put it in their hands, but we felt like we made a good call."