6.00pm UPDATE
Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth made the right call when he pointed skipper Russell Coutts to the right hand side of the start line in today's third race of the America's Cup.
The Swiss challenger profited from a 20-degree right hand shift to lead by 28 seconds at the first mark,
then held off Team New Zealand to win by 23 seconds, or approximately 4 1/2 boat lengths.
Alinghi lead the best-of-nine series 3-0.
Alinghi strategist Jochen Schuemann said it had always been his team's intention to go to the right at the start.
"That was the plan all the time. We just wanted to push the whole game into the left in the pre-start," Schuemann said.
"Then we wanted to start exactly as we did finally. It was more right than they (Team New Zealand) expected it, and it kept staying right all day long."
With the boats so even upwind and downwind it had been a close race.
On every little shift Team New Zealand had fought hard to make gains, and Alinghi had to fight hard to keep their advantage.
"But finally I think it was a very safe win again, so we are over the hill now with three wins," Schuemann said.
Alinghi principal designer Rolf Vrolijk said his team were happy with the performance of SUI64 against NZL82.
Team New Zealand had "no rocket, for the moment", he said.
"I think the old lady will get us where we want to go."
It looked as if the speed of the two boats was close, Vrolijk said.
"You see small differences, depending on the pressure and things like that... We might have to see still what's happening in more wind," he said.
Alinghi grinder Canadian Kai Bjorn, in his first ever America's Cup performance, said the race had been exciting and fun.
"Everyone's giving everything they have. It's tiring (in the tacking duels), but you know it's as tiring for the other team as it is for us," he said.
"Three years of training ... hopefully has prepared us to be able to have the endurance and strength to make it happen."
Despite Alinghi's 3-0 lead he was still cautious about the rest of the match.
"Who knows what happens but the boys are happy. I think they've been there. There's a lot of veterans on this team," he said.
Tomorrow is a rest day. Race 4 is scheduled for Thursday at 1.15pm.
- NZPA, Herald staff
Race commentary (latest reports on top)
3.21pm - Alinghi finish. Team New Zealand follow 23 seconds behind.
3.19pm - Alinghi gybe on the layline onto starboard.
3.17pm - Team NZ gybe onto starboard. Alinghi stand on.
3.15pm - Team NZ gybe onto port. Alinghi gybe onto port in front of Team NZ to keep clear air. Team NZ reaches up to try and shadow Alinghi.
3.12pm - Team NZ gybe onto starboard
3.11pm - Team NZ gybe on port. Alinghi, leading by 5 boat lengths, follow suit.
3.04pm - Alinghi gybe onto starboard. Team NZ also gybe onto starboard to cover. Wind is 17 knots.
Mark 5:
3.03pm - Allinghi round the 3rd windward mark and into a gybe set, leading Team NZ by 21 seconds. Alinghi have gained 6 seconds on leg 5.
3.02pm - Alinghi tack onto port and cross clear ahead.
3.00pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard. Alinghi tack on top. Team NZ back onto port and the yachts separate.
2.59pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard. Alinghi tack on top. Team NZ tack back onto port. Alinghi follow suit.
2.54pm - Both yachts tack onto port, with Alinghi to windward, as the wind increases to 16 knots and clocks to the right. Stronger winds may favour NZL82 with its "hula" (hull appendage).
2.52pm - Team NZ continue to make gains as the boats race side by side on starboard tack with Team NZ to windward.
2.45pm - Both yachts back onto starboard.
2.44pm - Team NZ tack onto port. Alinghi tack on top.
2.43pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard. Alinghi follow suit.
2.42pm - Team NZ tack onto port, Alinghi follow suit. Then both back onto starboard, then both back onto port. Alinghi have had better speed going into the tacks.
Mark 4:
2.40pm - Alinghi around the mark 15 seconds ahead of Team NZ. A gain of 2 seconds to Team NZ who trail by two boat lengths.
The race cours has been adjusted in response to a right hand wind shift.
2.38pm - Both yachts gybe onto starboard to lay the bottom mark.
2.35pm - Both yachts gybe onto port. Alinghi lead by 50m and are sailing in clear air.
2.32pm - Alinghi gybe onto starboard. The boats are separated by more than 300m, and Team NZ have reduced Alinghi's lead to 60m.
2.31pm - Team NZ gybe onto starboard, but Alinghi stay on port.
2.28pm - Alinghi lead by 70m as the boats continue on port tack under gennakers. Alinghi work down to leeward, ready to defend when the boats gybe.
Mark 3
2.20pm - Alinghi round the second windward mark and into a gybe set. Team NZ are 17 seconds behind and also gybe set. Gain to Team NZ of 3 seconds on leg 2.
2.17pm - Team NZ into a downspeed tack onto starboard near the starboard layline as the yachts approach the second windward mark.
2.17pm - Alinghi tack onto port, then back onto starboard on top of Team NZ, who tack onto port.
2.16pm - Alinghi goes into a downspeed tack onto starboard to cover Team NZ who respond with a tack onto starboard at speed.
2.15pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard. Alinghi onto port.
2.15pm - Team NZ tack onto port near the right hand layline. Wind under 10 knots. Alinghi tack onto starboard.
2.14pm - As Team NZ close the gap to 65m, Alinghi tack onto port and the boats start to converge.
2.12pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard and get a small lift on the right hand side of the course.
2.11pm - Team NZ tack onto port. Alinghi hold a 100m lead as the boats display comparable speed upwind.
2.10pm - Both yachts tack onto starboard, well separated.
2.07pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard. Alinghi tack on top of Team NZ. Team NZ back onto port. Alinghi tack onto port.
2.06pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard. Alinghi tack on top of Team NZ. Team NZ back onto port. Alinghi also tack back onto port.
2.02pm - Alinghi tack onto port.
2.01pm - Alinghi cross clear ahead of Team NZ, then tack onto starboard. Team NZ tack onto port.
2.00pm - Alinghi onto port. Team NZ onto starboard and the yachts begin to converge. Wind 348deg at 11 knots.
1.59pm - Team NZ back onto port protecting the right hand advantage. Alinghi do not follow.
1.59pm - Both yachts tack on starboard.
1.58pm - Team NZ tack onto port, Alinghi follow.
Mark 2
1.57pm - Alinghi round the bottom mark 20 seconds behind. Team NZ have gained 8 sec on leg 2.
1.55pm - Both yachts gybe onto starboard approaching the bottom mark. Wind up to 14 knots.
1.50pm - Both yachts gybe onto port with Team NZ to windward and about 4 lengths behind.
1.48pm - Team NZ close the gap to 90m but will need to advance further in order to disturb Alinghi's wind. Wind has decreased slightly to 12 knots.
1.45pm - Alinghi gybe onto starboard tack. Team NZ follow immediately and move into position to disturb Alinghi's wind.
Mark 1
1.38pm - Alinghi round the windward mark into a bear-away set. Team NZ follow by 28 sec as the yachts head downwind under gennakers. Wind 346deg at 14.5 knots.
1.36pm - Team NZ also tacks at the layline onto port, but gets Alinghi's bad air.
1.35pm - Alinghi sails slightly beyond the left hand layline, then tacks onto port.
1.34pm - Alinghi tack onto starboard. Team NZ onto port.
1.33pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard. Alinghi onto port.
1.32pm - Alinghi tack back onto starboard.
1.32pm - Alinghi tack onto port. Team NZ follow.
1.31pm - Team NZ tack onto starboard.
1.29pm - Team NZ close the gap to 120m approaching the port layline, then tack onto port.
1.23pm - Alinghi have better pressure on the right hand side of the course and lead by 8 lengths. Both yachts still on starboard.
1.20pm - A 20deg right hand shift to 352deg at 13 knots is helping Alinghi sail higher and extend its lead to 6 boat lengths.
1.18pm - Alinghi leads by about 2 boat lengths and is pointing higher than Team NZ as the yachts sail on starboard tack well separated.
1.16pm - Alinghi tack onto starboard.
1.15pm - Team NZ takes the left hand end of the line on starboard while Alinghi takes the right hand end on port. Ainghi is over the line a couple of seconds before Team NZ and will have the starboard hand advantage at the first cross.
1.13pm - Team NZ crosses ahead. The skippers avoid a dial up and go deep into the start box. Wind 13k.
1.12pm - The right hand side of the course appears to be favoured as the yachts converge in the start box.
1.10pm - The 5-minute gun is fired. Team New Zealand NZL82, flying the blue flag, enter the start box from the port (pin) end of the line. Alinghi SUI64, flying the yellow flag, enter from the starboard (committee boat) end.
1.05pm - The 10-minute gun is fired.
12.45pm - The NNW wind ranges from 8-13 knots on the race course as the teams' back up boats sail the course and radio the conditions back to the race crews. Racing is expected to begin on schedule at 1.15pm.
12.42pm - Security staff were on Alinghi's boat as Russell Coutts and his crew sailed to the Hauraki Gulf for today's race. At least two people on the boat were not sailors, but were instead wearing tell-tale ear-pieces, usually sported by security staff.
Alinghi crew, including Coutts who quit Team New Zealand after the last Cup, were the target of threatening letters in December.
Alinghi spokesman Bernard Schopfer said today he could not disclose the team's security arrangements. He described the men on the boat as "people that are close to the team". Security arrangements had not changed since December, and had not been increased since the first wins of the racing. There had been no fresh threats made against team members, Mr Schopfer said.
The letters written in December, just a day after Coutts publicly attacked Team New Zealand, threatened violence against the families of New Zealanders on Alinghi crew, and were signed "Teach the Traitors a Lesson".
Police questioned an extreme group of Team New Zealand supporters called the BlackHearts about the threats, but they denied knowing anything about them.
The Swiss publicised the threats despite Auckland police asking them not to.
12.38pm - Thousands of well-wishers cheered Team New Zealand's two black boats out to the race course this morning.
Both NZL82 and the newly repaired NZL81 headed to the Gulf. Team New Zealand's backup boat was damaged in choppy seas and stiff winds before Saturday's first race, but the defenders have declined to say what was wrong with it.
However its mast was removed on Saturday afternoon, amid speculation the boat may have some structural problems.
The rig went back into the boat late yesterday.
Before the crew went out to sea, Team New Zealand chef Gretel Jack made a special breakfast for the sailors - a dinner-sized meal of chicken burritos, guacamole, beans and salad.
Weather forecast, issued by MetService at 10.59am:
For the Hauraki Gulf northwest 15 knots, rising to 20 knots for a time this evening. Sea slight, becoming moderate for a time. Becoming cloudy. Fair visibility in a few showers developing this evening.
Today's crews:
Team New Zealand NZL-82
Bowman: Jeremy Lomas
Mid Bowman: Matt Mitchell
Mastman: Nick Heron
Pitman: Jared Henderson
Runner/Pit: Barry McKay
Grinder: Jono Macbeth
Grinder: Rob Waddell
Grinder: Chris Ward
Trimmer: James Dagg
Trimmer: Grant Loretz
Mainsheet Trimmer: Tony Rae
Afterguard: Adam Beashel
Afterguard: Peter Evans
Afterguard: Hamish Pepper
Navigator: Mike Drummond
Skipper: Dean Barker
17th Man: -
Alinghi SUI-64
Foredeck: Dean Phipps
Foredeck: Curtis Blewett
Mastman: Francesco Rapetti
Pitman: Josh Belsky
Grinder: Will McCarthy
Grinder: Kai Bjorn
Genoa Trimmer: Simon Daubney
Trimmer: Richard Bouzaid
Grinder: Dominik Neidhart
Mainsail Traveller: Murray Jones
Mainsail Trimmer: Warwick Fleury
Grinder: Pieter Van Nieuwenhuyzen
Strategist: Jochen Schuemann
Navigator: Ernesto Bertarelli
Tactician: Brad Butterworth
Helmsman/Skipper: Russell Coutts
17th man: -
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule and results
6.00pm UPDATE
Alinghi tactician Brad Butterworth made the right call when he pointed skipper Russell Coutts to the right hand side of the start line in today's third race of the America's Cup.
The Swiss challenger profited from a 20-degree right hand shift to lead by 28 seconds at the first mark,
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