Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill will not be giving up the Cup without a good fight.
Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill will not be giving up the Cup without a good fight.
How will it work? It's first-to-seven wins (not five as in the Challenger final) so we won't have an America's Cup victor after the first two days. After Sunday and Monday's racing, there is a five-day break, followed by racing on the following Sunday and Monday (New Zealand time).
What's theweather forecast to be? A 40 per cent chance the breeze will be below 12 knots for the entire finals regatta. Team New Zealand have looked strong in light winds.
Oracle skipper Jimmy Spithill will not be giving up the Cup without a good fight.
Why do Oracle Team USA start with a 1-0 advantage? The Americans won the round-robin challenger series ahead of the Kiwis. The winner of that series takes a point into the Cup final. Yes, it's controversial Oracle even competed in the round-robin but the Kiwis had their chance there to gain the advantage.
Who's the favourite? Oracle are formidable defenders, their boat looked good in the round-robin and Jimmy Spithill (pictured) is a proven performer. But they will be concerned about Team NZ's performances in certain wind ranges.
What does NZ need to improve? Oracle will be a different beast than Team NZ have faced to date. Spithill has Peter Burling's number, but the young Kiwi is a fast learner. He will back himself. Errors must be avoided at all costs, though, and the Kiwis have shown themselves to be prone to the occasional stuff-up.
How do I follow the final? Sky TV has live coverage from 5am; delayed free-to-air cover on Prime from 6.30am. Follow our live blog on nzherald.co.nz from 5am all race days and listen to the voice of yachting Peter Montgomery and expert match racer Chris Steele and their live call on Radio Sport and Newstalk ZB.
