By JULIE ASH
Two of the billionaires' campaigns, Prada and Oracle BMW Racing, are scheduled to go head to head on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf today in a dream match on the first day of the Louis Vuitton challenger series.
With budgets nearing the $200 million mark, this afternoon's first-round race pitting
the Italians against the Americans will show to what extent big money can deliver a winning boat.
For the next four months, nine challengers from six countries will fight it out for the Louis Vuitton Cup and the right to challenge Team New Zealand in the 31st defence of the America's Cup in February.
Defending Louis Vuitton Cup champions Prada have named Rod Davis as their starting helmsman.
Skipper Francesco de Angelis will take over the helm once racing is under way and Davis will move into a tactical role. Torben Grael and Matteo Plazzi take their places as tactician and navigator.
De Angelis said a lot of work had been done in the past three years by all of the teams.
"From tomorrow we will see the best of the sport on the water," he said.
Oracle BMW Racing have also opted to use Peter Holmberg as the starting helmsman before their billionaire boss Larry Ellison, who is the team's skipper, takes over.
"We are very excited to be kicking off the Louis Vuitton racing with what will surely be a challenge against Prada," said Holmberg, who will be joined by John Cutler, Ian Burns, Tomasso Chieffi and Eric Doyle in the afterguard. The latter two will alternate the role of strategist.
Competition favourites Alinghi, led by former Team New Zealand skipper Russell Coutts, face the French challenge Le Defi.
Coutts will be at the helm of the Swiss challenge. His boss Ernesto Bertarelli will be at his side navigating. Brad Butterworth and Jochen Schuemann complete the afterguard.
"If we are the favourites I hope we live up to expectations," Coutts said.
Seattle's OneWorld (USA67) line up against the Mascalzone Latino and their only boat, ITA72.
With James Spithill at the helm, experienced cup campaigner Peter Gilmour as tactician and skipper and Kevin Hall as navigator OneWorld should have too much experience for the second Italian challenge.
With their motto "sail playfully but seriously," Mascalzone Latino helmsman Paolo Cian suggested there was a bright side in being the only one-yacht campaign.
"We don't have the uncertainty as to which boat is better," he said.
Returning to the Cup after a 15-year absence, GBR line their boat GBR70 (Wight Lightning) up against Team Dennis Conner's Stars and Stripes (USA66).
Five of the nine syndicates are rated strong contenders to win the Louis Vuitton Cup and challenge Team New Zealand for the America's Cup.
They are all well-funded syndicates, the Swiss syndicate Alinghi, Italy's Prada and American challengers Oracle BMW Racing, OneWorld and Team Dennis Conner racing again for the New York Yacht Club.
Sweden's Victory Challenge and their German Frers jnr-designed boats are seen as the dark horses and the road is expected to be tough for GBR Challenge, Le Defi Areva and Mascalzone Latino.
But in sailing nothing is certain. A spinnaker blow-out, tactical error or the few seconds lost switching helmsman could be the difference between winning or losing.
"The level of competition should be higher than it has ever been," Alinghi skipper Russell Coutts said.
"All these teams have come better prepared than perhaps some of the challengers before and I think it will result in some great racing."
A new format for racing aims to give the strongest challenger the best chance of getting the cup off Team New Zealand by ensuring winning teams can conserve their boats and equipment. Teams will race once a day on the Hauraki Gulf, where two courses (named Romeo and Juliet) have been set up.
No longer are the points loaded towards the end of the series, which means everyone will have to come out firing from day one.
The harsh reality is one team will be eliminated in early November after two round robins. A further four will be gone by the end of November and just two will remain for the final in the new year.
Looking up syndicate row it is clear the boats have evolved and are ready to tackle anything the changeable Hauraki Gulf throws at them.
But whether anyone has created a rocket ship that can perform in a variety of conditions is the question.
nzherald.co.nz/americascup
Racing schedule, results and standings
By JULIE ASH
Two of the billionaires' campaigns, Prada and Oracle BMW Racing, are scheduled to go head to head on Auckland's Hauraki Gulf today in a dream match on the first day of the Louis Vuitton challenger series.
With budgets nearing the $200 million mark, this afternoon's first-round race pitting
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