Steadfast focus on Cup win

By JULIE ASH

When Team New Zealand's mast collapsed yesterday, Alinghi wind strategist Murray Jones was busy analysing the weather.

Jones was blissfully unaware of what was going on until he turned back and saw that disaster had struck the Black Boat.

Jones' concentration amidst the mayhem almost sums up the entire Alinghi campaign. Despite BlackHeart, the threatening letters and the constant "traitor" barbs, the Swiss syndicate have kept their focus on one thing: winning the America's Cup.

But from day one, Russell Coutts and Alinghi were always the ones expected to challenge Team New Zealand for the Auld Mug.

It was the match probably all of New Zealand wanted to see - Coutts against Dean Barker - but most expected a different ending.

Team New Zealand were meant to have created a rocketship of a boat and Barker and his men were meant to beat Coutts and Co and the cup was meant to stay in New Zealand.

But this story will have the opposite outcome, unless we see one of sport's more remarkable comebacks.

Coutts and his team will take the cup away from New Zealand and to Europe for the first time since the regatta's beginnings in 1851.

As it turned out, Team New Zealand's NZL82 is no faster than Alinghi's finely tuned SUI64, despite its revolutionary hull appendage. In fact, in two of four races the Black Boat has failed to finish, raising questions about its reliability.

For Barker and his crew, it has been tough. And although disappointed, they do have to stop and realise they were up against some of the best sailors in the world.

For the six former Team New Zealanders on board Alinghi - Coutts, Brad Butterworth, Warwick Fleury, Simon Daubney, Dean Phipps and Jones - a win today would be their third consecutive cup triumph, a stunning achievement.

But this whole regatta has played into Alinghi's hands. Syndicate boss Ernesto Bertarelli couldn't have planned for a better road to the cup match if he had tried.

Of the 28 races they sailed in the challenger series, Alinghi lost just three - two to Oracle BMW Racing and one to OneWorld.

With a big budget around $120 million, Alinghi had the resources and carefully planned their road to the final. Each step they took was a lot stronger than the last.

So if today is the day and Alinghi do take the mug away, Coutts and Co can stand up and take a bow.

They are the masters.

Continuous coverage of today's America's Cup race will begin on nzherald.co.nz at 12.30pm.

Race 4: Pictures of the dismasting | Commentary

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